Egg Moon – Potential

original image by CaptPiper

Complete. Whole. Unbroken. Intact. Perfect.

Fragile. Vulnerable. Delicate. Breakable. Naked.

The condition of the egg is a difficult one. On one hand, we have an object that symbolizes the unification of self. An unfragmented identity capable of holding itself together. Confident of its absolute completeness. And on the other hand, it is unspeakably fragile, its perfection continually threatened. It exists side-by-side the inescapable danger of its whole becoming broken into pieces with no hope of ever becoming whole again.

And yet, to be born, to fully live and love and breathe and embrace, the egg must fracture. It must allow itself to go to pieces. It must risk its perfection for the promise of growth. Because potential is nothing if held in stasis, if held forever within a rigid protective layer.

You can probably think of any number of times in your own life when you held within you a new idea, a new project, a new story, a new painting, a new person even. In its intangible state of potential, it is perfect. You hold the pattern for its optimum design. A story told in just the right combination of words. A painting that captures the both emotions and the forms. A child who makes no mistakes.

The only problem with this perfect story, this perfect painting, this perfect person, is that they don’t exist yet. And if they’re not freed from the safety of the egg, then they never will exist.

And yet, we hold back. We don’t want to risk less than perfection. We hesitate to apply brush to canvas. We resist typing that opening line. What if, we think, what if it won’t live up to its potential? What if I spoil it?

Then we realize… if we don’t break the egg and allow our creativity to take shape, take form, not only will it never exist, but it won’t ever be given the opportunity to exceed our expectations. You’ll miss out on that wonderful surprise you feel when something turns out better than you ever dreamed it could.

What if it’s not ready, I hear you ask. What if the unbroken egg has a job to do, and what if that job isn’t finished? And it’s true. The shell is there to nurture and protect new life. It’s there to nourish and support and provide cohesion.

But when the time has come, when the hour of readiness has arrived, you’re going to need to break the egg. You’re going to need to take that risk. You’re going to need to let it go and let it be.

And you know it won’t be perfect. It’ll never be whole. It can’t ever aspire to completion. It can never go back to that unbroken state.

You also know that it is better for that. Because now it has gained life. And life is messy and chaotic and unordered. It is necessarily fragmented because it is in a constant state of becoming.

And that’s a beautiful state to be in.

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