The ego is the part of you that is associated with the term “I.” As a child, your ego developed by adapting itself to what was compatible with your family and societal surroundings. However, this alignment came with a cost. In order to protect yourself from the hurt or rejection from others, you split off […]
The Reality of Happiness
The commonly asked question, “How are you feeling?” is often replied with the somewhat obligatory “Good, thanks, and you?” However, Jungian author James Hollis suggested that, “Feeling good may be a very poor measure of the worth of one’s life.” He furthered queried, “Think of the people you truly admire or inspire you. How much […]
Anger – How do you handle it?
Buddha stated that, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” This is a great image of how we often handle anger. As infants we cried and even screamed to release our discomfort and distressing emotions. For […]
Depression has a role in your life
In the myth of Inanna, a descent into the underworld occurs. At each gate she surrenders aspects of her self such as intellectualizing, niceness and her armour. Stripped of the usual means of defending herself Inanna is alone and helpless, left on a hook as a corpse. Inanna has no choice but to face the […]
When Fears Enter Our Life
Whether trying something new, not having heard from family or friends for a while, getting lost while driving or facing the recent fallout from the devastating earthquake, these situations evoke feelings of fear. Fear shows up as anxiety, worry, doubt, despair, hopelessness, paranoia and even as arrogance and prejudice. Fear is desired and useful as […]
Expressing your Feelings (Stop Being Nice!)
“Sit there and smile” and “Never contradict your father” are statements we may have been told in the name of good manners. We learn very early about what is acceptable in family and social settings. We sit up straight, suppress our tears and laughter, and consciously decide, “I better not say that.” Decades later, these […]
