Years ago my
tai chi teacher said these
Chinese characters represent "Crisis," the top
character a symbol for "Danger;" the bottom character
a
symbol for "Opportunity."
This interpretation is referred
to as inaccurate "pseudo-profundity" by
Victor H Mair,
Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the University
of Pennsylvania.
Nonetheless, I
believe most crises provide an opening for growth, no matter how
fearful the circumstances, a belief Mair labels as
"a type of muddled thinking that... lulls people into welcoming crises as unstable situations
from which they can benefit... Adopting a feel-good attitude toward adversity
may not be the most rational, realistic approach to its solution."
But
Mair's rational approach is only one part of
the human equation. We grow emotionally and
spiritually from crisis.
That's not the same as a "feel-good attitude" and certainly
doesn't mean we should welcome crisis. However, many people I've
coached who've undergone divorce,
bankruptcy, cancer, divorce, etc., have said it was the best
thing that ever happened to them - because it stopped the treadmill they
were on and forced them to look at what really matters in a relatively
short lifetime.
