Our personal myths function on two levels. The first is an ego-centered mythology, the collection of stories we tell about ourselves all the time. This collective story is the one we automatically use to answer the question “Who am I?” Beneath and behind this limited version of your story is a much larger one, your soul myth.
Our ego-based myths have their roots in the experiences of childhood, drawing upon our unconscious reactions to the myths of family and culture. As we grow up, they shape and reinforce a limited and limiting sense of who were meant to become. By examining our beliefs and our patterns of behavior from a mythic and archetypal perspective, we can learn a great deal about our ego myths. This process also opens the door to remembering the larger story we came to experience, our soul myth.
In my work with clients I emphasize that our ego myths are in no sense “bad.” Indeed, they very much necessary to our development. Beyond a certain point in our evolution, however, we cannot continue to grow unless we step outside that smaller ego-based version of our myth and begin to inhabit a more expansive soul-centered one. In doing so, we bring ourselves into alignment with our own innermost wisdom and begin to discover a sense of destiny and life-purpose.
It’s also important to remember that the transition from ego myth to soul myth is a never-ending one. The work I do with clients is intended to foster and deepen a process that is life-long. This work will, however, establish a strong foundation for your own ongoing process of growth and evolution.
