How to Find Your Authentic Self and Happiness
December 4th, 2009 12:40 amIt seems that the quest for happiness and fulfilment is as old as humanity itself.
One Buddhist blessing contains the words “may all beings be happy”. Happiness is an emotion and we are driven by emotions even so we would like to believe that we are such rational human beings. The Self Help Industry is booming, lots of people are aware that something is amiss in their lives but they just don’t know what. Nearly everybody seems to be searching for something. We live in a time of unprecedented wealth and technological advances that even our parents wouldn’t have dreamt of – at least in the so called developed world – and yet there seems to be increased unhappiness and more suicides than ever before.
One intriguing healing method is called the MEM or Mace Energy Method, named after Dr. Mace. My business partner Charly and I talked to Sherrie Hatfield who has been practising MEM for a number of years. You can find Sherrie and more information here http://www.themacemethod.com
Want to go straight to the source? Dr. Mace’s website is www.macemethod.com
Dr. Mace has written a fascinating book:
What makes the Mace Method of dealing with emotional issues so attractive?
• it works with your mind
• there is no disclosure (you don’t have to talk about the old, upsetting and unresolved issues)
• the process doesn’t go round in circles
• the method is quick acting
• sometimes there are amazing results after only one session
So what is the Mace Energy Method and how does it actually work?
• It works from the premise that you know yourself better than anybody else ever could (so you are in the best position to be your own therapist)
• The only thing that stops you from being happy and reaching your full potential are unwanted feelings (guilt, shame, low self esteem)
• Talking about whatever upset you makes things worse
• Focussing attention on negative events or feelings makes them grow
• Negative feelings – if given enough attention and time – will create a negative identity (Law of Attraction is at work here)
• The more negative feelings we have the more negative identities we have
• The negative identities have to be de-constructed
The above points are all very interesting but how are we going to start the de-construction process without tearing the whole building down and getting ourselves into a much bigger mess? You also might be wondering what these negative identities actually are and where they come from.
1. The very first identity we have is our body at birth.
2. Usually our name comes a close second.
3. We assume a sibling identity depending on where we are in the birth order of the family.
4. We have a daughter or son identity
5. We develop a separate identity for each friend we interact with
6. We have a car driving identity, one for going shopping for groceries and maybe another one for clothes shopping….so each of us has lots of identities.
How many identities have YOU got?
Any positive identities we have feel good to us, there is no need to de-construct these. There are also lots of negative identities – the come about through stress, trauma, overwhelm of any sort, shocks, upsets – you get the picture. All of our identities get us to play certain roles in life. Imagine that each of these identities is a costume that you can hang into a cupboard. Now imagine that you hang all of your identities into the cupboard. You take off all roles. What is left? Have a good look. Try and answer this question before you go and listen to the show to find out!
Sherrie has also made a very generous offer for our listeners – she will give a 15% discount for the first session that any Stretchyourmindandbody listener books with her! Here is her site again: http://www.themacemethod.com
Till next time
Connie
Your Yoga Partner
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