About 7 months ago, my wise and brilliant therapist, Irma, told me in one of our first sessions: “You are going to have to rebuild your spiritual life here.”
I need to re-read and digest this piece. Have been knocked off-balance by going through a bushfire here and struggling to rebuild, not just materially but in my developmental practices that have gone out the window since. The suggestion that ego leaps in to occupy that void resonates with my experience of late. Will let this percolate awhile. As always, your reflections are helpful Justin, so thanks!
A buried gem I may restack “the ego’s primary operating mode is oppositional, and opposition feeds on grievance.” I was talking with a new friend just yesterday about our community progress being impeded by the default commitment to adversarial engagement. To say nothing of current events in the global sphere…
Regarding “oppositional”… that’s one of the reasons I stopped using the word “resistance” as it relates to fighting authoritarianism. Instead, I say “defiance”. I think the same is true internally. I want my soul to be defiant, not resistant.
Hi Justin, your comment has prompted me to write a piece that I’ve long been percolating about the advantages and drawbacks of metaphoric exchange in everyday discourse and formal learning. It’s not at all oppositional, more exploratory. But if you’d rather I didn’t identify you or your article, I’d be happy to anonymise. P.
Thank you for the comment, Linda. I have incorporated elements of Taoism into my belief in our power to create; modeled after the Taoist wheel of life that puts the sacral chakra at the center.
I need to re-read and digest this piece. Have been knocked off-balance by going through a bushfire here and struggling to rebuild, not just materially but in my developmental practices that have gone out the window since. The suggestion that ego leaps in to occupy that void resonates with my experience of late. Will let this percolate awhile. As always, your reflections are helpful Justin, so thanks!
A buried gem I may restack “the ego’s primary operating mode is oppositional, and opposition feeds on grievance.” I was talking with a new friend just yesterday about our community progress being impeded by the default commitment to adversarial engagement. To say nothing of current events in the global sphere…
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Paul.
Regarding “oppositional”… that’s one of the reasons I stopped using the word “resistance” as it relates to fighting authoritarianism. Instead, I say “defiance”. I think the same is true internally. I want my soul to be defiant, not resistant.
Hi Justin, your comment has prompted me to write a piece that I’ve long been percolating about the advantages and drawbacks of metaphoric exchange in everyday discourse and formal learning. It’s not at all oppositional, more exploratory. But if you’d rather I didn’t identify you or your article, I’d be happy to anonymise. P.
I can’t wait to read it! Feel free to reference me however you see fit. I appreciate you asking!
I wish you peace.
Thanks, Steve! Part of writing these kinds of essays is to create the conditions for inner tranquility.
Nicely woven together.
Taoism makes me accept responsibility for what I do now, accept what is and listen to my Force. It is taking me through childhood trauma now.
That and having an understanding friend to bounce off of are getting me thru it.
i feel from this you know now what to do. May the Force be with you 🦋🙏💙
Thank you for the comment, Linda. I have incorporated elements of Taoism into my belief in our power to create; modeled after the Taoist wheel of life that puts the sacral chakra at the center.