Greater Than the Sum of the Parts of Ourselves
We are all made up of parts. Each aspect of ourselves has a valid personality, history, and set of beliefs. Sometimes, we can view these parts as different ages we've experienced in our youth. We all have an inner toddler, 6 year old, and teenager. Our parts set up a system to respond to our experiences in an attempt to take care of us. Sometimes, this system keeps us on track. Other times, the system pushes us into behaviors that don't serve us.
Ever notice how, when faced with a tough decision, people say, "Well part of me wants ______, but another part wants _______," or, "It's like part of me just took over"? Take a moment and ask each part what it wants. Get to know them and why they think the way they do. They may have some interesting information for you.
I didn't make this up! Check out more from Richard Schwartz's original work at
