When we mess with the unconscious, then it messes things up in our lives internally or externally or both. We all know when we’re messing with the unconscious. Two of the most common examples are shortcuts and procrastination. When you combine these dynamics the compound result usually halts us in our tracks on some level. In other words, our agenda is thwarted by unanticipated unknown factors or unknown timing. How can we anticipate the unknown? Since the unconscious is an eternal mystery, for me the deeper question is how can we anticipate the unconscious. The first step seems fairly obvious, namely we have to pause and admit to ourselves whenever we take shortcuts, procrastinate or jump the gun. Pretty basic stuff but easier said than done.

Ultimately, there’s a price to be paid for not noticing how we set ourselves up in various circumstances. That price is the unconscious steering us toward a painful reminder, no matter what our status. Strangely enough, the unconscious actually helps the conscious mind make harmful choices, thus boosting lazy rationale. We’d all like for aspirations to fall in place but they don’t and human existence is shackled with goals, a fundamental one being the consumption of fuel for the body. No one is utterly independent and everyone relies on oxygen, water and food to pass through a physical structure. No creature escapes the passage of atoms or time. Neither can we escape metaphor. The great thing is that metaphor recognition fosters appreciation and connection with our own unconscious. This partnership makes the whole journey of navigating through life a never ending discovery of profound resonance.

Whenever individuals complain a lot about other people without addressing the dimensions of the unconscious, they seem more fixated on the bio-chemical buzz of denigration that exploring any true insight. In my humble view, mustering the courage to welcome an adventure with the unconscious means facing all the sad manifestations of those who don’t. The process starts with oneself and ends in a paradox.