Embracing Soul
“Change, from the Ego point of view, is suffering. Change, from the Soul point of view, is just change. In the end, of course, our approach to the future comes down to how we feel about mystery…The Soul has no trouble with mystery at all. Mystery is the Soul’s element. As wise elders, we come to know that the Ego has no control over anything, and so we begin to rest in the mysterious present and let the future unfold as it will.”
Ram Dass
Still Here
Carl Jung taught that our task for the first half of life is identifying and strengthening the Ego (not to be confused with egotism), and the second half is spent developing a relationship to one’s Soul. Ego strength is essential to establishing who we are as individuals, identifying our particular gifts and talents, and developing coping skills for dealing with the challenges of life. Soul is that entity which leads us into a consciousness of the Mystery, introduces us to our eternal selves, and helps us discover the bigger picture of this human lifetime. The Ego wants to control outcomes, to hold onto good ones and deny bad ones. The Soul wants to show us that it’s all the same—all part of a tapestry that is at once ours alone and also part of a greater whole. The Ego is finite and personal, while the Soul is eternal and connected to the web of all Life.
It is human nature to want to hold on to the good stuff---youth, strength, wealth, love. In our heart of hearts we know that all things change, that change is the most constant trait of living organisms, and yet, we want to stop the river. When I look at myself in the mirror, I cringe, because time has changed my image of myself (Ego), and I don’t like the change. And yet, I know that stopping change is both impossible and undesirable. I don’t want to go back to being a teenager or even relive my twenties (God forbid!). Making peace with change is a second half of life challenge and having a sense of humor about it helps a lot.
Let me say that I love this part of life. Resting in the mystery is really pretty wonderful. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I never did—my Ego always had a plan, but rarely did it happen. Giving up the demanding job of holding back the river leaves one with tons of energy for creativity and deep thinking…and reading…and doing absolutely nothing now and then. There is a pleasant calm in not having to strive to fulfill the relentless demands of the Ego. Is it giving up? No, it’s letting go.
Keeping the faith,
Jane
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