The Manifesto of the Phoenix

Resilience. Adaptability. Persistence.

Chew on those words for a minute. Are they traits you want to see in yourself? Are they required for success?

What builds them? Are we born with them, or are they forged through trial and error? I suspect it's a mixture of both. If these traits are "necessary for success," it ultimately depends on your definition of that word. I don’t believe they are required if you set your bar low. But for those of us who intend to Jump the Fence, they are the baseline.

Forged in fire. I believe our best traits come from our worst experiences—from the wolves that snapped at our tails, leaving scars but failing to claim our hides. From the times the currents swept us under, but by some miracle of will, we clawed our way back to shore, gasping for breath but grateful the frothing waters were behind us.

We can be naturally resilient, but it is in the moments when the Shadows test our strength that we are truly shaped.

Sometimes, shame lingers from these incursions. How could I have let that happen? Why wasn't I strong enough to prevent it? The moment we burn those thoughts away—the moment we stand tall alongside our Shadows and choose to step out of the flames—we are reborn. We all have a Phoenix spirit, but it only emerges through immense heat, pressure, and a singular strength of will.

But that’s just my experience. What about you?

Will you jump the fence?