The Art of the Breakdown
An Alchemical Lesson in Transformation
“I’m having a breakdown” is not a very commonly accepted thing to say in public. In self-improvement circles, you break down obstacles, not your own personality or beliefs. In business meetings, giving a breakdown is code for better understanding, not something that eliminates all understanding and places you in the midst of uncertainty and confusion.
But when it comes to a person experiencing a breakdown? Whether that be a crisis of identity, a meltdown of emotions, or a midlife crisis? We don’t talk about that. It seems synonymous with going crazy. So, we don’t honor this, either.
Yet, when you look back on your life, you can see that the breakdowns are when you evaluated what really mattered to you and what didn’t. These are the times when the facades fade and we face the truth, where we lose trust in others and have only ourselves to lean on, when the habits and routines can’t save us and we must go in search of our lost instinct and intuition. Despite what society might teach us, breakdowns are not a sign that we’re going crazy. Rather, they are indicators that it’s time to lose the associations, ties, and connections with all that is not us, so we can rebuild from what is us.
A breakdown, when viewed through wise, compassionate eyes, can become one of the…
