A society that does not value soul is destined to lose it. A life lived exclusively from the ego’s vantage is like perpetually eating dehydrated fruit, mummifying the juiciness of passionate life experience and the subtle messages of emotions and dreams. Such a life, according to Jung (1960), is “dull not only for the person himself but for all concerned” (p. 337). The ego is motivated by emotional reactivity while the soul calls for us to observe, investigate and ask questions of our reactions. The emotions are the curtain that conceals the wizard, but the soul is who actually pulls the strings. Through inquiry, stillness and the daring required to follow through with the coaching process, the dull, monotone language of the reputedly rational ego can be supplanted by the lilting and unpredictable song of the soul. Perhaps our parched civilization and the individuals comprising it would be strengthened by drinking the elixir of our feelings, dreams and intuitions. Soul is our skilled and gifted physician. The ego wants security, but the soul wants experience and meaning and will call on the gods of personal blight to stir us into recall. As we learn to trust our inklings and rising visions, we lay down the piercing sword of unrelenting rationalism. The soul calls us to release our illusory hold on the shore of our lives and yield to the river current of awakened consciousness. The True Self Coaching© process is one of discovery, giving voice to the soul and clarifying the path to extraordinary living; in this way, inquiry, courage and presence transform difficulty into opportunity and frustration into action and the deepest yearning of the “true self” is understood and realized.
References
Hillman, James. A Blue Fire: Selected Writings by James Hillman. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1989.
Jung, C. G. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. New York, NY: Princeton University Press, 1959.
Jung, C.G. The Portable Jung. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. New York: The Viking Press, 1971.
Jung, C.G. The Collected Works of C.G. Jung Volume 8: The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. New York, NY: Princeton University Press, 1960.
Moore, Thomas. Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness In Everyday Life. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992.
Patanjali. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Trans. Mukunda Stiles. San Francisco, CA: Red Wheel/Weiser LLC, 2002.
“Soul.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 1976. Print.