In this section, we will be working with a case study:
Sasha had been working at her law firm for many years, where she had put in countless
hours of overtime, often working late into the night and on weekends. In private
conversations with her boss, it was implied (or at least she believed) that she would be
the next person in line for a promotion. Ultimately, the promotion she had been working
for was given instead to another lawyer in the firm.
Level 1, “Martyr Consciousness,” – i.e., the belief that “I am a victim/things happen to me.”
Sasha exploded in anger. She saw this as a public humiliation and was overcome by
shame and anger. “How could they do this to me? I trusted them and they violated my
trust! I am going to quit, then they’ll see how valuable I am.”
Level 2, “Magical Thinking Consciousness,” i.e., “I make it happen.”
“I’m not going to take this. What can I do to change the situation? Maybe it’s my fault I
didn’t get the promotion. I’ll do everything I can to change this.”
Level 3, “Metaphysical Consciousness,” i.e., “Things happen through me/I let things happen.”
“What’s the bigger picture here? What am I making this mean? What if it’s not as bad as
I think it is? What’s right about this that I’m not yet getting? What’s the opportunity here
that I might be missing? Maybe the Universe is trying to nudge me in a different
professional and/or career direction.”
Level 4, “Mystical Consciousness,” i.e., “Things happen as me.”
“What if this isn’t right or wrong? What if the only thing that needs to change is my point
of view? What if there’s something greater happening here? What would it take for this
to turn out greater than I could imagine? What would it take for me to see this as an
opportunity in some way? What would be the greatest outcome for everyone?”