There is an animal or primal part of all of us that is dangerous to suppress, because it is like a lava that is always present in the core of the Earth, but comes out where we don’t want it to, hurting ourselves and others. Unexpected outbursts of rage or anger at things that are incomprehensible to a bystander (e.g. a traffic jam).
I saw my own lion on a hike this week. A lion who ate strawberries and had his whole life planned out for him. Even the rabbits were waiting in line, ready to run obediently and properly into his mouth.
It has shaped my background story of childhood, where I had to be a good and obedient child. But it’s never too late to start setting your own boundaries, expressing yourself and standing up for your needs. Directly and honestly. Respecting your own limits and respecting the yes’s and no’s of others. As a society, we are all in this together, and respect and helping others to achieve is the ultimate goal. We are all vulnerable with our pain, our fears, our failures, our longing to be happy, to find meaning in life, to feel true and deep love and connection.
European regression therapy guru Hans TenDam has said: “When a person integrates the animal part of him or herself, he or she is much more powerful and powerful as a human being”. By integrating the opposites: the self-conscious and the unconscious, the intellect and the instinct. Acceptance, respect and trust – the three need an instinctive emotional basis.”
“If you don’t have this integration, you usually have problems with authority. And this goes two ways, he is either too obedient and/or he protests and defies, often for no reason.”
Marina Paula Eberth
What is your animal that you keep in a cage and blame others for keeping it in a cage? Your government, boss, partner, fellow motorist, neighbour? I wrote about it in this weekend’s Opinion piece in the Evening Paper.
