Happily Ever After

Certainly one of the greatest elixirs is Happiness. After attaining our worthy goal, we achieve a degree of happiness which we can carry forward with us into the next ordeal and adventure. Probably most people would claim greater happiness—for themselves and for others—as a measure of success, whatever their endeavor.

What makes you happy in the deepest sense? I mean, not only in the moment but long-term? A child (or a pet’s) smiling face (or their playfully wagging tail or purr), a beautiful mountainscape or an Oceanside sunset: these bring a valuable though transitory happiness. They warm the heart and bring a smile. They reveal, I would say, a deeper state of intrinsic happiness. They reveal a harmony of Nature, an innocence of Spirit; breaths of fresh air, a tonic to the Soul!

Still, how can you expand your condition of happiness beyond the fleeting moment?

So I ask again, what could make you Happy in the grandest sense? Is it your job? (Stay then! Take it as far as you can!) Or your relationship(s)? Then Bravo/a to you! Or maybe it is your chosen environment, where you experience At Oneness with the All One? (More cosmic, loving power to you!!!)

For many people, enduring happiness is yet an elusive goal. Achieving their ultimate happiness shall be a result of fulfilling their most ardent endeavors (or, it may be found in the very practice of those endeavors themselves). Many will gain their enduring happiness by serving others and/or producing good works; by fulfilling, that is, their sense of Purpose and their Mission for this life.

So now, what is your Purpose; what can you claim as your Life Mission?

As a personal example, my life mission inflects on several levels. I have a spiritual Mission, which I do not feel the need to share. On a practical level, I have always sought, in one form or another, to serve the Whole…that is, to embrace and express my own inherent wholeness as well as to serve however I can the greater Whole of the community, family, fencing team (e.g.), and the world in which I live. Like many, I have always strived to make a positive contribution—whether through teaching, sharing in general, through responsible service, or through writing/publishing.

“What difference does it make?”

“It doesn’t matter!”

These were my calls in the wilderness to God, my deep laments through at least the first five decades of this life. So then, I would try harder, work more.

Until, gradually, as on cats’ feet, the Process itself—e.g. of communicating, teaching, contemplating, writing, living—has become fruitful in itself, in the moment of Doing, Being, or Knowing.  I find that I am still very goal-oriented, yet now my goal and the process I engage with to fulfill the goal have merged as one focus; see?

With this transformational shift from a ‘product/goal’ to a ‘process’-oriented mindset, now that I check in with my Self, Happiness has set in!

images are from pixabay.com

This is not to presume that I am always “happy” in the glib/ surface sense. That has never been my goal. Actually I can sometimes let things bother me now just as much if not more than ever before. This comes from my passion for advancing what is in process. Disruptions or interruptions of this forward arching flow can set me back, but only long enough overall now until I can accept and absorb the lesson (for there is always a lesson!), and move on.

What Is Your Life Mission?

My upcoming book that is announced in the right panel of this blog, Your Life Path, is my best contribution so far to serve the Whole. This book provides a complete/ original Life Path Mapping process with its chapter-ending self-discovery Tools. I have developed and practiced this approach over the last fifteen years, through interview research, analysis of results, producing a previous academic book on the subject, and—more importantly—through developing the embedded self-help Toolkit from applying the mapping and reflection process with large classes of students and with many individuals, as a “life path mapping” coaching approach.  It has been helpful for many and even deeply transformative for some.

The Your Life Path Tools can guide you gradually yet gently to review your past, to reconsider your present with regard to how you have reached where you are in life now; then to explore your values, your inner conflicts and challenges (from an archetypal psychological  perspective), and to reveal your deepest, most integrative goals. It leads you to express and embrace your Life Mission; then to claim your Life Dream and plan a fulfilling future course, beginning here and now, to live into the life of your dreams!

I do invite you to check out this book if it may serve you. You could pre-order using the url address in the right panel, either through Amazon (as a book or ebook), Barnes & Noble, or Indies. I will be offering a preview webinar series on Life Path Mapping by December (I will post about that as it becomes available).

