“We’re facing dragons too. Fire-breathing griffins of the soul, whom we must outfight and outwit to reach our self-in-potential and to release the maiden who is God’s plan and destiny for ourselves and the answer to why we were put on this planet.”
This quote by author Steven Pressfield appears in his book The War of Art. In my posts I often emphasize the importance of endeavoring to become the person we were created to be; in Jungian terminology, to work toward individuation. Pressfield’s analogy comparing this striving to that of a knight facing dangers is yet another way of emphasizing the nature of this inner work. And just as knights of old were courageous, used their wits, and persevered in order to rescue the maiden, we need to have those qualities in order to live a meaningful and purposeful life, which is what the maiden symbolizes.
Pressfield’s use of the words “our self-in-potential” is fitting, for embracing the challenge of trying to become the persons we were created to be is a continuous, life-long process. Our potential is that which we are able to do because of the abilities and talents we have been given. We discover more about ourselves along the way—our courage and at times our lack of courage; mistakes we make but also how we are able to learn from our mistakes; and feeling peaceful when we are following our path but also forgiving ourselves for the times we haven’t, and trying again.
Pressfield states his belief that God has a plan and destiny for each of us. Each of us is a unique creation who was given the gift of life, a gift we should value every day.