Insight Axis explores connections between practical philosophy, technology, books, and more. I’m Zan - follow me on Substack.
To change is to embody the phoenix.
Let an old part of you die, so a better part can flourish.
But.
Did you think it would be simple to let that part of you shrivel away?
Did you think it would go down without a fight?
Did you think it would be easy to let go of its familiarity,
Even if it was harmful to your self?
To change, you must unconditionally accept,
That change will come with pain.
We reflexively try to avoid it,
But the only remedy is to seek it out.
How?
Follow your fear.
For fear arises to try and shield you from pain,
Physical, psychological, or emotional.
But sometimes, it’s more harmful than protective.
Once you follow your fear, you'll find the pain.
It will show you where you need to grow.
To accept the pain is to allow the change,
Otherwise, it will not happen.
It will be scary, and it will hurt.
But if you remember,
That you are not the fear, and you are not the pain.
Their hold on you will diminish.
That is how to embody the phoenix.
Until next time,
-Zan
"Any change, no matter how positive, is uncomfortable until it is also familiar" - Brianna Wiest, The Mountain is You
Recommended reading from Substack:
- on why you shouldn’t join Y Combinator.
- on his journey into meaningful philanthropy.
- explores the relationship between trauma and antifragility.
- on the power and clarity that comes with committing a career ending move.
- shares a deep and raw reflection on burnout.
Reading beyond Substack:
Markets Are Eating The World - Taylor Pearson
The Blockchain Man - Taylor Pearson on
Another Step Toward International War - Ray Dalio
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
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I learn from my readers, so leave a comment with your thoughts, and I’ll find you there.
The obstacle is the way.
“To change, you must unconditionally accept,
That change will come with pain.” —
Such an important point!
The resistance to change comes from the pain that change will bring — this seems so obvious now that you’ve said it, but before your piece I hadn’t really connected change with pain so explicitly.
Thanks for the insight, Zan :)