An evening ago, I decided to watch “Eat Pray Love” the recently released movie starring Julia Roberts based on the novel by Elizabeth Gilbert. It was about a woman who recently divorced her husband and lost her ‘flavor’ for life or more simply put her balance.
In an effort to reinstate her lost love for life, she decided to make three significant trips to Italy, India and Bali. As she toured Rome, she came upon the ‘Mausoleum of Augustus’; the magnificent architecture stood in ruins as once a great relic of a final resting place to a public bathroom for homeless people. Elizabeth marveled at the structure before her and thought how ‘Ruin Leads to Transformation.’ She wasn’t the only one in awe though, the sight captured my attention also and boy did my mind begin to ponder...
‘Ruin Leads to Transformation.’
We can’t help but feel an affiliation with the above phrase because as humans we have at some point experienced the wrath and fury of ruin and the firm yet forgiving hands of transformation.
What is transformation?
It means to change. Change is a simple two-syllable word even we are afraid to grasp. Change means to amend and amend is to make improvements.
Why do we thrill ourselves with the idea of a newer car model but scare at the thought of a newer me? Change is responsible for various world phenomena; every speck of creation, animate or inanimate, must undergo change.
It’s the way the world is…
“The moon is reflected in the water;
The moon doesn’t get wet and the water is undisturbed.” – Eihei Dogen
It’s the same, ruin is allowed to be reflected in our lives from time to time but it is up to us to not get disturbed by it but to grow from it and beautifully transform into a stronger being. Its how nature develops us for the ruin and hurt ahead of us because it is the way of our world for misfortune to follow fortune and vice versa. This cycle continues because it’s how nature conceives balance but rest assure, over time, we should realize that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are relative and it is our power of perception that guides us in the hour of counsel and shows us the clearer picture;
The ‘truth...’
I like this. I'm going to write a blog post based on this one if you don't mind.