If you fly too high expect to get burned. This is the story of Icarus. A boy who was escaping from prison and flew too high during the escape. Because Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wings started to melt.
In life we are like Icarus wanting too many things to happen. The highs of life. The Coca-Cola, the sex, the fast-food, the movies, the vacation, and the dream partner. We want a means of flying. Which in the mind is alright. Yet, too much of one high gets you too high. When you are high you are above all matters. Life is just you enjoying the moment. No-one else matters but yourself. When you come down you realize the narrowness of your being. That there is people around you that keep themselves in their prisons. That while you were high enjoying life there was people below you suffering in life that could use your help. That could use some light. If you could deny yourself the sun and project it towards those who do not see, then, you have just brought high to the world.
The decision of sacrificing highs is not a glorious path. There is always the temptation to focus on yourself. In a manner you have to. No-one can effectively pour from a cup that is half empty. The one has to traverse the barren lands of hell and will have had to seen the expanses of heaven to know of the way. The path through life is not as rebellious as we want it to be. We often want to trailblaze highs to find a way. Accepting any and everything that comes your way is a pathway to hell. An individual needs some discernment, some resistance to the tides of the highs and lows of the world. Resistance keeps yourself grounded. The best ‘grounding’ is found in your humanity. To your dedication to make the ones who suffer free. To help the mom who has cancer, or take on the responsibility to clean the house, and to be that person who helps a person who is dying.
“Whatever you do for another comes back around to help you, as well, in the end.” -Tanjiro (Karma)
A happier life is one balanced in happy for you and happy for others. To fight in one front is to fight in another. There is no denying in dichotomy. It’s humanity which pushes a being to bring fourth heaven on Earth. The one who does not sell his soul. The one who knows there is some good in this life and it is worth fighting for. It is the one who fights like the fathers’ before him. The one who does not forget or rather make little of the sacrifices he has made to be where he is. The sacrifices that others have done for your name to exist.
Life will happen to you. There is no need to force life. The point is not to exploit life. What does not happen to you in this life will happen in another. Highs will always be high. Downs will always be down. Our people will not always be. We need to cherish each-other and bring our best lives forward. To stop chasing the sun. We are the sun. As it shines on us. We shine on it. We carry the light. We carry the light to make the world less dark. Do not deny the darkness, you will only force it from the shadows. We must respect light and dark. Icarus feared the low. Icarus wanted all that was good in life. Not realizing that there is indeed a middle area. In the middle area, you do indeed stay flying, but you are constantly reminded of those who do not. A place where Daedalus, Icarus’ father, knew how to navigate. Daedalus made the wings to fly. He knew the way. He experienced life. He had an expansive knowledge of the world. Enough to make wings and the labyrinth. Daedalus stayed in the middle where it was safe, because he knew better.
It’s safe to say now upon reflection that anyone can receive too much sun. We don’t have sunscreen and sun glasses for no reason. Metaphorically as well, it is obviously apparent that naiveté of upward striving without calculating the opposing force (downwards spirals) is not good. And yet, there is a middle area where one can thrive without utterly being bogged down. The saying “Sunshine all the time makes a desert.” is very true. This writing is meant to illustrate the deep respect we should carry within ourselves for the power of the sun. The sun that shines in the sky. The sun we intrinsically fly towards. The hidden sun we carry within our beings. I believe we are all more powerful than we think, and we need to respect that power.
Thank you for reading!
