One of the definitions of epiphany is ‘A comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.’ That’s a moment in your life when you are suddenly struck by a powerful thought that changes your life forever.
A lifelong passion can be triggered by an epiphany. Saul the persecutor of the followers of Jesus Christ undergoes an epiphany on the road to Damascus and his life is changed forever. He went on to becoming one of Christ’s greatest apostles.
Such a life changing incident occurs in the lives of many great men. It may be something provocative that someone says to you. It may be the sight of another human being suffering. It can be a sudden realization that you hate your present job and you decide what you really want to do in life. Sometimes an epiphany can be a harsh tragic event like the demise of a family member or some colossal disaster somewhere in the world. Your eyes open wide and all the shades fall off. You can see clearly around you and far ahead.
You do not have to sit and await an epiphany to change your life. Read good works of literature, listen to inspiring music and songs, travel around, meet people and you will be struck by a light on your own road to Damascus.
The Epiphany is also a Christian feast which celebrates God being revealed to Man in the form of Jesus Christ. So this can be taken as a metaphor for the spiritual being in us manifested in the physical form. Which is what passion is all about. Our spiritual energy driving our material body to achieve ideals and goals that are godlike!
Inventors and discoverers experience epiphanies all the time. Archimedes was struck by his discovery of buoyancy and ran out yelling – Eureka! Eureka!
May you too experience an epiphanic moment and share old Archie’s happiness!
