Archetypal psychologist, James Hillman, wrote in his book, Interviews, that Western culture clings to and consequently suffers from its “Go ahead, Get Ahead, Do it” mentality. It’s a “manic defense,” he says, a way of skimming on the surface of things, never tending to the complicated and soulful ordeals of being human.
You’ll find it all over the place.
Robotic diets. Yanking the body through excessive activity. Workaholism.
There’s no place for soul to breathe.
Add in a booming coaching/healing industry and an entrepreneurial culture spouting that buzzword ‘authenticity’ that’s now a meme in online marketing culture today (one whose images ironically look and sound nearly the same), and you’ll see why so many still grapple with questions about how to do good work, enter the scene, show up authentically, make a living, and live a satisfying life.
I’ve spoken with a handful of younger Millennials (I myself am an elder millennial born in the early 80s) who are now feeling frustration or anxiety that if they are not an overnight success working on a beach somewhere making a generous 6-figure salary, that something must be terribly wrong.
Even those of us who are older are not immune. It is a digital age. What we ingest with our senses is continually influencing and regulating us in ways we may or may not know.
Caring for Soul
I hope at some point in its own time, we all realize a ‘satisfying life’ is deeply personal in meaning. It will never be revealed to you “out there.” This is my experience. Eventually you have to turn inward, slow down, listen, and allow whatever it is you really value, whatever has it’s hooks in you, to have it’s way with you or at least get an honored seat somewhere in your life.
If not, it may come after you in that back alley kind of way these things are known to do.
This is not a one-time practice.
Consider this an invitation, on the one hand, to check in with your current relationship with social media, and on the other, to take inventory of what exactly offers you a center of orientation in life.
Your whole life unfolds from this place.
On Thursday, April 25th at 1pm EST, I’ll be teaching A Little Talk on Psycho-Shamanism on Facebook Live. I’ll be blending shamanic wisdom and depth psychology in an accessible way, offering a practical and inspiring framework that helps us align with life-orienting forces and create real beauty in life. Curious? Simply show up at 1pm at Real Food Wellness on Facebook. Hope to see you there.
With love and respect,
Laura