Soul Saturdays: 4 Life Perspectives

Last week at the Skirt! Magazine Writer's Conference, a very cool, inspirational woman named Michelle Goss. Her message was about the four life perspectives that we all can or do live in and function through at some point in our lives, and which one(s) are the most powerful of these four. This seminar truly inspired me and has challenged my worldview. The four stages are:
1. Victim--people who act from this point of view always whine, "Why does this happen to me?" and expect others to save them. They intentionally or unintentionally play up being weak so that others will step up in their life and fill voids. They also hide behind fear instead of going after what they want. They also tend to focus on the past or future.
2. Champion--this person tries to save everyone and be the rock. This means that they are often depleted, don't focus on themselves enough, and see life as a series of problems that they must fix. They are totally focused on the future and trying to see the next ten problems before they even occur.
3. Spiritual Adult--the mantra to stay here is, "Life is an ally that gives me feedback to grow and change." This state of being is the first step to reaching your full potential and is embedded in the present.
4. Soul--This perspective views life as a mystery and everything is connected. This perspective is also rooted in the present with the thought that each day, something wonderful can and will happen.
Obviously 1 & 2 types depend on each other. In an odd way, three and four are hyper-focused on the individual and some people at times feel selfish staying in 3 & 4 instead of being the Champion for others. However, the truth is that playing the Champion causes resentment for both parties because behaving this way essentially says that you don't believe in the person you are helping's ability to take care of themselves.
I have definitely approached life with the Champion mentality for far too long. I actually started realizing a few months ago that I can't always says yes and that sometimes I have to be a little selfish with my time and energy in order to accomplish my goals. Now, I have a philosophy to learn from and grow through so I can reach my full potential, let other people take care of themselves because I know they can, and reach my goals of becoming a full-time, successful writer. This session was truly powerful and life-changing and life-affirming for me. Thank you Michelle!