Wednesday 17 March 2010

Triforce



I think my triforce is Courage, Sensitivity and Hope. These are my three strengths, my greatests assets in life and as a psychotherapist-to-be.

I have Courage when exploring myself, trusting others with my serets.
I have Sensitivity when I'm listening to others, being careful with their inmost feelings.
I have Hope when finding joy in humanity, putting trust in my fellow humans, believing in them.

But they are also my vulnerabilities.
Too much courage, and I force myself to be self-revealing rather than open, exposing myself and alienating others.
Too much Sensitivity, and I put guilt on myself, project others' disapproval upon myself, closing myself up rather than opening up to others.
Too much Hope, and I charge my life with expectations rather than optimism, I put great expectations on what I will accomplish, what heights I shall reach in my relations to other people, becoming rigid rather than open, anxious of failure rather than hopeful.

One force is balanced by the other two.
Courage needs sensitivity to feel and stay in touch with reality, and when sensitivity recognises a difficult place, it needs courage to actually go there. They both need hope to tell me that, "Yes, people do like you just the way you are, you don't need to be strong or compliant". Hope needs a moderation of courage and sensitivity when meeting reality.

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Notice how I define my healthy self as balanced and open, in line with the model of mental health I've posted here. Open to and in touch with the inner and outer world.

Notice how this coincides with good impro: A good impro actor should dare to let out hir inner impulses, stay sensitive to and pick up hir fellow actor's ideas and stay open and trusting, rather than rigid and planning. To stay open.

Notice how psychotherapy could describe these attributes as life problems, but I have decided to describe them as strengths.

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Do you have a Triforce of your own?

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