Catalyst Castle

It’s been a while since I wrote a Words to Live By article. This time I want to share a couple of quotes about that self defining, and often heart breaking, moment when you finally witness the ugliest side of yourself.

The tragedy of a man who has found himself out.

-Sir James Matthew Barrie

For some reason I can’t explain I know Saint Peter won’t call my name.

-Viva La Vida, Coldplay

I believe that most of us experience this sooner or later in life. Up to a certain point you live your life believing that you’re a certain kind of person. Your upbringing and your own moral fiber would never allow you to go past a certain point, or to do something that you know unquestionably is wrong. And then it happens. Circumstances conspire with your own flaws and weaknesses to lead you down a dark path. Just one step in the wrong direction becomes another, and before you know it you’re spiraling out of control, running headlong down a path you never thought you’d take. Then all of a sudden it hits you like a ton of bricks. You find yourself looking in the mirror and wondering who this person is that’s looking back.

This moment can be devastating, but it can also be empowering. No act is unforgivable if you truly regret it. Knowing the evils that you’re capable of puts you on alert to combat those tendencies. With a lot of work, and a lot of help, you can push back the shadows.