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Showing posts with the label authentic joy

Julia, Lucy and me

Down by the river. Photo by George Angus "At the age of 37 She realized she'd never ride Through Paris in a sports car With the warm wind in her hair" Marianne Faithfull's raw voice singing The ballad of Lucy Jordon , had me in tears on my 37th birthday. Like her, I would never make it to Paris before the day was done and a sports car was definitely out of the question. Hearing the song being played again recently, and thinking back sixteen years, I tried to remember what made me feel so wretched. Outwardly my life was not that bad, but it struck a deep chord that I myself was not yet fully aware of:  of a soul longing to be realised.  In all honesty, Paris or any city abroad and sports cars are not my criteria for happiness. It would be fun, but no reason to throw myself of a roof like poor old Lucy. Surely it is not merely about a longing to be someone special, or of experiencing the most romantic dream one could possibly have amidst the drudgery of...

Type 7: The Idealist

Exploring the Enneagram through Art. (continued)  Sevens are the multi-taskers, brimming with enthusiasm and sunny energy. They live in an idealized reality and see the world as their oyster, carried by the belief that life is unlimited and there for the taking and enjoying. Their basic desire is be happy, satisfied and to find fulfillment and they fear being deprived or trapped in pain. As a result they tend to try everything but with divided attention and do not stay with anything long enough to  experience it deeply or to get any real satisfaction from it. They keep trying to fill up an inner emptiness with things and experiences. When Sevens understand that fulfillment is not the result of “getting” anything, but a state of being that arises from allowing the richness of the present moment to touch them without anticipating what the next moment may bring, the simple pleasure of existing arises in them. By working through their feelings of pain and deprivation, the...