Go through the fire or you will never know!
You have more inside than you have ever shown.
You can run. You can hide.
Of that I’m sure…
But you’ll always hear that knock at the door.
Stand and take rank.
For the time is assured.
Meet yourself on the other side and strengthen your core.
I’ve come to a realization that as a child, I had a clearer vision of who I was growing to become more than I’ve ever had as an adult. Well, that's at least until now. As a kid, I thought I could do anything. I didn’t particularly know what I would be doing, but I would do it well. Though I always outwardly believed it, somewhere along the line, I allowed seeds of doubt and self-contempt to sow its roots into the garden of my mind. But now it's time to slash and burn at this expanse of proverbial land! It is time to refresh the soil for the next planting cycle. I will watch my worrisome roots burn to cinders. A cacophony of crackling’ marks the end of a cold winter. Fresh nutrients are cultivated for good soil. I’ll have a new garden to tend to. New seeds can be planted with so much more potential. I’ll water them well and the sun will feed its children.
All that to say, the fires in your life have the potential to be tools for fresh soul growth. It is possible to get back to that belief you had in yourself as a child, before the world’s ills obscured your vision. These fires that burn away all that keeps you from yourself often come in the form of the difficult decisions. These decisions can be life changing if approached appropriately. In these moments, challenge yourself to be all that you can be. Stand firm on your convictions and allow the fire to consume you. Your truer self, closer to your infinite potential, is waiting on the other side.
-Ugo Agoruah
(Artwork Shown: Return to Self, Ink on Canvas Panel, 2023, Ugo Agoruah. Prints Available by request)