 60. The Nature of Epiphanies We usually think of breakthroughs as ecstatic moments that elevate us from a lower level to a higher. And they do. But there's a paradox. In the moment, an epiphany feels like hell. Like Roseanne Cash's dream, an epiphany trashes us. It exposes us and leaves us naked. We see ourselves plain, and it's not a pretty picture. The essence of epiphanies is the stripping away of self-delusion. We thought we were X, now suddenly we see we're minus X. We're X divided by infinity. There's great power in this moment. We've lost something, yes. A cherished self-delusion must be abandoned, and this hurts. But what we have gained is the truth. Our bullshit falls away. The scales drop from our eyes. In that moment, we have two options. We can reconstitute our bullshit, or we can turn pro. In the post-epiphanial moment, we have two things going for us that we didn't have 90 seconds earlier. We have reality, and we have humility. These are powerful allies. And we have a third force working in our favor, shame. Why shame good? Because shame can produce the final element we need to change our lives. Will. Epiphanies hurt. There's no glory to them. They only make good stories at AA meetings or late at night among other foot soldiers in the trenches. These soldiers know. Each has his own story of that ghastly, hideous, excruciating moment when it all turned around for him.