For a century or so, our culture has become increasingly “psychologized.” Something bad happens to you, your psyche is injured, and your option is to realize what happened to you. That is, generally, the topic of therapy: discovering the roots of your injury. In fact, perhaps on a bad day, Sigmund Freud said that the goal of therapy was to move from neurosis to common, ordinary, everyday unhappiness. Not a particularly lofty goal! This is a deficit model.
More recently, the model of resilience has taught that some fortunate people can have the same injury, but manage to make it back to “normal.” Somehow, the trauma does not affect them in a negative way. This is a “break even model.”
There are a small number of voices that have realized that every injury is truly a challenge — an opportunity for growth. It is possible to take a hurt, pain, tragedy, challenge, or trauma, and use it as a springboard for growth. This model is the “plus model,” a thriving model.
Which model captures you? Can you move to (or even more into) a thriving model? Join me in this week’s podcast to learn about the 3 models and how to move into a thriving model.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS