Coming Back Together
Brothers,
We are finally coming back together on Monday. More on that coming up below.
But before that:
Please email me directly if you are one of the Better Men Project faithful and want to stay on a smaller list. I will be pausing my missives to the large list of men who receive the BMP Newsletter. So, please write to me directly if you are or mean to be an active participant.
Here is a reminder of how to prepare for Monday, you can read the full note from February here.
In preparation for Monday’s call, read pages 143 to 151. Bringing special attention to the section on Active Imagination Dialogue (pp 145 to 151.)
Actually make the time to try it out.
Consider a situation that you are grappling with.
Then sit down with a journal and imagine yourself talking to the part or parts of you that seem to be in conflict with how you actually want to show up.
Or perhaps, the parts that can’t even figure out how it is that you actually want to show up.
For example, I am currently embroiled in a challenging situation with a family member. While this is quite normal for most families, it has not tended to be the case in how I experience my family. So a part of me is befuddled that this is even going on.
In an active imagination dialogue, I would actually start a conversation with that part that is befuddled. I would try to find out what it is holding. And what it is that it does not want to see.
But the dialogue would likely take me further. Another part would show up. The part that is upset that this is going on at all. The part that wants to react in all kinds of ways that would not actually be helpful.
The active imagination dialogue would help me to hear from that part as well. The part that is upset. I would learn more about what it wants, what it is afraid of, what value it is standing for.
If I am skilled and patient, I would make room for the two parts to talk to each other, the part that is befuddled and the part that is upset, joined by my wiser Self as a full participant in the council.
Who knows what I would learn about myself?
Your assignment is to try it. Try Active Imagination Dialogue. You don’t have to make a huge deal, you could get somewhere in 10 or 15 minutes. Although it would be great if you have time and space for a deeper dive
Let’s get together on Monday and see what we learn about this technique. A practice designed to bring us into our masculine integration.
I’m really looking forward to it! See you Monday.