"Nietzsche was the one who did the job for me. At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called "the love of your fate." Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, "This is what I need." It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment—not discouragement—you will find the strength is there. Any disaster that you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow. Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. You'll see that this is really true. Nothing can happen to you that is not positive. Even though it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. The crisis throws you back, and when you are required to exhibit strength, it comes." ~ Joseph Campbell from A Joseph Campbell Companion
Wow. That's worth a re-read (or four).
I don't know about you, but "the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage" have been the incidents that have shaped the life I have now. (I share some of these moments in my Note on Joseph Campbell.)
Love your fate.
Remember Uncle Joe's sage advice: "Whatever the hell happens," ... say, "This is what I need."
And, most importantly, "Follow your bliss. The heroic life is living the individual adventure."
...
"In my world, nothing ever goes wrong." ~ Wayne Dyer
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
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PhilosophersNotes on A Joseph Campbell Companion by Joseph Campbell | |||||
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