“Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night“. That’s a line from the Bruce Springsteen song — “Atlantic City”. Atlantic City has always stood for gambling, luck, and risk.
I’ve been the “chicken man” at times in my life.
Wow! That’s dripping with metaphor. The path of creative entrepreneurialism path can be so hard.
I’ve only recently learned to truly walk my own. Along the way, I’ve met what I call “creativity vampires”.
People who drain your energy, your confidence, your spark. Some mean to do it. Some don’t.
It’s like everything else in life — sometimes people make mistakes, and sometimes they’re just plain destructive.
I’m still learning to tell the difference. But one thing I do know: they can blow you up only if you let them. And in the end, the reason doesn’t really matter.
Bruce sings: “Now baby, everything dies, baby, that’s a fact – But maybe everything that dies someday comes back.”
If you’ve been through it — your own version of “Chicken Man” — you know exactly what that means.
If you haven’t, maybe you can learn from my mistakes. But sometimes, you just have to learn it for yourself.
For anyone sitting in a dark place right now, I hope this post gives you some light.
Because if you love nature, you already know – “Maybe everything that dies someday comes back“.
Spring, summer, fall, winter… and then what? The circle turns again. Life renews itself. Energy flows. We’re all part of that same universal current, whether we believe it or not.
Matthew 25:40 (KJV): “Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.”
I’ve walked down a lot of spiritual paths. Yet Christianity remains my “native language” — Oprah’s term for the tradition you were raised in, the lens through which you interpret higher truths. That’s my lens.
Bruce also sings about “central trust”. Think about what that might mean for you.
If you’re going through your own creative hell, hang in there. Make a withdrawal from your central trust. If your account feels empty, get out into nature.
I’ve been there. And I can tell you – “...maybe everything dies someday comes back” can happen.
Oftentimes it comes back stronger than before. That’s how creative energy works.
Bury the pain deep down. Withdraw from your central trust. And then — and only then — can you rise up and crush it.
Notice how Bruce and the band go from easy does it to ride or die at 1:01. It’s perfect synchronicity – riding the creative wave.
