Myths of Life – Identifying and Removing the Myth of Limitation

Depression and Despair are explored creatively in this article in the New York Times (28/10/09) by Gordon Marino – highlighting the existential perspectives by Kierkegaard. The following quote from the article says:

‘These days, confide to someone that you are in despair and he or she will likely suggest that you seek out professional help for your
depression. While despair used to be classified as one of the seven deadly sins, it has now been medicalized and folded into the concept of
clinical depression. If Kierkegaard were on Facebook or could post a You Tube video, he would certainly complain that we, who have
listened to Prozac, have become deaf to the ancient distinction between psychological and spiritual disorders, between depression and
despair’.

PDF of original article here

As 2010 approaches, you will no doubt be thinking about how you can made the coming year your Best Year Yet. However, without the proper tools, your intentions will turn to distant memories, leaving you with a sense of disappointment, frustration or cynicism.

Find out how prepared you are to make changes in your life by looking at the language you use every day. Think of s frustrating or difficult situation you were in recently. Reflect on how you describe the people or circumstances involved. When you describe your actions do you use the words ‘I‘ or ‘Me‘ or do you refer to a more generalised sense of what ‘one does‘ by using the words ‘You‘ as if ‘Everyone‘ surely would do this if in your place? Do you refer to another person or people involved as ‘They‘ as if part of a generalised group of people who tend to operate in a stereotypical way – rather than the particular individual’s being unique?

If you are using generalised words and statements to describe yours and other people’s reactions, this is an indication that the tools you are using to solve your problems will not work in creating positive outcomes in your life. Think about this carefully because it can change your life. By generalising things you are in fact relinquishing responsibility for your part in creating whatever happens to you.

Have you ever noticed that whatever challenges or problems you have, YOU ARE ALWAYS THERE? This is because you have a part in creating the situation – often by your choice of how to react to the external world. When you see this, you can change your outlook, your language and your results. That’s how change will come about in 2010.

Good luck.

Christmas is a celebration which few, it seems, question what is being celebrated.  Anyone who questions the existence of Christmas is often criticised as cynical, Scrooge-like or Humbug. If you ask someone what they are celebrating, they probably look at you incredulously saying ‘But it’s Christmas!’ and go on to mention the religious, family or holiday connotations or simply have no idea how to answer.  Many people at this point say ‘Well, it’s for the children’ as if this justifies them not having an answer.

Unquestioned assumptions surround the existence of Christmas and like most myths are rarely questioned – they simply reduce our ability and responsibility in choosing how we spend our lives.  This is not to say that Christmas can’t be an enjoyable and reflective time of year.  It does mean that if it is blindly responded to with the associated ’should ought or must’ language attached, then we are hoodwinking ourselves into believing we are choosing to life on our terms.  I encourage you to examine your own myths and choose meaningfully in everything you do.