Often enough it is the case that at the moment when you are feeling less inspired and question fundamentally what you are doing, you come upon a jewel of wisdom that makes you feel alot better. That is exactly what happened to me this weekend while reading "The Essential Jung" by Anthony Storr. Here follows an excerpt from the chapter in which I came upon this hidden truth:
"This seems to me to indicate that regression is not necessarily a retrograde step in the sense of a backwards development or degeneration, but rather represents a necessary phase of development. The individual is, however, not consciously aware that he is developing; he feels himself to be in a compulsive situation that resembles an early infantile state or even an embryonic condition within the womb. It is only if he remains stuck in this condition that we speak of involution or degeneration."
- Carl Jung, On Psychic Energy (CW 8, pars. 60-9)
In other words, in order to take a step forward you often first need to take a step backwards. Don't get stuck and whatever you do be sure to use the wisdom acquired during setbacks as impetus to rebound and progress.
I, too, had an insightful Sunday, over a Taoist poem by Lao Tzu. The URL to my thoughts is
http://www.aztriad.com/dl021603.html#16b
I hope that worked. This format is new to me.
Anyway, it's cool how when we need to focus on either an old concept, refreshed for us, or a new concept, the lesson is there for us.