Saboteur to the Guardian of Choice
Safety vs. Vitality
From Saboteur to Guardian of Choice
How many of you have ever set your alarm so that you could get up early and exercise before going to work? And then hit snooze so many times the time for exercise passed?
How many of you have ever vowed to change your eating habits, and then reach for something full of carbs or sugar at the first sign of stress?
You would not be alone, and I am also guilty of the above. The Saboteur archetype is one of the Survival Archetypes as outlined in Caroline Myss' book Sacred Contracts, which means—we know her all too well.
The Saboteur in the shadow resists the change we wish to have in our lives because she wants to keep us safe. In survival mode, change is scary. When we’re operating from fear, it doesn’t make sense to change anything, because we can’t see the outcome. Better not invite trouble, even if what we currently have isn’t working. So the Saboteur tells us all the reasons why it’s a really bad idea to get up early, to eat well, to look for a new job, and why it’s better to procrastinate starting a new project and to never invite friends over. What if they notice the dust on the mantle? What if I had to get off the couch and extend myself?
The problem is that if we listen to the Saboteur in the shadow, we never get to have lives that light us up. As the Saboteur evolves, she becomes what Caroline Myss calls the Guardian of Choice. She knows that making one small choice at a time in the direction of our desires is the only way we will ever break free from lives/habits that are dull and devoid of vitality.
As is also true with the Victim archetype, the path to the light of the Saboteur requires courage. We must develop enough courage and faith to envision a goal we feel worthy of, and to make the choices, one by one, it takes to get there.
As we practice making positive choices, we create change. Change can be both terrifying and thrilling. If change starts to become overwhelming, talk to a friend, a therapist, or a spiritual director to listen, validate and to help keep you on track. Remember that the Guardian of Choice is there to support us to create the lasting change we want to see in our lives. Ask her for her help. Write to her in your journal. Listen to how she responds.
The Guardian of Choice creates empowerment. Over time, enough positive choices lead each us to have a “special sauce,” or a part of our persona that others can identify us by (Stacey Couch, www.wildgratitude.com, article Saboteur.) A special sauce can look like a person who takes bold action in the face of injustice, someone who actively encourages other women to succeed, a nurturing mother, or someone who knows all there is to know about native plants and how they relate to the seasons.
The Guardian of Choice in the light is connected to her power and to her intuition. Your special sauce will not look like anyone else’s. In fact, you will never “arrive” at your full, creative empowerment; there will always be more, another step to take. Allow the Guardian of Choice to be your companion on the endless, vibrant path of becoming.
