Wisdom, Courage, and Passion from Within – Archetypes
Wisdom, courage, and passion are things we often look for within ourselves. These are great qualities and not all of us have access to these qualities like others do. The thing is these qualities are in all of us.
It is true that most of the resources we need are in us. One of the Neuro Linguistic Programming , or NLP, principles state that we have all the resources we need within us. This is a big statement. And it’s a hard thing for most of us both to believe. We actually do have these resources within us. The problem is that most of us don’t know how to access these resources.
“Few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.” ―Richard E. Byrd
I’d like to show you how to access wisdom, courage, and passion within you. To have access to these any time you like.
There is something called archetypes. A lot of us know this word from Carl Jung. He defined this as a primitive mental image inherited from our earliest ancestors. The way I’m using it is as a specific example of a certain type of person.
At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. Lao Tzu
There are four archetypes that I’m talking about. There is sovereignty, king or queen for wisdom, absoluteness, sacredness. There is the warrior for courage, confidence, strength, assertiveness loyalty, trust, and contribution. There is a lover for passion, romance, relationships, vulnerability, sensitivity, being a dreamer. And there is the jester for laughter light heartedness, humor, song, dance, and unconventional perspectives.
Before I tell you how to access these and what it will do for you, I want to preface this with some information about how our mind and body intertwine. You see, out mind directly affects our body/physiology, and our body/physiology affects our mind. When I first learned this, the example was basic –
Sit or stand there with your shoulders slumped and your head down. This is a typical physiology of someone who is sad or depressed. When you are in this physiology, it is difficult to feel happy or think happy thoughts (if you remain in the physiology).
There are also many studies about smiling, and how it impacts your mood and thoughts in a positive way.
You’ll also find that when you do think of something very positive or very negative, it affects your physiology. That’s how we almost immediately can tell when someone is down or up. The adjectives themselves, down or up, refer to how we hold ourselves when feeling ’down’ or ‘up’.
You probably see where I am going with this. There are specific physiologies of these archetypes that you have in mind. When I say the word physiology, I mean, how they stand, how they move, how they hold themselves, how they look (facial expressions, and how they breathe.
When you acquire or get into the specific physiology or any one of these archetypes. You start the feel like the archetype and, more importantly, you start to think like it. You get to access the qualities of the archetype. It seems too simple to work, but it does.
The source of all knowing is in you. Eckhart Tolle
My first experience was as a jester. No surprise to people who know me. I stood there, smiled, and moved around a little like a jester would. I felt the feeling most intense in my stomach. When I put my hand there, I automatically laughed. I was able to look at my problems from a whole new perspective. I came up with answers and/or new directions for solving my problems, that I was not able to do before. It was refreshing.
My recommendation is to select the one that has the attributes or qualities that you need the most in your life. Find a problem in your life that requires these attributes and write down a few questions that you’d like answered.
If you are unsure of the physiology, look up examples of these archetypes. Look at pictures of how they hold themselves. Imagine how they would breathe. Pay attention to facial expressions. And then try it on yourself.
Get into the physiology of the archetype. Spend a minute or two to do so. For most of them, I suggest standing. Get into the feeling and sense where it feels most intense – the feeling that the archetype brings. Put your hand on that area. Stand there and see the world from the eyes of the archetype. Think about your problem and the questions. See if you now have an answer, or at least a direction to go in, to resolve these issues.
You might have to try this a few times and you may find that you can more easily connect with one specific archetype over another.
This is one of several ways to unlock and access qualities within you that you have not been able easily to access before. Have fun trying. Do this in front of a standing mirror if possible.
Enjoy the experience.
If you want more information on using archetypes or Mindset Coaching, contact us through www.peakperformancemindsetcoaching.com or email me at kevin@peakperformancemindsetcoaching.com or Lisa at lisa@.peakperformancemindsetcoaching.com
Other related blogs that you may be interested in are Just How Important is Your Mindset? and Just How Important is Your Mindset.
It’s nice to be able to access myself a little better