T.S. Eliot stated, “Humankind cannot bear very much reality.” To avoid the reality of feeling our feelings and doing what we truly desire, we have become very skilled in doing anything but what we soulfully want to do. Ego often negates what matters most to our soul, and thus, we live half-filled lives of ‘everything’s […]
En garde … How your ego protects you
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 Role of Fate
In the film, Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges’ character, Bad Blake, referred to doing what he shouldn’t do (drinking, multiple failed marriages) as his fallings. He wisely stated, “It all happens for a reason, even if it’s wrong, especially if it’s wrong.” Blake accepted his fate, even when tragic. Fate is used to describe whatever is […]
How We Contribute to the Collective Shadow
Whenever a group, society or nation strongly believes in its own moral righteousness, superiority or entitlement, the collective shadow is present. Shadow traits, usually undesirable ones, based upon race, culture, politics, religion or other qualities are disowned by a collective mass of one group and are placed onto another group or population. This communal phenomenon […]
Evil Shows in Times of War
We often watch in horror and disbelief the media reports of human atrocities, violence and war. However, evil is a very real part of the human psyche. Concerning evil in the context of war, Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Evil exists. God exists also. Evil and God are two sides of ourselves.” We carry within ourselves […]
What Lurks in Your Shadow?
James Hollis recounted a story of a man searching frantically for his lost keys under the light of a lamppost. A passerby attempted to help by asking, “Is this where you dropped them?” The searching man replied, “No, I lost them in the dark, but this is the only place where the light is.” What […]
