Growing up, instead of reading “When You Give a Mouse a Cookie” or “Goodnight Moon,” for bedtime, my mom would lay down and read the Harry Potter books to my brother and me. And for me, the coolest part of the series is when Harry meets a Phoenix for the first time. When the Phoenix approaches it’s “burning day” their beautiful feathers start to fall out, and it begins to make these really gross gagging noises. I know, not exactly the most “majestic” view. Then the Phoenix bursts into roaring flames. Moments after this bird has been burnt into ashes… it still rises, it rises from them and growing back to its full size in just a few days.
From that moment on, I was always drawn to the Phoenix and I respected its ability to overcome its Burning Day. This one Burning Day not only served as Phoenix’s death, but it’s rebirth, regaining its beautiful scarlet and gold feathers, becoming stronger than before.
As a grew up, I learned that Burning Days aren’t just in J.K Rowling’s books. We all have them.
“I just can’t do this anymore”
“Who have I become.”
“Why can’t one thing just work out for me? Just once?”
“Why did I have to loose them?”
“What have I done?”
“Why me?”
“I’m broken.”
Sound familiar?
We all know that sometimes life just gets really ugly. Whether it be our own personal mistakes, the cruel world we live in, or just some really bad luck… everyone has those days when you hit rock bottom so hard that you feel it’s almost impossible to regain the breath that was knocked out of you. Sometimes we look into the mirror and all of our feathers have been plucked and the beautiful bird that others use to see isn’t there anymore. And there we are, gagging and naked with a choice to make.
So when your Burning Day comes, do you want to continue to be that unplucked, gagging bird or are you willing to crash and burn?
We all need to learn to choose to crash and burn like the Phoenix. When our Burning Day approaches, we should welcome the flames instead of holding onto the shell of who you use to be.
Because the truth is, just like the Phoenix, when you choose to burn and start anew, you’re going to rise again.
You’re going to regain your feathers.
You’re going to be stronger than ever before.
You will overcome your Burning Day.
Just don’t be afraid to crash and burn.
Be the Phoenix.