And so, wherever your life path leads you to:

Go For It!

A Te Sante!

Be Happy!

Live Your Dream, Now!

I always welcome YOUR Comments and Stories.

Archetypal Synergy

For this last week of April’s focus combining the WARRIOR archetype with the metaphor Life Is an Ensemble Cast of Mythic Archetype Allies I’d like to share about how aligning archetypal energies into synergistic combinations can function like alchemy to create effective, productive approaches to any situation or challenge. Already this past week we have looked at the Mystic-Warrior and at the Peaceful-Warrior: two archetypal Ally pairings that can foster strong, distinctive character modes.

Allow me to suggest below then some possible ‘alchemical’ sorts of archetype combinations utilizing the 12 Universal Archetypes I am putting forward here and in my forthcoming book, Life Paths, based on ideas originated by Dr. Charles and Nin Bebeau and Debra Breazzano, M.A., LPC.

This notion of combining archetypal strengths/ traits, can be useful not only for the individual seeking to marshal their internal archetypal ally ‘assembly’ or synergy, but the concept can also be fruitfully applied to composing organizational teams or to designing fictional character types.

Some Archetype Ally conjunctions:

Binary archetype pairings  — polarized archetype energies combining to bring balance or deeper understanding to a conflictual situation. Example: DESCENDER and MYSTIC. Mystic traits can help alleviate depressive tendencies by illuminating meaningful lessons.

Archetype clusters – one identity mode or kind of situation constructively drawing upon two or more archetype forms. Example: ELDER LEADER, NOURISHER, and IDEALIST traits being associated with a Parent or Mentor figure.

Archetype constellations – three or more archetype energies brought together to forge a creative approach to manifesting a goal or to performing artistically or intellectually. Example: ARTIST/TEACHER/COMMUNICATOR/MYSTIC combining to present an interactive workshop or a motivational seminar (e.g. Deepak Chopra  or Wayne Dyer’s approaches).

Archetypal clouds – This one came through for me in a dream the other night; it involves archetypal traits permeating a situation or affecting a decision or life experience in a non-distinct, blended manner. Example: Thoughts from several of one’s archetype-cast energies encouraging a certain decision or action. “Spreading a net widely” in terms of the conception of a new approach or idea can lead to an innovative solution.

 I welcome your insights and stories!

[I trust you will honor, dear readers, that publishing these ideas in this blog legally establishes copyright. With that said, the idea of Archetype Allies is not new; I believe Jean Houston may have first coined the term; she uses the idea frequently in her writings.]

Your Life in Bubbles

First, A big THANK YOU to Tatyana, for your heartfelt poems that you shared with us yesterday about how your wonderful mother found you and you gave her the beautiful family you two share! It is amazing how you have grown from your experience so that now you are reaching out to help others! – Linda

FOR TODAY:

If you haven’t completed the Life Mapping Activity for this week (see right sidebar), you may do so now. Write a list of 12 of your life’s significant events. These are events that have influenced or shaped “the person you have become”. It doesn’t matter in what order you write these down; just let them come forth as you remember them. The Wednesday prompt list (January 1) might help you to trigger some memories.

List 12 Significant Life Events before continuing.

Next, find a way to arrange these twelve events in a manner that is meaningful to you. How are they interrelated, and not? You can place the events (numbered or captioned) along a timeline, raising them above, below or on the line depending on their relative positive, negative (or both) impact on your life. Or you might wish to represent them in a circle, placing them in bubble clusters depending on how they relate to one another. Be creative; find a way to arrange these events that is meaningful to you.

Save your “life mapping” chart or picture to use with next week’s follow-up activity. Feel free to share yours if you would like (you could scan it in and send it as a jpg. image if you wish; see the Submit menu tag). There is also still time, until Saturday night, to submit your Story of the Week about how, in retrospect or maybe surprisingly, a significant event in your life has led to Better Endings.

I welcome your Comments and insights! THANK YOU to new followers (and continuing ones)! I invite you to get the most you can from this blog by participating in the activities and sharing your insights!