I am trapped, unable to move. An immeasurable weight is pushing me, pulling, my mind ready to explode. It’s bigger than me and I’m not sure where it came from. Did I put it there? Or, has this been forced on me like an olive press, squeezing every last drop of oil from my flesh? Why?! I do not like this! Who needs this much oil anyway?!
Feeling broken but not completely beaten, I work to push back. I begin to budge from my crushed position. It seems to take all my strength to shift the unseen arm that’s been holding me down. Muscling my way through, I am finally able to stand, shakily gaining my balance.
Glancing around me, my eyes open to more; more than the muddled prospect from the ground. My vantage point is larger now, more clear, and bright. I catch my breath. My strength now emerging from the struggle. The pressure is not gone, but made lighter and more bearable by the enlarged capacity and power I have gained.
Never a trap. Only a test. We are not beaten. We are magnified.