Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid rock bottom. We fear the moment when our carefully constructed plans stop working, our usual coping strategies fail, and we can no longer convince ourselves that everything is fine.
Yet throughout history, spiritual teachers have viewed these difficult seasons differently. John of the Cross described the "dark night of the soul" as a period when old identities, beliefs, and attachments fall away so something deeper can emerge. What feels like an ending may actually be an invitation to begin again.
Looking back on my own experience, I can see that my lowest moments were not signs of failure. They were moments of truth. When we are exhausted, overwhelmed, or operating in survival mode, we often cling even more tightly to the routines, relationships, and beliefs that no longer serve us. Eventually, life has a way of interrupting that pattern.
Rock bottom has a way of stripping away distractions and exposing what we've been unwilling to face. It forces us to ask difficult questions: What is no longer working? What have I been avoiding? What needs to change?
The experience is rarely comfortable, but it can be clarifying. Sometimes the most important question isn't, "How do I get back to where I was?" Instead, it is, "Who am I becoming because of this?"
If you're walking through a difficult season, consider this possibility: perhaps life isn't breaking you down. Perhaps it's clearing space for something new.
Have you ever experienced a season that felt like an ending but ultimately became a new beginning?
