(Photo credit: me!)
This photo was taken at midnight 12/31/19 during a full-blown Phish concert at legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City. I’ve attended every Phish New Year’s since 1992. In this photo, and repeatedly in my life, thousands of us gathered in one space…
Are you also harkening back to months ago in your mind, feeling nostalgic? Who knew that entering 2020 meant entering a new era? (Some astrologers knew.)
No matter who you are or where you live, chances are that the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting you. Whatever “normal” was, whatever “the usual” was, is no longer.
The real (2 part) question for me: How can I use this change to know myself better, and how can I use this self-knowledge to evolve? (Instead of burying fears, creating a stuck energy, i.e. trauma.)
The Jungian collective unconscious is a hidden and shared part of our minds, a collective ancestral memory bank. We are creating memories ongoingly though—so this current era is collective unconscious in the making.
How will we be different? Let’s bring some things to the *conscious* mind… instead of burying them.
I’m sure many folks are learning about themselves right now—I’m not alone. These are the hot spots that surfaced for me:
Doing (masculine) vs. being (feminine), how much have I reduced or increased either of these? (Patriarchy is a “doing” culture…)
Boundaries: How skilled am I at setting and maintaining them or honoring those of others? What prompts me to form them? (Masks!) Are the boundaries physical, mental, etc., and what are examples of boundary crossings? (“Social distancing” is all about boundaries really.)
What is my real service to humanity? How can I help?
What are my needs versus my wants, and can I articulate them to others? Am I comfortable with the vulnerability of stating needs—in the event someone rejects them?
According to identity categories projected upon me by society, how privileged or disempowered am I in those identities? (For starters… having access to a computer feels pretty darn privileged. Being white is off the charts.)
Who and what do I value? Do I invest my energy, time, and money wisely?
How do I define safety? (Money? People? Freedoms? Structure?)
How introverted versus extroverted am I? How does social interaction affect me?
How resilient and skilled am I at self-care when faced with deep challenges? (How well do I get my grit on?!!)
How present am I in each moment? (The future and the past are merely thoughts.) How much do I live in those thoughts?
…Depending on the answers to these questions, for each of us, the second half of my 2-part question – How do I use this self-knowledge to evolve?– is unique to each of us…
It’s our customized roadmap to growth and healing.
Collective unconscious in the making.
Let’s collectively process the trauma part and advance to the transformation part. Of course there are no quick and easy answers, but, just saying. Just wishing.
I’m so curious if or how my list resonates with you. No matter your circumstances– I am wishing you good health, peace, resilience, and good faith. May you land on your proverbial feet.
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