Author: Susan Schulte

In his book How to Defend Yourself Without Even Trying, author Dr. Terry Chitwood says this about intuition: “Intuition is a direct channel from your spirit. Spirit is the part of you that knows no limitations and is connected to a power greater than itself.”

As with all qualities, some people are naturally more intuitive than others. I am more a sensing type, someone who pays attention to physical reality, notices facts, and sees practical uses for things. A person who is more intuitive, on the other hand, tends to pay attention to impressions and to think about new possibilities and about the future. People who are intuitive generally are more creative, a quality that I admire.

I am more aware of promptings from my intuition than I used to be. My work with a Jungian therapist, the reading it led me to by authors who write about Jungian and related ideas, including spirituality, and learning about and experiencing how dreams are meaningful have all helped me to be more intuitive. I’m thankful for that because, as Dr. Chitwood writes, intuition is a connection to our spirit, and that connection is essential to living a life that has purpose and meaning.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” This quotation by Mother Teresa is a reminder of something all of us can readily do that has a positive effect on other people: taking a minute to say something thoughtful.

Two words that I appreciate hearing are “Thank you.” There are many interactions among people, including family members and coworkers, where this simple acknowledgment means a lot. Saying “thank you” shows we don’t take for granted what another person has done for us. Other examples of kind words are complimenting people on a job well done, encouraging people who are working toward a goal, and giving words of comfort to someone who is grieving. Mother Teresa’s words “their echoes are truly endless” make me think about how, when someone says something kind to me, it not only results in my feeling valued in that moment, but also at other times when I recall what was said.

It is essential, of course, that we be sincere when saying such words. If we aren’t sincere, it’s better to say nothing. But I think sometimes when people are busy and absorbed in what they are doing they neglect to thank, compliment, encourage, and comfort. It’s important to look at ourselves and see if that’s the case. And, if so, to make an effort to change.

Kind words, genuinely stated, not only brighten the day for the person to whom they are spoken, kind words also send positive energy into the world. And certainly the more positive energy there is in our world, the better!

As we go about our daily activities—working, raising children, completing tasks—it can be easy to take for granted how fortunate we are. It’s important, however, that we remember and are thankful for our blessings. It’s also important to remember these words of Jesus: “Every one to whom much is given, of that person will much be expected.” Luke 12:48.

When I’m struggling with trying to follow inner direction, remembering those words helps me. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, my ego wishes I didn’t need to go to work that day, or to try to write, or to follow through with my other responsibilities. I just want to be lazy. At those times it helps me to think about how much I have been given. I have friends who have been laid off when there were staff reductions, I know people who are going through painful treatment for serious illnesses, and I know others who are lonely and long to be in a committed relationship. I haven’t had to experience any of these things. I pray that if I ever do, I’ll have the faith and courage to do what I need to do. I’m thankful I have a job, I’m thankful I have good health, and I’m thankful that there are people who love me.

Remembering these and my many other blessings helps me to recognize those times when I’m struggling and to say to my ego who would rather be idle that that is the wrong choice. I recognize that I have been given much and it’s essential that I try to do what is expected of me by our Creator. For by endeavoring to follow my inner voice, I take steps toward becoming the person I was created to be.

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” When I read this quotation by poet, singer, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, I thought about how courage is required of us for what might be considered relatively minor situations as well as for more serious ones. Something I experienced many years ago is an example of this.

Within the first year that I began meeting with a Jungian psychotherapist, reading books about Jungian concepts, and recording my dreams, I had this dream: I see some people sitting around a table and there is a platter in the middle of the table with a pig on it that appears to have been cooked. One of the people picks up a carving knife and begins cutting a slice of the meat, and the pig moves and makes a sound. To my horror, I realize the pig isn’t dead. I understood this dream to be inner direction to stop eating meat, and I have been a vegetarian since having the dream 30 years ago.

It took courage for me to become a vegetarian, not because it was difficult to stop eating meat, but because of criticism for my decision from people I care about. I grew up in a rural town where farming and raising animals to be sold for meat were the main occupations and sources of income. My grandparents farmed and my father had farmed as a young man. So my father found it especially hard to understand why I would make this decision, and he made efforts to change my mind. I love my father and I think he might also have been concerned that a person couldn’t be healthy without eating meat. Even though I was in my 30s, my father’s opinions still affected me, and it wasn’t easy to go against his ideas of what was best. Other family members and some friends also questioned my choice.

So, as I said, it took some courage for me to stay with my decision. None of my friends were vegetarians so I felt somewhat alone. But I also was certain this was what I was supposed to do. I began reading about the benefits of not eating meat—which are many—and I noticed I had more energy. I know I’m a healthier person because I haven’t eaten meat for many years, and I’ve never questioned that it was the right thing for me to do.

There are many acts of courage of far greater significance than staying with a personal decision that is not understood by people we care about. However, being brave in the “smaller” life situations helps to prepare us to be more courageous when confronting the larger challenges.

Jungian thought includes the idea of individuation, the life-long process of becoming the unique persons we were each created to be. Following the guidance of our inner voice requires courage and, as Maya Angelou said, having courage is the basis for living the many other virtues.

“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.” Helen Keller wrote these words, a woman who when she was 19 months old had an illness that resulted in her becoming both blind and deaf. With the assistance and companionship of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen learned to read, write, and speak, and eventually she became a famous speaker, author, and philanthropist who positively affected the lives of many people.

Helen Keller’s words are particularly significant to me because she is someone who, despite not being able to hear or see, strove to develop the many other abilities she had. It’s hard for me to imagine how difficult that would have been and the patience and courage it took for her to persevere. I often struggle to understand why there is so much suffering in our world. I feel for people who have disabilities, who are the victims of abuse, who live in war-torn areas—the list goes on. On a more personal level, I have struggled to accept challenges I’ve needed to face, challenges that, although difficult, have not been as difficult as those of many other people.

So I derive hope from Helen Keller and other people I respect, and I strive to be brave and patient during the trying times in my life.