Sublime

Our later emotional growth will depend on our willingness to experience, accept, and integrate the rejected and hidden parts of ourselves—the parts we labeled “unsafe” or “bad.”

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung insightfully emphasized the truism that “where the will to power is paramount love will be lacking.”

Whenever we use generalizations, especially toward someone with whom we are in close relationship, such as “Men always,” or “Men never,” or even “You always,” or “You never,” we are in the territory of our own childhood images rather than responding accurately to the present situation. Generalizations about life that include words such as “always,”

So when she saw a man was interested in her, she would silently say in her heart toward him, “You may turn out to be a great guy, and maybe even my husband, but you cannot ever be my life. Only Christ is my life.” When she began to do this, like Leah, she got her life back. This spiritual discipline gave her the ability to set boundaries and make g

her attacks.

Joe’s Angry Part and Meg’s Overeater Part are each trying to protect them from the pain of their child parts. These aren’t just irrational feelings or out-of-control impulses. They are like little persons inside of them who are doing the best they can to cope with discomfort and pain.

However, as the MEM becomes more aware of his unconscious responses, he can use his left-brain awareness and “reason with” his very protective right brain. Then he can correct his first reaction and respond more reasonably.

Everyone that you hate, from your mother-in-law to a serial murderer, is, at heart, you. Closing your heart to theirs means pinching away from who you are. This act of pinching creates the sense of inner stress and unfinished yearning that most people suffer.