Light for the Journey: Where You Stumble, Treasure Awaits

Joseph Campbell reminds us that our greatest challenges are not roadblocks but doorways to deeper strength and hidden treasure.

Mythology tells us that where you stumble, there your treasure is … The world is a match for us, and we’re a match for the world. And where it seems most challenging lies the greatest invitation to find deeper and greater power in ourselves.~ Joseph Campbell

Reflection

Joseph Campbell’s insight points to a paradox: the very places we resist are the ones that hold our greatest gifts. Where we stumble, where we fall short or feel broken, is not a mark of weakness but a signal pointing toward growth. Life meets us as an equal match—its challenges rising to meet our strength, and our strength rising to meet them. Instead of turning away from difficulty, Campbell invites us to see it as treasure concealed beneath the dust of hardship. That treasure is courage, resilience, creativity, and the awakening of our deeper selves. When the world feels overwhelming, remember—it is not against you. It is for you, offering the invitation to discover the immense power waiting within.