Live Connected Counseling

04/28/2023

02/10/2023

The trap of productivity: “…the person is the slave of a passion, and his activity is in reality a "passivity" because he is driven; he is the sufferer, not the "actor."

“Take for instance a man driven to incessant work by a sense of deep insecurity and loneliness; or another one driven by ambition, or greed for money. In all these cases the person is the slave of a passion, and his activity is in reality a "passivity" because he is driven; he is the sufferer, not the "actor." On the other hand a man sitting quiet and contemplating, with no purpose or aim except that of experiencing himself and his oneness with the world, is considered to be "passive", because he is not "doing" anything. In reality, this attitude of concentrated meditation is the highest activity there is, an activity of the soul, which is possible only under the condition of inner freedom and independence.”

― Erich Fromm

12/31/2022

The hero's main feat is to overcome the monster of darkness: it is the long-hoped-for and expected triumph of consciousness over the unconscious.
¬ Carl Jung, CW 9i, para 284

12/09/2022

No one ever tells you
The moment you find your power
Is also the minute
You meet your demons

Because it’s not a matter of “finding” your power,
But more so remembering it

Power that has been inside you
Ever since your inception
Hiding underneath the ancient burden
Of unrealized Potential

Stagnation – to power – is like concrete
Laid upon lush and fertile soil

Your authenticated coding,
Your soul’s vocation
When stunted, when bounded
By darkness
Cocooned in archaic trauma,
Encased in ancient webs of wounding
Lost and forgotten
In the shadowy realm, of unprocessed pain
Has been calling you
From the minute
You closed your eyes
To your own spirit

When you remember who you are
All that ever was
In denial
In neglect
In repudiation
Of your Capacity
To reach higher
To transcend farther
To go deeper
Unravels

Your power remerges
And along with it
Every single memory
Doubt, and trauma
That attempted to convince you
To forget
What you’re made of

And so, the journey home,
Would not be complete,
Without your inner demons
Greeting you at the gate

But this moment,
Is very different,
From the rest

In this moment
You step forward
Instead of retreating
And running away

~Mary Allison

Photo: Self-Portraits by Amelia Fletcher

11/28/2022

Patience visited me
And it reminded me
That good things take time to come to fruition
And grow slowly with stability

Peace visited me
And it reminded me
That I may remain calm through the storms of life
Regardless of the chaos surrounding me

Hope visited me
And it reminded me
That better times lay ahead
And it would always be there to guide and uplift me

Humility visited me
And it reminded me
That I may achieve it
Not by trying to shrink myself and make myself less
But by focusing on serving the world and uplifting those around me

Kindness visited me
And it reminded me
To be more gentle, forgiving and compassionate toward myself
And those surrounding me

Confidence visited me
And it reminded me
To not conceal or suppress my gifts and talents
In order to make others feel more comfortable
But to embrace what makes me me

Focus visited me
And it reminded me
That other people’s insecurities and judgements about me
Are not my problem
And I should redirect my attention
From others back to me

Freedom visited me
And it reminded me
That no one has control over my mindset, thoughts and wellbeing
But me

And love visited me
And it reminded me
That I need not search for it in others
As it lies within me.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Jungsuk Lee ()

10/19/2022

09/27/2022

We invite you to take a moment to pause and breathe. Consider planting your feat and experiencing your breath as it moves in an out of your body. What do you notice? What does observing your inside self look like for you?

Please share in the comments below, one word that comes up for you when you give yourself permission to experience a grounding moment in your day. 🌞