In The Mist Of Greatness

Excerpt with permission: Psychological Précipice:  The Psychological Pursuit To Find The Best In You

Dr. Eric Berne many of us are familiar with because of his development of the Psychological theory Transactional Analysis, Ego States, and publishing efforts Games People Play (1964). 

Dr. Berne received a M.D., and then completed his Psychiatric residency at Yale University. Dr. Berne contributed to our current understanding of Psychology and dedicated a lifetime to his body of work.  He worked to gain the status of Psychological Analyst and challenged Freudian concepts of the unconscious in his writings.  When he began training in 1941 at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, and later when he resumed his training at the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute, Dr. Berne obviously believed that becoming a Psychological Analyst was important.  However, perhaps partly due to his aggressive challenging of Freud’s widely respected body of work, Dr. Berne’s membership application to become a recognized professional Psychological Analyst was declined.  He was informed he was not ready, but perhaps after three or four more years of personal analysis and training he might reapply.

As told, the rejection was galvanizing, spurring him to intensify his long standing ambition to add something new to the field of Psychoanalysis.  In the end, Dr. Berne suffered a massive heart attack while completing galleys of his new manuscript he was editing from the comfort of his hospital bed.

Also in the end of his life’s work, Dr. Berne searched for a mate, for love, the never ending pursuit of accomplishing intellectual recognition from peers, in contributing to new levels of intellectual thought in society, and to establish a balance between his life work and finding love, once all seemed within his grasp.



We all play Psychological theatrics with our lives. We hold so tightly either to a plan, or a goal, that we in the process forget the importance of finding balance in our lives even more so for those of us who have grand plans of changing the world somehow.  There is a saying that Psychological Growth is not for the selfish because we must always give up something familiar, change significantly, be of service to others, and have a strong commitment to contribute.

Notwithstanding, one will also run the risk of neglecting other important areas of ones life such as the struggle of finding balance, or maintaining important relationships in conjunction with other very important significant goals.

Think about it, this same dilemma is all around us.  How many times have you heard the phrase  if I would have known this was going to happen to me I would have done things differently.  Even our brightest contributors to Psychology are not immune.

This & That - Meaning and Ambition

Russell BishopAuthor, Executive Coach, and Performance Improvement Consultant ask readers "Are You Guided by Meaning or Ambition?"

Last week, we touched on one of my favorite questions: What do you want out of life, really? Reader responses were all over the place, some placing the inevitable focus on money, while others sought after time to chase more qualitative rather than quantitative pursuits; some noted that loving relationships were supreme, and others argued that with enough money, you could buy just about anything, including peace of mind.




As we noted last week, Eric Hoffer, the longshoreman philosopher, offered some guiding wisdom here when he said, "You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy." I usually misquote him slightly and say, "You can never get enough of what you don't really want."



With Thanksgiving having come and gone, I thought this would be a great time to continue the mindfulness of gratitude. With that in mind, here's what a few readers had to say, some via comments, and others via e-mail to me.



One very powerful comment came in an e-mail to me from Kelly Larson, who gave me permission to quote her. Listen closely to the profound message contained herein. It is from this short and yet poignant note that I took today's title:

I read your article in the Huffington Post "Life Goals: What do you Really Want?" and wanted to respond. A recent bout with illness has brought this very issue to the forefront in my life.

After a three year professional hiatus dealing with a personal health crisis, I possess a clarity I certainly didn't before, and I no longer feel motivated by a paycheck, a title, or a certain cache associated with a profession. I feel guided by meaning rather than ambition, and now have a real desire for authenticity and passion in my professional life.

However, I find the challenge I'm facing now is simply this, choosing. When one is working towards that next paycheck, that next title, the path is quite clear...when on a treadmill there's little doubt about the direction one's headed, head down, one foot in front of the other, consciousness and presence not required. But having stepped off the treadmill, having stopped listening to the voices of others (most times!) or thriving on the hustle for more, I'm struggling to find my own voice again. What do I like? What inspires me? What experiences am I after? Am I brave enough to try? It's not the destination that's elusive for me, it's the path there...at least for now!

Thanks for letting me respond. Appreciate your time!

Kelly Larson

Read Full Article: Here  




:::: Until Next Time: à Donf ::::