I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Caroline Myss teach her latest work Defy Gravity on Sunday. The thing I love about Caroline is her ‘meat and potatoes’ spirituality. She never embellishes, and doesn’t cover her teaching in ‘whoo whoo’, and to me, makes it all totally understandable. I leave her presence feeling illuminated, having had several ‘aha’ moments that inspired me to reach beyond my current limitations and embrace insights that further my own work.
Caroline Myss is one of my favorite authors. Her books Invisible Acts of Power and Enter the Castle were seminal in my understanding of the interior life. And now, in Defy Gravity she takes on the Age of Enlightenment and theAge of Reason, and says that this period (from the 16th century onwards) is coming to an end. It is time to take our addiction to reason and surrender our need to know; our need to make sense of everything, and understand that we are in the midst of such powerful transformation that the ‘Why’ of life no longer makes sense. Witness the wars, financial collapse, restructuring and reinventing that is taking place on a global scale.
Myss says the need to know why things happen to us is a gut survival instinct. The absence of an explanation makes us feel powerless, as if we had done something wrong, but we don’t know what. How then do we step away from this need for explanation?
She says “giving up the need to know why something has happened to you will definitely count among the most rigorous personal challenges of your life.”
Are you ready to give up reason?
In Defy Gravity, she asks some powerful questions on how we use reason in our lives. She wants you to fully explore your reasons and test them. Is it the truth? Is it superstition? Is it false experiences appearing real?
6 Reasons Why Reason Doesn’t Work
Reason is Reason-Oriented
- Do you seek reasons why things happens as they do in your life?
- In what ares of your life do you most often need reasons?
Reason Collides with Intuition
- What are the circumstances most likely to make you require “proof of outcome” before acting on a decision?
- How often do you betray your intuition because of unreasonable reasons?
Reasons Strives to Protect and Defend It’s Fears Rather Than Heal Them
- What fears have unreasonable control over you?
- How deeply have you challenged your unreasonable fears?
Fears are Powerful
- Do you believe your fears to be reasonable or unreasonable?
- Identify three superstitions that have authority over you?
Reason Collides with Forgiveness and Pride
- What reasons do you give yourself for refusing to forgive someone?
- How many of your wounds have come from humiliation and pride?
Reason Needs a Reason to Live, but Logic Alone Can’t Provide That.
- What gives you a reason to live?
- How much of that reason is dependent on others?
- Is life alone enough of a reason to want to live?
Do you have some thoughts on this post? Let me know, and definitely check out the book. She’s far more erudite about the subject than I am.
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“Jacqueline Wales says fear is a normal part of our existence, but the challenge is in recognizing that it is a powerful motivating force as well. Through the stories and questions asked in this book, you will find the motivation to overcome your own fears. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever wanted to live a more fulfilled life.”
