We all probably get to experience this, but it was brought home to me yesterday like a ton of bricks...
You are low, the lowest of the low. You are the low man on a very large totem pole. And those above you exist to remind you that you are basically at the bottom. And you haven't always been at the bottom, you have worked your way up the pole a few times in your life journey, but it just so happens that right now you are at a very low ebb.
And in this particular matter you are powerless. There is nothing for you except an honest surrender. A genial humbleness. And this is distressing and a little humiliating. But finally you are left with surrender. Complete surrender. So you surrender. Completely. And in that act you find an incredible sense of ease. A quiet ease that actually blossoms into a strange euphoria.
Turns out if you are low man on the totem pole, you really don't have far to fall. So when you do fall, when you hit the pavement, it doesn't really hurt, and you are quick to rise, and dust yourself off, and you are surprised to find that you don't feel so bad. No, you've hit bottom, and at this particular moment you can't fall any farther. And this is encouraging.
And then later in the day, you find yourself in another place, with other people, your creative brethren, where you are recognized as "one of them" and you are admired for all the wonderful things you do. And with these people you conjure up a completely different order. A place where there are no totem poles. A place of creativity and collaboration. A place where the lowly of one realm, can be the "gifted ones" in another realm. This place is a circle, and there is no hierarchy, there are just people who love to do good work together.
And in this place you don't forget the totem pole, you don't forget the humbleness or surrender, they are just more raw material you can use to create another thing.