It takes more courage to dig deep into the abyss of one's own soul than it takes for a soldier to fight on the battlefield. ~~ William Butler Yeats
How many people really understand what Yeats is saying here, I wonder. Do I fully understand his meaning? I think so.
There is dark stuff in the abyss of every soul on Earth. Dark, nasty stuff. To face it head-on is frightening.
A wise person will face the abyss, though, piece by piece, horror by horror. If light isn't shed on the darkness, the evil unchecked alters us, holds us in its grip. We cannot progress into the Goodness that we desire until we address the darkness in battle and vanquish as much as we can.
God reveals our darkness to us through life situations. We react in ways that seem horrible to us, surprising ourselves with our ugliness. A proper response is to thank God for the hard moments. Then, evaluate evaluate evaluate.
Bravery is so necessary.
On the other side of each victory is the strength and bravery to go in again, win a bit more territory for Goodness, snatch it away from darkness.
Only an evaluated life is worth living.
