The Warrior’s boundaries clear the path for the Guardian of Self-Esteem.

“Warriors” live a life of action and clear direction. We can bring warrior-spirit to the cause of peace and harmonious connection because it is about life and living, not power and aggression.

— angel Kyodo williams

In the last newsletter, we discussed the Victim, one of the four survival archetypes as defined by Caroline Myss in her book Sacred Contracts.

As the Victim evolves, she begins to realize that she is her own authority. Her language shifts from “I’m not allowed,” to “I will not allow,” or, “I will not allow myself to be treated in a way that is not loving.” Imagine standing in mountain pose, feet grounded into the earth, tailbone pointing down and crown of the head lifting toward the sky. Then imagine bringing both of your hands in front of you, chest-height, palms facing outward. Try this for a moment. Take a breath, and see if you can tap into the sense of power this posture brings. Say to yourself, or out loud, “I will not allow it.” How does it make you feel?

Having firm boundaries is the gift the Warrior archetype brings to us when we are entertaining the Victim in her shadow side. The Warrior is clear. She has a goal. She is peaceful. She does not use her power and boundaries to oppress or destroy. Her job is to protect herself from others who might otherwise violate her boundaries or cause her to leak power.

We can invoke the Warrior when we need to protect ourselves not just from others, but from our own destructive thought patterns. The next time the you tell yourself something along the lines of, “I’m not good enough,” (or its infinite variations), or you begin to feel justified in directing your ill will toward someone you believe has wronged you, invite the Warrior to calmly but firmly hold her hands out, palms facing forward, and say, “I will not allow this unloving thought to continue.”

Stay tuned for the next Your Radiant Life newsletter, when the Victim begins to take on the qualities of the Guardian of Self-Esteem.