What's your Lazarus pit?

The pit 

Disclaimer for people who know what is a Lazarus pit: 

The Lazarus pit mentioned here is based on the "The Dark Knight Rises" movie's underground prison. It is not the Lazarus pit mentioned in the comics which is a resurrection pit. Nolan's Lazarus Pit is realistic unlike comics. There have been some similarities though, like Batman getting healed in the prison though Bane breaks his back.

Short Intro to the Pit:

"Every man who has rotted here over the centuries has looked up to the light and imagined climbing to freedom. So simple. So easy. And,like shipwrecked men turning to sea water from uncontrollable thirst,many have died trying."

                                                                                                                                          -- Bane about Lazarus pit

In the movie "The Dark Knight Rises", Batman is put into an underground prison from which no one can escape(supposedly). Batman is already injured badly with his back broke. But he wants to escape the pit. He sees prisoners trying and failing to make a jump out of the pit by tying a rope around their waist. So he wants to train his body to make the jump. A prisoner helps him to straighten his back by punching hard and forcing the protruding spine back into his body. Then Batman does some endless push-ups, squats, stretches for days. He tries to make the jump twice and fails. 

A blind prisoner who talks in ancient tongue tells Batman that a child who was born in the pit made the jump. 

"A child born in hell.A child forged by suffering,hardened by pain.Not a man from privilege"

BLIND PRISONER: You do not fear death. You think this makes you strong. This makes you weak.

BATMAN: Why?

BLIND PRISONER: How can you move faster than possible? Fight longer than possible? If not from the most powerful impulse of the spirit. The fear of death. The will to survive.

BATMAN: I do fear death. I fear dying in here while my city burns with no one there to save it.

BLIND PRISONER: Then make the climb.

BATMAN: How?

BLIND PRISONER: As the child did. Without the rope.Then fear will find you again.

~

Yes, I am coming to the point now.

Everyone has their own Lazarus pit. It can be anything like depression, a formidable goal, etc. 

And everyone may not be Batman. Some of us may be like the other prisoners who got all comfy even in such awful pit. For example, you may have got very comfy in your job even though you want to switch jobs.

But...you need to be Batman. You can't live like those prisoners forever in the pit. You need to make the jump.

For this to happen, there are only two ways:

1.  You are like the child born in pit. You suffered a lot and the only thing you ever want is to make the jump, be out of the pit, to taste freedom. You have that passion. That's the only passion for you - making the jump.
2. You are a man from privilege. Your life is going smooth enough. You do have goals. Now there are two possibilities: 
• You are serious about your goal. You want to make the jump and you know "Why?". You have a very strong reason to make the jump. Like Batman's intention to save Gotham. 
• You aren't serious about your goal. Meh..who cares, your life is still smooth even if you don't reach the goal.

That's the difference between wanting something and needing something.

(This is also similar to the theme of Rockstar movie, where Jordan can't find his passion.)

If you are in 1st category, then you won't be here reading this. You will probably be working towards your goals.

If you are in 2nd category, you need to make sure that the answer to "Why?"  is something that you really want to do. Once you have figured out the "Why?" part, find your fear - the fear that will make the jump possible. 

Failing exams was the fear that may have got you through school or college. But as an adult, you don't have any deadline or fear to achieve your goals. So you procrastinate forever. What you need is a "Panic Monster".

Fear is good. In moderation, of course. Some people just work better under pressure. You need to find and define your fears.

What's your Lazarus pit?

Why do you want to make the jump?

What's the fear that will make the jump possible?