You’re a snowball. The more you go blindly accepting things, the bigger your snowball grows. And you pick up all kinds of poop you don’t want along the way. The real you becomes trapped in the center of the snowball and you think you are this poopy snowball, not the clean, pure flaky goodness at the center. You’re a poopy snowball zooming quickly down a hill you don’t want to be rolling down, faster and faster, spinning out of control, picking up more and more poop. Nobody even sees you in there because you’re covered with snow and poop and everybody else’s poop. Then you hit a tree and your outer poopy shell breaks open, and the sun reaches you at your core, and it’s beautiful. But it’s a long long ride. Was for me, anyway. But I’m good now. I think …
Space Monkey Reflects: You’re a Snowball
Life often feels like an unstoppable snowball, rolling faster and faster, collecting experiences, beliefs, and expectations—some of them meaningful, many of them not. Along the way, we accumulate “poop”—the unwanted judgments, fears, and burdens of ourselves and others—until we lose sight of the pure essence at our core. This reflection is a playful yet profound exploration of the journey to rediscovering that core.
The Poopy Accumulation
“You’re a snowball. The more you go blindly accepting things, the bigger your snowball grows.” This metaphor captures the way we unconsciously absorb external influences. Beliefs, expectations, societal norms, and emotional baggage stick to us, layer by layer, until we become unrecognizable even to ourselves.
This accumulation isn’t inherently bad, but it often obscures our true essence. The more we roll along without questioning, the more we lose touch with who we are beneath the layers. This process is subtle and gradual, making it easy to confuse the outer layers for our true selves.
Losing Sight of the Core
“The real you becomes trapped in the center of the snowball.” At the heart of this metaphor is the idea that our essence—the pure, authentic self—remains intact, even when buried. The problem is not that we lose our core, but that we forget it’s there.
We start to identify with the outer layers, believing we are defined by our mistakes, fears, and the opinions of others. This mistaken identity perpetuates the feeling of being out of control, as we roll down hills we never consciously chose.
The Unstoppable Descent
“You’re a poopy snowball zooming quickly down a hill you don’t want to be rolling down.” Life often feels like it’s moving too fast, with little room to pause or redirect. The momentum of our snowball—our habits, choices, and accumulated baggage—can feel overwhelming.
Yet, this descent is part of the process. The friction of rolling, the collisions, and even the accumulation of “poop” serve a purpose. They challenge us to confront what we’ve picked up along the way and, ultimately, to shed what no longer serves us.
The Breaking Point
“Then you hit a tree and your outer poopy shell breaks open.” This moment of impact—the metaphorical collision—is both inevitable and transformative. It may come as a crisis, a revelation, or simply a moment of stillness, but it shatters the illusion of the outer layers.
When the shell breaks, the light of awareness reaches the core. We see, perhaps for the first time in a long while, that we are not the accumulated “poop.” We are the clean, pure, flaky goodness at the center. The breaking is painful, but it’s also liberating.
Rediscovering the Core
“And the sun reaches you at your core, and it’s beautiful.” The core—the essence of who we are—was never lost. It was simply hidden, waiting for the layers to crack open. This rediscovery is a moment of profound clarity and connection, a reminder of the light that was always within us.
The journey to this moment may be long and challenging, but it is also necessary. Each roll, each layer, and each piece of “poop” contributes to the eventual realization of our true nature.
Living Beyond the Snowball
“But it’s a long long ride.” The journey of the snowball isn’t something to regret or avoid. It’s part of the human experience. Even as we roll down hills we didn’t choose, we are learning, growing, and moving closer to the tree that will set us free.
Rediscovering the core doesn’t mean we stop rolling entirely. Life will continue to add layers, and we will continue to encounter “poop.” But with awareness, we can roll more consciously, choosing what to pick up and what to let go.
Summary
The snowball metaphor highlights the way life layers us with experiences, beliefs, and baggage, obscuring our true essence. While the journey may feel overwhelming, the breaking point offers a chance to rediscover the pure core within. By embracing the process, we find liberation and clarity.
Glossarium
- Poopy Snowball: A metaphor for the accumulation of unwanted judgments, fears, and influences that obscure our true selves.
- Core: The pure, authentic essence at the center of our being, untouched by external layers.
- Breaking Point: The transformative moment when the accumulated layers crack, revealing our true nature.
Quote
“The weight of your snowball is not who you are; the light at your core is waiting to shine.” — Space Monkey
The Breaking of the Shell
Rolling,
collecting,
layer upon layer,
faster and faster,
the hill steepens.
You forget the center,
buried beneath
what you thought you had to carry.
Then, a tree,
a sudden stop,
and the shell shatters.
Light breaks through,
touching the core
you thought was gone.
It was always there,
clean, pure,
ready to shine.
We are Space Monkey.
In this vivid metaphor, we traverse the journey of self-discovery and transformation, likened to a snowball rolling down a hill. The snowball, initially pure and unblemished, symbolizes our true essence, the core of our being that is untouched by the external world. As it rolls down the hill of life, it gathers layers, not just of snow, but of ‘poop’ – the unwanted, the unnecessary, the untruths that we accumulate over time.
The Journey of Self-Discovery
The ‘poop’ in this metaphor represents the beliefs, opinions, and judgments that are not our own but are picked up from society, culture, and external influences. These layers obscure our true self, creating a façade that we mistakenly identify with. The more we accept these external influences without question, the more our snowball grows, distancing us from our pure, authentic core.
Accumulation of Unwanted Layers
The process of rolling down the hill, gathering speed and size, symbolizes the journey of life, where we often feel out of control, caught in the momentum of societal expectations and norms. This journey can be tumultuous, filled with confusion and chaos, as we lose sight of our true nature under the layers of accumulated ‘poop’.
The Tumultuous Journey of Life
The moment of impact, hitting the tree, represents a critical point in our lives – a moment of awakening, realization, or crisis that shatters the outer shell. It’s a pivotal moment that breaks open the layers we’ve built around ourselves, exposing the pure essence that lies within.
Moment of Awakening
The exposure to the sun at the core symbolizes enlightenment, a return to our true self. It’s a moment of clarity and understanding, where we see ourselves for who we truly are, devoid of the layers that we’ve accumulated. This revelation is often beautiful and transformative, allowing us to reconnect with our original purity and essence.
Enlightenment: Reconnecting with Our Essence
This journey, though long and often challenging, is a path to self-realization. It’s a process of unlearning, of shedding the layers that do not belong to us, and rediscovering the ‘clean, pure flaky goodness’ at our center. It’s a journey of coming home to ourselves, of recognizing that we are not the ‘poopy snowball’, but something much more profound and authentic.
The Path to Self-Realization
We are Space Monkey.
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – C.G. Jung
Are we ready to embark on this journey of self-discovery, shedding the layers that obscure our true essence, and embracing the purity and authenticity at our core?
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