Light at the end of the tunnel... or is there?

By Anthony Collincini

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"There's a light at the end of the tunnel". An interesting quip to say the least. Is this saying to mean there is a light at the end of EVERY tunnel, or only certain ones? Sometimes darkness prevails over light. That's real. That's truth. That's life.

I believe being able to embrace the darkness, is where the real truth lies. Think about it. Light can only follow darkness. If not for the cold, dark, damp, and lonely moments we all experience as humans, the light wouldn’t be as celebrated as it is today. There cannot be light without darkness, just like there cannot be beauty without ugliness. If everything was beautiful, then nothing would be beautiful. Everything would just be.

So here we are. Attempting to appreciate every small intricacy of the human experience, even the not so pleasant ones. Those unsightly components we encounter along our paths however, are the exact components allowing us to appreciate all of the good this life has to offer.

In a mild attempt of tying this "thought" together, let's get back to the cliche we originally began with "there's a light at the end of the tunnel". If this saying is to be taken pragmatically, you would imagine that light can only be reached by traveling through, and accepting the darkness of the tunnel that lies ahead. We are all constantly weaving in and out of different tunnels throughout our lives. Every pitfall we encounter is a tunnel we must travel through. Every difficulty, a plunge further into the abyss. But to emerge from those metaphorical tunnels we constantly find ourselves in, is life in its rawest and most beautiful form.

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The fruit of life isn’t about success, but it’s about the triumphs (there’s a difference). It’s about the comeback. It’s about overcoming any obstacle on your path, (or "tunnel" you may find yourself in) and emerging on the other side victorious. The moments that make up who we are as individuals, aren’t the moments when we succeeded with minimal effort. Who you truly are as a person, is molded and formed during the moments you were knocked down, kicked in the teeth, but never gave up. The moments that seemed hopeless or lost, but you somehow found a way to prevail. You overcame every piece of adversity this world could possibly throw at you, and came out the other side better for it. That is something to be proud of. That is something to remember. And those precious and triumphant moments would've never had the opportunity to occur, had it not been for the darkness motivating you to push yourself farther than you ever thought possible.

 

We embrace each and every moment (even the not so beautiful ones), because we understand traversing through darkness is necessary in order to reach the light that we all yearn for so deeply.

We are all on this roller coaster of life together, navigating relationships, family, money, professions, experiences, and personal beliefs to name a few. These are aspects that make life worth living. It's almost like a game to be played at its highest level. "The game of Life”, no pun intended. I’m obsessed with life and every aspect of it. This would also imply that I am obsessed with the darkness, because darkness is a part of life, and provides us fuel as humans for some of our most passionate achievements to come to fruition. Had the darkness not laid the groundwork, we may have never been inspired enough to reach the heights we are all striving so desperately to reach.

Truly remarkable art is formed and molded in the darkness. The reason someone may be a great motivator can be linked back to the hardships they have endured years prior, forcing them to build the type of mindset needed to overcome any and all obstacles. The strength a Substance Abuse Counselor provides to their patients, may be due to their earlier life as an addict.

Everyone is unique in their own sense, and that is exactly what makes every single person a work of art. We are all molded over time by our experiences, similar to the way a pottery artist molds and manipulates their clay. Sure, some pots are more aesthetically pleasing to look at than others. Yet, those cracks and imperfections seem to be the exact ingredients that make a piece of art truly treasured and appreciated.

If I can leave 1 piece of advice with each creative and entrepreneurial mind that may have found their way to reading this obscurely written piece, it would be to embrace all that life has to offer, even those dark and unpleasant moments. Remember, the darkness that exists within life itself, not only sets the foundation, but is directly responsible for allowing all of our greatest moments to materialize. To answer the original question of this article, there certainly is a Light at the end of the tunnel, but you’ll never reach it without traversing through the darkness first. To embrace darkness, is to embrace real. What are your thoughts?

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Anthony Collincini is a New Jersey native, Rutgers graduate, and founder of The Mindset Gazette. He's a city inspired entrepreneur who loves to travel, so he got hitched to a flight attendant. You can find his pictures from around the world and more, on Instagram @anthonycollincini

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Featured Image: by Anthony Collincini, titled "Light at the end of the tunnel"