It’s the beginning of a new month! What a great opportunity to make the changes
you’ve been thinking about. Been procrastinating? It’s the first day of the
month, first morning of the month, and the first day of the rest of your life.
WHAT are you waiting for?? Yes, it’s scary to make choices that will be best
for you when you’re afraid that the repercussions will make others angry or
uncomfortable. Remember, you live your life for YOUR happiness and contentment.
That is the ONLY way you will bring happiness to others. When you make choices
that allow you freedom, you give others permission to do the same. In small
steps like that, we bring light to the world.
Some people have never been afraid of making decisions that
rattle others. Toni Wolff, one of Carl Jung’s colleagues, helped him develop
his theories on the anima/animus and the persona. She was an unusual woman for
turn of the century 1900. Her parents had encouraged her to read, create, and
learn. When she wanted to go to college, her father refused, acknowledging that
society wouldn’t tolerate a woman with an “official” education. He did allow
her to enroll in any college class she wanted as an unofficial student. Through
her studies and her psychological work with Jung, she created her own theory
about Walking in Two Worlds. Now, I have to say I just came across this woman’s
name this morning, but I have been familiar with the “medial” nature of Two
Worlds for a while. Actually, I have to give credit to my friend, Lauriston,
again. He first mentioned the idea of one foot in the spiritual world and one
foot in the physical world to me long ago. Lauriston, I need to write those
Franciscans a thank you note!!! J The medial nature
should be familiar to many followers of spiritual practices. I know in my own
faith, the New Testament writers wrote of being “in the world” but not “of the
world.” Even Jesus was reported to say give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give
to God what is God’s. This is the essence of the medial nature.
In a practical sense for us, the medial nature is our
spiritual portion - call it your soul or your spirit or whatever you want to
call it. The medial nature draws strength or nourishment from the
soul/spiritual center so we can navigate our physical world. Have you ever
wondered where athletes get the strength to push through the hardest parts of
their competitions? They aren’t suddenly given a spaghetti plate for more
energy. Trainers can’t run out to the track and squirt water in their mouths.
The medial nature helps us access that within us that we need to push on – our
“guts,” our grit, our determination. Many people accomplish amazing feats by
simply believing they have a “power” inside them to get things done. The medial
nature also invigorates our creativeness – in whatever form that creativeness
manifests itself in our lives. Although Toni Wolff lived in a different
century, we can still recent examples of people in tune with their medial
nature, people who allowed the medial nature to catalyze them into great bouts
of creation.
When I read about Toni Wolff, I was particularly struck by
how her method of college education so closely echoed the ideas of Steve Jobs.
Jobs, the founder of Apple, didn’t complete a “formal” college degree. He
despised the linear and constricted pathways to a degree offered by virtually
every liberal arts college. Jobs wanted to take classes that interested him,
and he believed the knowledge would come together in his mind, helping him
bring innovation to his life, and maybe the world. He was right. By exercising
his ability to step out of the “collective,” our restrictions and social
contracts that bind us and sometimes imprison us, he created one of the most
innovative, intuitive brands of computer technology available. As an educator,
I admire Steve Jobs, even though he didn’t “get a degree.” He loved to learn,
and he had motivation to continue to educate himself throughout his life.
Although he is often held as an exception to the “rule” of public education, I
believe if we had more flexibility in education and thought as Jobs did, we’d
see many more people creating new ideas and tools… Of course, that is my
opinion. J
There are numerous stories that address the way we limit ourselves to One
World - I'll post one later! Questions to ask yourself regarding whether you exercise this medial
nature: What is it that I’m made of? What have I brought to the world that is
unique to me? What message do I have to give to others? What am I denying others
by keeping parts of myself hidden? What have I cut off inside myself that makes
me feel deadened? How obedient am I even when I instinctually know the rules
I’m trying to follow are killing my spirit?
Work on figuring out some of the answers to those questions.
It may take a while, and that’s ok. You won’t have a standardized test to pass
to “prove” you have the answers to them… J
Try walking a little in the Two Worlds today, and just see what comes loose
inside you. Maybe there will be a smile you can give to others. Maybe you’ll
shake loose some tears that you can share with others – that’s NOT a bad thing…
I see you. I believe in you. You have the strength to grow and become all that
of which you are capable.
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