Like many spiritual sages, Sufi masters tell stories to convey the wisdom of their practices. One such story is the parable of the footbridge. On a windy day, as the story goes, an old man needed to visit a sick friend. To reach his destination he had to cross a rickety footbridge that spanned a deep gorge. As he walked onto the bridge, the wind whipped him from side to side. Fearful, he held on and looked down into the void. His head spun. Behind him was his past, a known space from where he had come. Before him was his future, an unknown place to where he was going. In an unsettled state, his mind suddenly cleared. Sparked with an unanticipated jolt of energy and creativity, he envisioned a new world filled with possibilities.