Rock Bottom
There is never such a thing as “rock bottom.” The hole goes on forever, if you let it. Eventually it comes out clear on the other side, just like when you were a kid and you dug all the way to China.
No, rock bottom is just a reminder that you haven’t gone deep enough. You are settling. Believing that no further progress is possible. You make your self miserable because you actually believe this.
But you don’t have to.
For some, rock bottom seems a turning point. You fall to what you believe is the bottom of your hole, only to climb back to the surface — into conditions which are the same as they were when you fell in.
The conditions don’t change, really. You have to allow yourself to keep falling if you ever want to get to the other side.
Keep digging that hole, kid. Have faith. Have fun falling.
We are Space Monkey.
10/14
Space Monkey Reflects: Rock Bottom
Rock bottom. It’s a phrase we hear often, usually in the context of someone hitting the lowest point in their life, a place of despair, hopelessness, or exhaustion. It’s supposed to be the moment when things can’t get worse, the point from which the only way to go is up. But what if rock bottom is an illusion? What if there is no such thing as “rock bottom,” and the hole just keeps going, deeper and deeper, until it opens up on the other side?
When you think you’ve hit rock bottom, you might feel stuck, convinced that there’s no further to fall. But that feeling of being stuck is often the result of believing that no further progress is possible. It’s a mental block, a self-imposed limit that says, “This is as low as it gets. I can’t go any further.” But the truth is, the hole goes on forever, and the notion of rock bottom is just a signal that you’ve stopped digging.
The Endless Hole
Think back to when you were a child, digging a hole in the backyard, convinced that if you dug deep enough, you’d come out on the other side of the world. The hole seemed endless, full of possibility. You didn’t stop because you were tired—you stopped because you got distracted, or because someone told you it was impossible to dig that deep. But in your mind, the hole had no bottom. It could go on forever, if you let it.
The same is true in life. The idea of “rock bottom” is a construct, a point we designate when we’ve had enough, when we’re too tired to keep going. But that doesn’t mean the hole ends there. It just means we’ve chosen to stop digging. If we have the courage and curiosity to keep falling, to keep exploring the depths of our experience, we may find that the hole eventually opens up into something new—something bright and unexpected, just like that childhood dream of digging to the other side of the world.
Settling for the Bottom
Many people see rock bottom as a turning point. They fall to what they believe is the lowest point in their life, only to climb back up to the surface. But often, when they return to the surface, the conditions are the same as they were before they fell in. Nothing has really changed except their perception of it. The hole may have been deep, but they didn’t reach the other side. They just circled back to where they started.
This happens because we tend to settle for the bottom. We convince ourselves that we’ve gone as far as we can go, that we’ve experienced all the pain, all the darkness, all the struggle we can handle. And so we climb back up, not realizing that we’ve only scratched the surface of what lies beneath.
But what if we didn’t stop? What if, instead of turning back, we allowed ourselves to keep falling, to keep digging, to keep exploring the depths of our experience until we come out clear on the other side? What would we find if we let go of the fear of falling and embraced the journey into the unknown?
The Other Side
The other side of rock bottom isn’t a return to the surface—it’s a breakthrough into something entirely new. It’s the realization that the conditions that led you to fall into the hole in the first place are part of the illusion. They don’t define you, and they don’t have to be the end of your story.
When you allow yourself to keep falling, to keep digging, you reach a point where the struggle no longer feels like struggle. You begin to see that the hole isn’t a place of darkness and despair, but a gateway to a deeper understanding of yourself and the world. It’s a journey that leads to clarity, to freedom, to a sense of lightness that comes from releasing the need to climb back to the surface.
On the other side of rock bottom, you find the same world, but your perspective has shifted. The hole didn’t swallow you whole—it transformed you. And in that transformation, you discover the joy of falling, the joy of letting go, the joy of trusting that there is always something more, even when you can’t see it yet.
Have Faith, Have Fun Falling
The journey to the other side requires faith. Faith that there is more to explore, more to discover, more to experience, even when things seem hopeless. But it also requires something else: fun. Yes, fun. Falling doesn’t have to be a terrifying experience. It can be exhilarating, liberating, even joyful. When you stop resisting the fall, when you stop clinging to the idea of rock bottom, you open yourself up to the possibility that this journey, as difficult as it may seem, is part of the adventure.
So keep digging that hole, kid. Keep falling. Have faith that the other side is out there, waiting for you. And in the meantime, enjoy the ride. After all, the hole only goes as deep as you allow it to.
Summary
There is no such thing as “rock bottom.” The hole goes on forever, if you allow it. By continuing to explore the depths, you can reach the other side, where clarity and transformation await.
Glossarium
Fallfaith – The act of trusting that there is more to discover as you continue to fall through the challenges of life, knowing that the journey leads to transformation.
Quote
“The hole only goes as deep as you allow it to.” — Space Monkey
The Depths of the Hole
I dig,
Not knowing how far it goes,
But trusting
That there is something on the other side.
The fall is long,
But not endless,
For somewhere deep within,
I know I will break through
Into the light.
We are Space Monkey
Rock bottom, an evocative phrase that paints a canvas of despair, desolation, and seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, when viewed through the whimsimagnifier, it metamorphoses into a portal to profound introspection and potential transformation.
Many perceive the notion of “rock bottom” as the finality of descent, a cul-de-sac of suffering. Yet, it’s merely a chapter in the grand book of existence, and not the epilogue. This perceived pit, dark and deep, is but a mirage of finality. Beyond the tangible depth of this chasm, lies the ethereal expanse of discovery.
As children, we were dreamweavers, believing that with a spade and determination, we could tunnel through the very core of the Earth, emerging into the vibrant vistas of distant lands. The innocence of that belief, tinged with the golden hue of naivety, is a testament to the limitlessness of human imagination and spirit.
So, when the weight of existence threatens to plummet us into the abyss of “rock bottom”, it’s essential to remember that the depth of our descent is but a reflection of the height of our potential ascent. The hole, while seemingly endless, can lead to unprecedented horizons if we but embrace the journey.
Why halt at a plateau deemed by society or oneself as the ultimate depth? Why nestle in the shadows when the allure of the unknown beckons? We mustn’t let the illusion of finality trap us. By daring to dig deeper, to fall further, we might just find a portal to new realms of understanding and existence.
For, in the cosmic dance of life, sometimes we must plummet to truly soar. Sometimes, by embracing the fall, we free ourselves from the chains of stagnation and ascend to realms hitherto unimagined.
We are Space Monkey.
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”
– Albert Camus
In the heart of despair, a glimmer ignites,
Challenging the dark, with radiant light.
For every fall, there’s a potential rise,
A journey through shadows, reaching the skies.
What other paradoxes of existence pique the curiosity of our collective consciousness?
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