Destruction
"The first act of creation is often an act of destruction." - Picasso. In Hindu mythology, Shiva is the god of destruction and rules with Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Destruction is seen as a necessary part of the never-ending circle of creation, preservation, and destruction. It gets rid of the old so the new can exist. Vocabularly.com defines destruction as "damage so bad, things must be replaced, not fixed." A tornado or other natural disaster can cause physical destruction to a landscape or property. Mental, emotional, or spiritual tornadoes can wreak just as much havoc on a person, with effects that can be harder to overcome. Death, dementia, addictions, aging, accidents, loving people, all risks that come as a result of being alive, all capable of destruction.
It should come as no surprise, then, that our lives will often be destroyed over the years. There is destruction that you bring about and destruction that you have no control over. Destruction will always bring about change, either for better or worse. We can accelerate destruction in our lives when we get bored. Our words can ruin relationships. "Sometimes the thoughts in my head get so bored they go out for a stroll through my mouth. This is rarely a good thing." - Scott Westerfield.
Destruction of your own making-
Burning your bridges and walking away- "Some bridges are beautiful when they burn. There's a calmness that takes over when you can't go back. When you've changed. When you've decided. When you've left behind a version of you that is no longer you. The end of everything is the start of anything." - unknown. There are many reasons why a person might choose this extreme way of bringing about change. Ripping the band-aid off or diving into cold water are acceptable ways of getting results without having to prolong the pain. Sometimes, there are no rational explanations when the question "why?" is brought up. It is not just their pain that they are minimizing; it is also the pain of those they leave, because knowing why might hurt worse.
Self-destruction - One of the reasons people choose not to burn bridges is that they would feel terrible about abandoning people who rely on them. In their unhappiness, though, they must find a way of coping. "She is dangerous when she is hurt. She can easily destroy everything around her, but she doesn't. Instead, she destroys herself." - Aletta S. Self-destruction is used when a person has no idea how to use healthy coping mechanisms. Healthy coping mechanisms can be learned and practiced.
Unsatiable drive to "be better" - "I've died a thousand deaths, each time reinventing myself brighter, stronger, and purer than before. From the midst of destruction, I became the creator of myself. From the midst of darkness, I became my own source of life." - Cristen Rodgers. I find myself in this predicament often; I become unhappy with my current state, I find a path that looks like it might take me somewhere better, I attempt to follow said path, I become unhappy again, repeat. I am not sorry for this annoying habit as I know that I am working out my own system of becoming. I do see the danger of pushing too hard, of never believing that you are enough. That danger is living in dissatisfaction and unhappiness forever. "The unchecked striving for more, for endless growth, is a dysfunction and a disease. It is the same dysfunction the cancerous cell manifests, unaware that it is bringing about its own destruction by destroying the organism of which it is a part." - Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, pg. 37. We can all improve something about ourselves, but it would take several lifetimes to obtain perfection, if possible at all. I am looking forward to this growing process, but also understand that it will come slowly. I will not use that as an excuse to be defeated. I know that the point that I am on my journey is where I am supposed to be. It is the best I can do for now. My new mantra is "I am enough." That frees me from the shame of not being perfect and allows me to accept the joy of being alive.
Destruction that happens to you-
A soul-crushing, life-altering event- "I truly believe that every single person has to go through something that absolutely destroys them so they can figure out who they really are." -Lucas Taylor. I believe that we came here to Earth to learn and grow. Often, we find ourselves being pushed out of a comfortable situation that we should be leaving, and we stubbornly dig our heels in and refuse to be pulled away. This can test the universe's patience to the point where it has no alternative left but to cause absolute destruction. "When the time comes for you to change or grow, the Universe will make you feel so uncomfortable that you will eventually have no choice." - unknown. Learn to see the signs early, before the destruction card is played. Other times, you will be truly blindsided. When this happens, finding a silver lining is your band-aid. Your power to overcome lies in how you choose to react.
A shift in your understanding- A religious experience, a new philosophy that blows your old beliefs apart, a person that inspires a different point of view, all agents of destruction. "Make no mistake about it- enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It's seeing through the facade of pretense. It's the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true." - Adyashanti
A result of conditioning- People who have been raised with chaos and trauma will perceive the world through the lens of destruction. Even after being physically removed from the environment, a tendency to self-sabotage their happiness prevails. Suffering caused by upheaval is familiar, and peace is not to be believed. "Born in destruction, it follows you everywhere you go. Raised in destruction, it is the only friend you know. (Maybe peace is not meant for all of us.)" - AH
Just like a storm warning, some people who see the signs, try and alert us to the life dangers ahead. There are countless books, songs, articles, poems, podcasts, videos, documentaries, and stories being told to help save us from (or at least minimize the damage) of living. I don't know how well we listen. Example: No matter how many warnings we hear about diet and exercise, people continue to eat poorly and be lazy. We seem to prefer to learn through experience. "Experience is the hardest teacher. It gives you the test first, and the lesson afterward." - Aurora Rose Reynolds, Until Lilly.
I hope that by understanding the reasons why our lives must be destroyed, we can be better prepared for when it happens. Better prepared to offer forgiveness to those who are self-destructing or actively destroying relationships. Destruction is needed to bring about change, but it doesn't need to be your God, nor do you need to fear it. By embracing change gratefully, your mind becomes open to the positive aspects of challenges, thus allowing solutions to be found. "The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction." - Rachel Carson.
Love and Hope,
Big Sky Baby