resiliency...

A few years back at a dream retreat, we were speaking about how we work with the material that comes up in our dreams. And my teacher mentioned me, “Mary Jo is resilient.” That caught my attention. I’d never quite thought about myself in that way...and yet I am.  Resilience isn’t about knowing something, which many of us do...or about a positive attitude, which many of us have. 

Resiliency is a bit ineffable...something deeper in...closer to core.

I remember a story told by the keynote speaker at a teacher’s institute about a football scout watching prospective players practice. One particular linebacker repeatedly kept hitting a wide receiver and knocking him to the ground. As soon as the wide receiver would get up and step out to block, again he was tackled with great force. The scout said to the fellow next to him, “What’s his name?”  The fellow asked, “The linebacker who can hit so hard?” The scout said, “No, the wide receiver who keeps getting knocked down and yet keeps getting back up.”  

The difficult material in dreams can do that to me, to all of us...knock us down...take the wind out of our sails. We aren’t who we think we are. The dreams show how we think, speak and behave in overt and subtle ways that can be diminishing to ourselves and others...how our connection to soul is frayed...and they keep knocking us down until we begin to heal into this place.  

When we face into difficult material...truly feel how damaging it can be...do we give up and walk away...quit on ourselves…or do we stand back up…push up our sleeves and work with it?  

Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, “It’s not that I’m smarter...I’m just willing to stick with a problem longer.” We all have this capacity for resiliency...to take the hard hit...feel the pain of it…the pinch to the ego…and get back up and learn what it wants to teach us.

Mary Jo Heyen is a Natural Dreamwork Practitioner working with clients throughout the country and abroad in person, phone or Skype. Learn more about her work with dreams at www.maryjoheyen.com or  www.thenaturaldream.com