Root Out Old Victim Patterns

Years ago, when I lived in Seattle, I facilitated a 12 Step workshop about ending gullibility and victimization. In the discussion I said that when we take full responsibility for our perception, feelings and behaviors, we can rid ourselves of the victim mentality. One of the women participating said loudly, “That’s not true! I’ve had seven “bad bosses” in a row and each one fired me, so don’t tell me I’m not a victim!” When we activate our Observer Self, it helps us bring to conscious awareness our role in interactions with others.

Come Back to Your Home Within

I know all too well the restlessness, anxiety, anger and immense sadness that so many people currently experience. For many years, even though I functioned well in the outer world, I often had many of these feelings. Just under the surface of my conscious awareness, I felt that something just wasn’t quite right within me. Through years of therapy, education, introspection, and life experience, I now know that I was missing being comfortable in my own skin, flaws and all.

Journey into the Wilderness of Yourself

During my senior year in college, I was excited about the idea of living on my own after graduation. It would be the first time I would have a space completely to myself without needing to share with my sister or a roommate. I had so much joy the day I moved into my first apartment! The first night I was in my apartment, though, was very hard.

What is True Heroism?

In Western culture many of us have grown up with the idea of heroism as embodied in the lead characters in movies like Rambo, the James Bond series, Die Hard, Under Siege and Terminator. In this view of heroism the main theme is to achieve something through dominance and control, often at the expense of others. This view of heroism is not only pervasive in the movies we watch, but it is also continually reinforced in the workplace. Even the language we use in our work reflects our deeply held conquest mentality. We attack a problem, beat our competition, and make a killing in the market.

Activate Your Heroism Within

In the late 1980’s like so many other people, I was mesmerized by Bill Moyer’s Power of Myth interview series with Joseph Campbell. This is when I first became consciously aware that the heroic journey was not just a story about ancient history or idealizing someone on a pedestal, but actually had relevance to my personal life. It wasn’t until many years later, though, that I began to fully experience its true power and apply it in my day-to-day reality.

The Hero’s Journey: The Power of Myth in Action

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” How does Joseph Campbell’s classic definition of the hero’s quest have meaning in our times? Marion Moss interviews Peter Wallis regarding the practical application of Campbell’s mythological perspective.

Sustaining Peak Moments

Most of us have had them – those incredible moments in our lives where everything seems perfect. Whether it is an exquisite meal, being at one with nature, or the deep love we’ve felt while looking into the eyes of a partner or child, these are the moments when time seems to stand still. We are totally at peace and all seems right with the world. We want these snapshots of ecstasy to last forever.

True Wisdom: Balancing Intuition and Reasoning

We are all gullible at times. Some of us are more prone to gullibility than others. When I was a consumer protection investigator, I had a chance to see a lot of people’s gullibility used against them by manipulative con artists. The gullibility of individuals had nothing to do with socioeconomic background, race, sex, intelligence, or education. What all gullible people seem to have in common is their lack of trusting their own inner truth and wisdom.

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