What I’ve been reading:
“Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places” by James Hollis
Many people believe that the purpose of life is to achieve happiness.
But nature, fate, the gods, or God, have different plans.
And while we do experience moments of happiness, they are, as Hollis says, “ephemeral and can neither be willed into being nor perpetuated by hope.”
But Jungian psychology, and the disciplined practice of personal growth it promotes, offers another perspective based on the assumption that the goal of life is not happiness but meaning.
It is in “the swamplands of the soul, the savannas of suffering,” that we are meant to spend a good part of this journey called life. But it is also from those dark and painful parts of our journey that many of the most meaningful moments of our lives come.
In Existential Espresso Vol. 13 I recommended a podcast with Jungian psychoanalyst James Hollis.
I will be reading a couple of his books in the near future but I decided to start with “Swamplands of the Soul.”
What are the swamplands of the soul, what are those dismal places? They are depression, anxiety, anger, doubt, grief, guilt, addiction…
“It is in the swamplands where soul is fashioned and forged, where we encounter not only the gravitas of life, but its purpose, its dignity and its deepest meaning.”
Although I still haven’t finished reading this book I can already recommend it to anyone who is interested in the topics that I am writing about. Important thing to note is that Hollis’ writing is clear and easy to understand, which is not always the case when reading Jungian works.
What I’ve been watching:
“Invisible People” YouTube channel
Invisible People is a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness to create policy change for more affordable housing and support services.
Their YouTube videos where they interview homeless people contain some of the heaviest life stories that I’ve ever heard.
Every once in a while, I visit their channel and watch a couple of videos, to be reminded just how horrific life can become, whether as a result of bad fortune, or a series of self-destructive choices, or a combination of both.
Every time after watching, I am left with a sense of gratitude for being healthy and having a roof over my head, and caution not to give in to any kind of self-destructive urge.
You can visit the channel here.
What I’ve been thinking about:
Dreams that satisfy the soul
I was recently listening to Steven Pressfield talk about the beauty and importance of people who pursue those “small” dreams like restoring motorcycles, or doing woodwork, or anything similar that might be considered small in this age where only the most extravagant dreams count as dreams. He said:
“They may not be global dreams, but they are dreams that satisfy the soul.”
I think this is a message that needs to be spread as much as possible.
We have fallen victims to the idea that you either live a “boring” life or you pursue some extravagant dream that is going to change the world and bring you global recognition.
Can’t you have a dream that “just” feeds your soul?
Can’t you take up a new instrument for the purpose of playing it for your own enjoyment, and maybe eventually holding a “concert” for your friends and family? Do you have to dream about filling out a stadium or having millions on views on instagram?
I believe in dreams that satisfy the soul.
And I believe that, ironically, it would have a greater effect on the world if more people believed in dreams that satisfy the soul than just in dreams that will change the world.
Thank you for reading.
Stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.
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It’s like in the Bible where the disciples went up to this mountain and God met them there and spoke and it was this powerful experience and once they came down the mountain there was an extra difficult demon possessed man. Oswald Chambers calls if the “demon possessed valley” and that’s what we have to live in. Mountaintop experiences are rare. Also do you ever pay attention to homeless people and how a lot of them have joy? Even if they are sad and broken. Losing everything can cause great joy…