MyJourney to Vibrant Wholeness -Joe Hirsch

“I have to create my own story or I will be a slave to someone else’s story.”
(William Blake 1790)

Introduction

If I’m not at peace with myself, I will never be at peace with you.

Medical definition: Life is a sexually transmitted terminal disease.

Carl Jung’s definition: Life is a short pause between two mysteries.

  • Life meaning comes when I feel that I am an actor in a Story larger than my personal story.

What is Vibrant Wholeness?

Integration of the first half of life about Ego self (your biography) and the second half of life about Higher Self (your Autobiography).
Human beings have two centers – Ego self and Higher Self (includes Ego self)

  1. Ego-self
  2. Job is “survival” - who’s in charge, what are the rules to “make it”, live as long as possible with as little pain as possible.
  3. Develops in the first half of life (biography) which is learning to adapt/conform to the demands of External Authority – family, religion, and tribe.
  4. Has two basic fears that never leave us: overwhelment and abandonment.
  5. Ego self has three functions: 1) Orients time and Space; 2) Differentiates between and among things; 3) Identity – the “I” I know (who I think I am).
  6. Ego-self is an Either/ Or organ – has anxiety handling Ambiguity or Change.
  7. Ego self is not the enemy -It’s just not understood about its limitations.
  8. Higher Self’
  9. Job to transcend and include the connection to “all that is” and the ego self
  10. Develops internal authority to become vibrantly whole.
  11. Understands I am imperfect and I am enough.
  12. Higher Self is a both/and organ.(Becoming one’s own authority/authentic Self
  13. Every Mind Is a World – Don’t Take Anything Personally. (Don Miguel Ruiz – The Fifth Agreement Chapter 4 pages 41 to 56) – Also, Starbuck’s apron practice

Stories from my life to illustrate Vibrant Wholeness ---Biography to Autobiography

Childhood experience of growing up in fundamentalist Catholic family – 13 children, decide to never marry as my life would be over

Bulgaria project -- Let go of outcome (age 33)

Make it as good as I can make it (24/7 Mantra – “Find a problem -fix a problem - let the chips fall where they may”)

Mind boggling Success

Siberia project – Same thing – Set a new industry standard (age 38)

Budapest project – like dancing (age 40)

Manager Software Worldwide (41) - Department job satisfaction survey resulted in highest recorded at my company

Marriage – age 42 -- “Research Question “How is it possible that a fine person like myself and a fine person like my wife cannot find a way to make a life together”

Personal/Impersonal – Starbucks Apron and Every Mind is a World (Ruiz)

  • Age 57 – received Master’s degree in Family Systems Theory

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Lessons learned

The quality of my life depends on two things:

  • My relationship with myself -- As I love myself – I love others
  • My relationship with All That Is/God/Love – “I” am a conduit of God/Love

Let go of outcome – “I” am a conduit of God/Love

I alone must become myself and I cannot become myself alone.

The less knowledge the more certainty.The more knowledge the less certainty.

Make it as good as I can make it – (Do my best)

I am imperfect and I am enough

Don’t Take Anything Personally - Every Mind Is a World. (Don Miguel Ruiz – The Fifth Agreement Chapter 4 pages 41 to 56) – Also, Starbuck’s apron practice

Family Systems

  • Until a man is blessed as a man by a man every man is his “Father”
  • Until a man is blessed as a man by a woman every woman is his “Mother”
  • Until a woman is blessed as a woman by a woman every woman is her “Mother”
  • Until a woman is blessed as a woman by a man every man is her “Father”

Every person’s Soul purpose -- Three Rules to live by:

1 – Make whatever you are doing as good as you can – Let go of outcome and do your best.

2 – Love whoever is there

3 – Be in “Awe of the Mystery”

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Exercise in groups of three or four –

Remember a period in your life when:

1)You woke up in the morning enthusiastically looking forward to the day;

or

2)A period when you went to bed at night experiencing a “good tired”.

Discuss the circumstances and the feelings associated with this experience.