Therapy
Hard times and challenging experiences
Periods of hardship and difficulties are very important for each of us. They show us the true complexity and depth of life and teach us about the value and importance of interpersonal relationships. They may be an opportunity to rethink the past or become a driving force for the future – to stimulate important life changes, personal growth and self-discovery. Every great story is full of twists, while the ordeal and unexpected obstacles along the way are exactly the thing, that makes them dynamic and exciting. Without them, the story would be flat and uninteresting. In the same way, we can make our own personal stories deep and meaningful, if we can manage to integrate our difficult life experiences into them.
People who would have everything served on a golden plate, who would never be challenged to overcome obstacles, would remain superficial and naive all their life. That's why it is important to appreciate hardships and even failures, because only thanks to them, we can perceive depth and meaningfulness in our lives.
Feelings of boredom and emptiness in life
It may be that life would seem rather meaningless, if the losses we've suffered were just too big to handle. Or we have forsaken our own life story and set for life in a “program” that is expected of us by someone else. It has caused inevitable weakening of life enthusiasm and strength. Sometimes we simply cannot avoid these periods and must somehow live through them. If we manage to understand them correctly, we can learn from them and utilize them, in order to reconsider our life and to start seeking our real life story – one that is authentic and genuine, and that fills us with enthusiasm for life.
It is also possible, that a certain part of our story has already come to an end, and we have entered a new phase of life in which we are not yet able to navigate and find our place. In this case it makes sense to seek new stories. Stories that will originate within our individual perspective, and correspond with the real changes in our lives at the same time.
Relationship problems
Relationships and interpersonal topics are generally the most important and most intense dimension of human life. Life would not actually make much sense without other people. Our stories are intertwined with other people's stories and through these relations we can experience joy, trust, togetherness, ...
But relationships are also the cause for the most severe wounds. We live in the context of family or collective traumas and we often continue to hurt ourselves and our relatives in the same way as our parents did and as we do to ourselves internally. This huge potential, which can be a source of joy, fulfillment and contentment, is way too often transmuted into harm and suffering.
Untangling these stories can be difficult and painful, but it is a way to learn how to build new relationships and how to embrace active position and responsibility within. If we decide to untangle them, we are going to need a safe, open space, where all voices can be respected and all stories can be heard.
Fear, insecurity, low self-esteem
Fear and feelings of inferiority or guilt often originate in dominant stories, that prevent us from being content. We might carry them since our childhood and they often make us suffer, without us realizing, that we have them or knowing why they keep reappearing in our lives. These dominant stories influence most other processes and take away our authenticity and freedom. They will accompany us throughout life, unless we identify them and decide to change them.
If we believe these dominant stories and accept them as our own, we can easily think of ourselves as of someone who is less important, who does not deserve attention and love, or who must at least make a great effort to be worthy of those.
Fear can play many different roles in our lives, as an enemy or as a friend. It can present a trial we must overcome, a challenge to fight for righteous cause, or a call for us to learn how to truly respect who we really are.