A jarring shock! First terror, then a sharpened, clearer vision of life: that is the process of change implied in this reading. Recall a close brush with danger -- an automobile accident barely avoided, an escape from a potentially violent confrontation. These incidents first arouse every nerve fiber in your body in an brief wave of terror, but soon, once the danger has passed, give way to a heightened awareness of the world. The same process also occurs with other types of shock -- the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, business failure and so on.
The lasting impact of a major shock can either be stimulating or debilitating, depending upon one's inner strength of character. The critical factor is the ability to become immune to fear, and thereby transform anxiety into a razor-sharp perception of the world around you.
