Breaking through after a break down

I heard a great piece of reminder advice yesterday while on my trail run. "The breakthrough usually comes just after the break down". When I heard this, I was like WOW, this is so true. Most of the great breakthroughs I have had in my life have come after a break down. There have been a handful of times in my adult life where I felt like saying #$%@ it, I'm done, I can't do this #$%& anymore. I wanted to pack it in and go live like a monk on top of a mountain. Then all of a sudden something comes through or I met someone who opened a door to an opportunity and voila, I'm in a new and better place then I was just a few days ago. 

Now in order for this idea to truly work and have meaning, you must be working towards a goal and facing obstacle after obstacle. Just because your tired and pissed off and having a breakdown doesn't  mean your next best breakthrough is around the corner. You must be working towards something. It is kind of like this, " The amount of pain, suffering and sacrifice you must make, must be in direct proportion to the size of the goal you seek to achieve". In an odd way it is the Muse's way of rewarding you for your hard work. (Read Steven Pressfield's "War of Art").

I guess the moral or value here is. That when you are working towards something that is aligned with your true north you will have major moments of doubt and grief along the way. Don't let these obstacles beat you down. They may feel like they are winning. They aren't. They are making you stronger. Because when the breakthrough happens you are going to need all your new found strength to fight through the next set of obstacles that this breakthrough is going to give you.