We鈥檙e all looking for answers on how to be healthy and happy, especially at the beginning of a new year. Best-selling author Caroline Myss鈥檚 Sacred Contracts, Anatomy of the Spirit says that a good place to start is by ditching a 鈥渕e-me-me鈥� attitude and being honest with yourself.
鈥淲e have a lot of mythologies that are promoted,鈥� said Myss, whose latest book, Archetypes: Who Are You? (Hay House), hits stores this month. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a theme of perfection and entitlement that has always been promoted up until now, and it鈥檚 coming crashing down.鈥�
Most people are conflicted because, Myss said, they are living someone else鈥檚 idea of what their life should be. In her new book, she describes the personality types and challenges of 10 archetypes, such as 鈥淭he Caregiver鈥� and 鈥淭he Queen/Executive.鈥� By being honest about our personal prototypes, Myss said we can better connect 鈥渙ur heads and our hearts to build our personal and spiritual power.鈥�
Cultivating self-awareness is hard work, she adds. 鈥淭ruth is simple, [but] living it is not easy. ... But the rewards come from connecting to your true self 鈥� to who you really are.鈥�
Here are some of Myss鈥檚 tips for an enlightening 2013:
Be aware of the labels you give yourself. The idea of archetypes can be intimidating. 鈥淰ery few people would say, 鈥�;I鈥檓 consciously thinking of my archetypal patterns,鈥� 鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut people will say 鈥�;I鈥檓 just a rescuer,鈥� and that鈥檚 an archetype. Or, 鈥�;I鈥檓 just a nurturer, that鈥檚 what I do.鈥� When you discover your archetype, it鈥檚 like being introduced to yourself at a very deep soul level.鈥�
Strive for balance. 鈥淚f your life goes to one extreme, it will swing the other way,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you run and you get exhausted, the next day you are going to collapse 鈥� nature seeks balance. So if that鈥檚 the case, you need to look at the way in which you make decisions. If I overspend, I will go into debt. I need balance in sleep, in relationships.鈥�
Myss uses dieting as an example. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not important if someone looks and says, 鈥�;I鈥檝e got to lose weight.鈥� That鈥檚 the caboose in the train of your life. You have to understand the principles governing your life. If I find myself eating too much 鈥� I know I will replace that with an abundance of self-hatred, and that serves nothing. So I need to strive for balance. It鈥檚 not about food. It鈥檚 about balance.鈥�
