In the course of our existence, even if we are unaware of it, we live through different phases, different moments, different periods of our lives – sometimes imperceptible to us, at other times very noticeable – of our own making or forced upon us by others, we live through various changes. But change always precedes death and leads to rebirth – death of what we were and rebirth into what we will be. This process causes pain and suffering, and every time it happens, it tests our personal identities. These days our personal identities are commonly centered on the possession of things and of people. Identity is almost always based on externals, rather than on the inner being, so it’s inevitable that when we lose the things and people external to us, we lapse into identity crises – serious crises that bring with them profound spiritual and psychospiritual uneasiness and even physical diseases. Only when we look inside ourselves, centering our existence there, can we move toward others without fearing life-and-death consequences because the real problem is not losing things or people, but not having taken possession of our own inner lives. And more importantly, only when we are focused on our deepest selves, or, better, when our deepest selves determine our identities, can we come out of the dark woods into sunny meadows – can we confidently take risks and confront dangers and enemies.