Saying 'Yes' To Your Adventure

Life calls all of us in different ways. It often happens as a dream or a wish when we are still quite young. Or it may happen that we suddenly discover a predilection for something - an interest, a hobby, a field of study, a way of being - that shows us where or how we are 'called'. And don't misunderstand. I'm not using the word 'called' in the religious or spiritual sense, but in the sense that this is where your particular adventure lies.

Joseph Campbell once wrote: The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure and this is precisely what I'm writing about today. Because in order to say a 'hearty yes', you must often be very courageous in the face of judgmental looks, outright criticism, denigration, or even outrage:

• what do you mean, you want to be a ballerina - you're so good at math!
• aren't you aware of the fact that becoming a psychiatrist means that you'll have to put your personal life on hold for so many years?
• that's absolutely ridiculous: poets make no money!
• you want to study such an obscure subject? Who will ever hire a philologist?
• we've never had a _________ in our family, and you will not be the first!

Apart from those examples that come to us from the outside, there are the ones that come to us from the inside in the guise of our own voice that ridicules what we are contemplating, telling us:

• that will never work
• you'll be a failure if you attempt that
• you need to be more realistic and do something 'serious'
• you'll make so much more money if you this instead of that

But what happens when we listen to those outer or inner critics? What happens when we say no to our adventure, and live a life that excludes our adventure? Aren't those the sad, desperate people we run into, when they are in midlife, perhaps with plenty of 'toys', sitting either on their driveway at their second or third home, or moored at the berth in the marina, hanging on their walls, glittering around their necks or shoulders? Or perhaps they are they people we run into who are by now into their second or third trophy wife or even more successful husband, or the people who can't get out of bed (nor get back into bed at night, nor live through the 16 hours in between) without one pill or another.

There are prices to be paid in either direction of your choices. The question is: which price are you willing to pay? Will you risk your inner well-being or will you say yes to your adventure? And remember: whether you are 12, or whether you are 85 - it's never too late to say yes to your adventure!

For much more about making choices, about being aware, about doubt and moving forward and the way your thoughts and feelings about those subjects influence you and what to do about them, have a look at my book Rewiring the Soul: Finding the Possible Self, available at Amazon as paperback or e-book for Kindle.


Click here to download the first chapter.

From the Description on Amazon:

Ask anyone, whatever their circumstances, if their life is vibrant, fulfilling, harmonious and happy. An honest reply is likely to be 'no', because to answer a truthful 'yes' is no mean feat. Only to grow psychologically and emotionally is not enough. And only to grow spiritually is not enough either. All three dimensions need to be developed in order to realize your full potential. If you are willing to assume total responsibility for the self and to start what is an on-going journey, you will quickly begin to glimpse the first fruits of the ultimate goal: inner well-being, freedom, peace, harmony and joy. This book sets out the pathway to self-mastery and self-discovery and walking that pathway will be the most exciting adventure of your life.

Rewiring the Soul' provides a user-friendly roadmap for personal transformation. Using conversational style, it guides the reader to an understanding of life's problems and how they can be resolved, deliberately including the reader's connection to his own soul and spiritual growth. Based on common sense and the author's work as an integral psychotherapist as well as lessons gleaned from teaching and personal experiences, all interwoven with current findings from neuroscience, positive psychology, quantum physics and Buddhism, 'Rewiring the Soul' signposts the path to resolving everyday life and its problems while converging with the inner quest for connection with the soul. This process allows life to take on a revolutionary new meaning: resolving personal and interpersonal issues while keeping the inner connection to the soul in mind leads to unprecedented growth that is simply not possible if psycho-emotional matters and spiritual concerns are not combined.