We do not win our depth and our inner form and our texture of being without the fire. Ordeal by fire. There is no substitute for transformation of the body.*
M. C. Richards

Great writers look deeply for the eternal, unchanging truths of what it means to be a human being. Truth that makes the most difference in our lives, truth that brings us into the deepest contact with reality.**
Robert McKee

We do not become our best self by ease but by difficulty,
When our reality disintegrates before a greater reality, and
we choose not to discount or hide from or ignore this,
And we face the pain,
Then everything,
Including ourselves, becomes
greater.

*M. C. Richards’ Centering;
**Robert McKee‘s newsletter: Are You An Honest Writer?