Date: 11-21-2024
Source: MEDUSA’S MANY FACES - The Evolution of a Myth - This Jungian Life
Tags: transformation empowerment
**I have learned that fear is a gateway to growth
In the past, when fear or anxiety has come up in me, I have tend to respond with compulsive ways of trying to get rid of it. I distracted myself, I over-worked, drank alcohol, or intellectualized what was happening to me to create distance from the discomfort. What I failed to realize is that the fear carried with it a message, a nugget of insight that could potentially be alchemized into gold if I allowed myself to process it. Anxiety as a Tool for Creativity and Connection
I want to feel alive; I want to fully inhabit my body and fully express my authentic self. What I have failed to realize is that in order to be whole, I have to accept and embrace even the parts of me that I’d rather discard or deny. It’s by integrating (or making space for) these “negative” aspects of myself that I become whole; feel more alive; and become more aligned with my authentic self.
Medusa, who turns to stone anyone who dares to look at her, was defeated by Perseus, who beheld her only in the reflection of his shield and then cut off her head. In the Jungian interpretations of myths and fairytales, the death of a figure is believed to symbolize the integration of the aspect of the psyche that figure represents. It is no longer alive in the unconscious, but merged with the whole by being made conscious. The symbolism of Perseus successfully defeating Medusa by beholding her in his shield shows us the importance of reflection, or self-examination, in the process of integrating the thing that petrifies us.
Jordan Peterson’s example of his nephew going after the dragon in his dream. You Might As Well Go After the Dragon
Quote
“We don’t so much solve our problems as we outgrow them. We add capacities and experiences that eventually make us bigger than the problems.” - Carl Jung
Quote
“We don’t cure our neuroses, our neuroses cure us.” - Carl Jung
Benefits
You will be more whole. You will be larger than you were. You will be more alive than ever before. You will be more brave. You will be empowered to do things you never knew you could do.
Process
- Expose yourself to situations slightly outside your comfort zone. Expanding the comfort zone - The growth threshold
- Fake it ‘til you make it. Do things that defy the fear in you, to show you that you’re capable.
- Reward yourself. Any time you take an action outside of your comfort zone, give yourself a reward: Get yourself your favorite coffee, or a new book, or go to a movie. Do something to treat yourself for your bravery.
- Be patient with yourself.
- Self-acceptance is the key to confidence and feeling at home in your body enough to hold anxiety without letting it overwhelm you.