Fighting Terrorism With Enchantment - Part 2Written by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
Last week we discovered how THE ENCHANTED SELF's first three of The Seven Portals to Enchantment, preserve us from disenchantment and even worse -- terror. Let's look at some more ways that we can fight this madness and get back to a more positive way of life.Let's enter fourth portal: Making Ourselves Hero or Heroine of Our Own Lives. Ah, this is such an essential step. And yet what does stress and terror do? They can make us feel meaningless, without purpose, again emotionally flattened. What is good mental health? It encompasses, for sure, a sense that my life not only has meaning but also was worth it. I not only came through difficulties, but adventure was well worth it! I took roller coaster ride of a lifetime and came out winner. Often times after a shocking event we don't know what role to play or feel extraneous to what is going on at 'ground zero'. These are normal feelings and we must realize that each of us has a unique role and purpose in life that no one else can fill. Think about story of your life. How did you get this far? How did your background end up working for you? What have been some of highlights of your life? Look for heroic even on a very small scale. I can guarantee that you will have plenty of opportunities to still use your unique strengths and talents. I was little girl who kept a secret Girl Scout diary with tons of misspelled words! I wrote every night not knowing exactly why and here I am now with a chance to write to you via Internet. All that practice was part of my story. You have yours and never forget it! Could you guess that fifth portal is Belonging to Tribes, or communities? Often after a terrorist attack people are afraid to go out, join others, go about their business. This is exactly what terrorists want and it interferes completely with our human needs to belong, to share, and to be part of something. What are some of your tribes special to you? I hope you make every effort to get out and stay connected to them. For me, one of my first steps was going to a local rally and crying, singing, holding hands with strangers and donating goods with lots of others.
| | The Communal Sharing of EnchantmentWritten by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
When I think about communal sharing of Enchantment, I go back to an earlier longing, which was to know people around world. As a child, I yearned to have pen pals everywhere. People are so fascinating and different and yet in so many ways we share parallel experiences. I always wished to know how people live around world. I fantasize, even to this day, living each month in a different locale and being part of a new world.Once, we rented an apartment in London for a month, when our daughter was four. This came close to fulfilling my longings. I shopped for daily foods in new places, we sat in a different garden at night, and we used new babysitters. I took long pleasant baths in an old, yet comfortable tub and further lost myself in adventure by reading an Agatha Cristy mystery novel as I relaxed. And during day we went to all museums we could find, constantly eating ice cream cones for replenishment. I truly felt refreshed when we returned to New Jersey. Since that time, my longing for knowing and sharing with people around world has been partly satisfied in a way I never could have dreamed of, even when we took that trip to London. When my first book came out, published by an academic press, I did not realize until it happened that I would be sharing my book around world. Their mailing list was extensive and as book circulars circulated as well as book itself, I found myself in a new type of travel. This was a kind of 'mind' travel. THE ENCHANTED SELF - A Positive Therapy, was my new messenger! I kept having delight of sharing positive energy with people who were writing to me from around world. I found a letter could cheer me, inspire me, and convince me that it was and is worth struggling to strive for what is positive in life.
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