The Heroic Journal, Living Your Resillient Life
May 2013

Welcome to The Heroic Journal.  If you have been trying to download information from www.theomnibuscenter.com 
to no avail, please contact Missy at heroicjourney@
theomnibuscenter.com
 
A brand new website is coming in May with more options to help you help others....
 
 

life of pi whale

 

five stars   

Heroic Journey Movie Recommendation


The Life of Pi is the award winning and best-selling book in by Yann Martel and was beautiful adapted to the screen by David Magee under the direction of Ang Lee.  In 2013, the film won four Oscars and nominated for seven others.

This film beautiful portrays the heroic journey within the context of faith (Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism) and trauma.  Pi Patel's is the young initiate that is faced with great challenges of life, loss and finding his way during a crisis of faith. His allies and mentors are the journey are many and we see a powerful portrayal of how an antagonist can become our greatest teacher...if we so choose.  This journey film also shows elements of the call, the crossing, the initiation, the night sea journey, the (belly of) the whale, the surrender and the transformational return. 

The Omnibus Center will be doing a free heroic journey movie discussion group in June, so you have time to rent or buy it before then! If you are interested in being a part of a one session discussion group, watch for the information coming in the next newsletter or contact Missy Bradley-Ball at [email protected] 


The Choice We Make Daily

 

What Will You Choose?

 

 

love melts

She looked to be only three or four and her disheveled 'I've-been-traveling-all-day hair' was held by a pink ribbon. A fuzzy jacket and leggings matched what held her ponytail, while her long black eye lashes rested on flawless cheeks as she slept peacefully.


Just watching the scene in front of me was like balm for my restless and weary soul. A good four city tour was nearly over but an extremely delayed flight out of Chicago-O'Hare and a completely broken iPhone had left me cut off from family as well as my ritualized distractions. I was mesmerized by the scene in front of me, the fatigue and frustration was quickly forgotten. Desperate to capture the moment and unable to take a photo, I began writing on a napkin. I felt like a voyeur as I watched such a private and intimate moment.

 

The beautiful child was held by a man who appeared to be her father. A deep love and protective tenderness was palpable from a mere yard away. While her right cheek rested against his chest, his hands gently cradled her - one of his hands held her left cheek with the other around her sleeping body. He, too, was asleep with his face resting on her as if he had fallen asleep kissing the top of her head .


My discomfort dissolved as their energy washed over me. Remembering the experience of unconditional love and safety brought a smile and I felt the muscles around my eyes relax. Ahhh...I exhaled quietly aware I had been holding my breath in awe. Love. Peacefulness. Witnessing a person simply love a child with an innocence and respect, after spending days teaching about trauma, reset my focus. Their moment was contagious.


If I had been plugged into technology, I would have missed this beautiful scene and instead would have been reading all the various news sites weighing diverse opinions...and facts. We rarely watch the television version of entertainment news in our home, because of the yelling, interrupting and hyperbolic opinions ...all making a buck off of exploiting and fueling the differences between people. The creation of drama and intensification of themis plays on nearly every station: red versus blue, men versus women, gay versus non-gay, Christian versus non-Christian and American versus non-American. Hate, animosity, righteous indignation and impotent rage fill the airwaves. Why do so few people agree to disagree anymore? What happened to the desire find a common thread? That thought reminded me of a comment made to me a while back when I lamented my reflection. "You sound just like Rodney King!" I was told, the disgust in tone made it crystal clear it was not to be taken as a compliment. Focusing on the news and state of things made my chest tighten again. I returned to the duo beside me and breathed in the peace they exuded. "...and the greatest of these is love." Love and fear hold very different intentions and energy and when we as a community or culture focus more on one than the other, it is magnified collectively.


A thundering voice over the speakers woke me out of my philosophical bliss. Someone went over to awaken the sleeping duo. It was time for them to board their flight. Saddened that my inspiration was leaving, I smiled at the gentleman, a bit embarrassed that I had been staring. He returned my smile and then spoke gently to the small child in a language I didn't recognize. The language of genuine love is universal.


As they walked away, I realized a powerful moment had just transpired. I had gone from discombobulated and stressed, to seeing the love around me. We always get a choice of what we see. What will it be today? Love or fear? There will always be scary and painful things happen in the world. Sometimes life hurts. Yet much more often than not, I meet wonderful, kind and loving people. In fact, "bad" people are a rarity. Perhaps it is partially what I do for a living and am reminded of a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow quote:

 

If we could read the secret history of our enemies,

we would find in each person's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

 

 

Can I find the good in most things? I always choose to see love when really conscious and mindful. Human beings seem to see what they choose to see. When I feel afraid and angry, I see more fear and reasons to be angry, making it easy to rationalize certain actions.  When I see the good, the good expands.


As adult and child disappeared through the boarding door I looked around the boarding area and saw an elderly couple whispering and giggling; a group of teen girls smiling and hugging; a woman on her phone with a smile on her face, "I love you too." Love was everywhere around me and when that was what I chose to see, everything was transformed around me. I looked at a man in the boarding area, clearly angry our plane was extremely delayed.  Rather than judging, I smiled and said "Hello," and he smiled back maybe realizing it was looking snarky and said, "Hello. (laughing) What can you do, huh?" Simple. Contagious.


What do you wish to rule your life? Is it love or fear? I suppose it is what we choose to see. Each moment we choose.

 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. (The Bible - 1 John 4:18)

 

Until he has unconditional and unbiased love for all beings, man will not find peace. (Buddha)   

 



In the end, our mandate is clear: We have to rise above bad fortune. We have to be in the good and enjoy the good, study and work and adventure and friendship and community and love. (Josh Prager)

Quotes from Life of Pi

pi 1
hate and love 
I suppose in the end, the whole of life is an act of letting go. But what always hurts most is not taking a moment to say, "Goodbye."
pi 3
 

The Omnibus Center logo
 
The Omnibus Center
Melissa M. Bradley-Ball, MS, NCC, BCETS, FAAETS
in the Metro Nashville area
615-377-6002

Distance resilience coaching, consult, supervision available


 
News and Events
 
At a recent seminar in Wisconsin, a recommendation was given about a documentary of the abuse which occurred there many decades ago and how the trauma, as well as the resilience and courage is still echoing through that state and others.
 
If you have not seen it yet, this extraordinarily powerful display of sacrifice will not leave you feeling neutral.  We have yet to find it in DVD yet (at least in English) but you can view it on YouTube.  It originally aired on HBO.  
The name of it is:
Mea Maxima Culpa
 

A complete listing of all the live and open to the public seminars that are headed to WA, OR, VA, MD, PA, OH, as well as online.
heart

RESTORING LIFE 
AFTER SEXUAL TRAUMA: 
Treating Adolescents, 
Adults & Couples 
(CEs for all day)

wash
May 7. 2013
Kennewick, WA

May 8, 2013
Spokane, WA

May 9, 2013
Portland, OR

May 10, 2013
Seattle, WA

poco

May 22. 2012 
Harrisburg, PA

May 23, 2013
Scranton, PA

May 24, 2013
Philadelphia, PA

ship 
June 12, 2013
Fairfax, VA

June 13, 2013
Hagerstown, MD

June 14, 2013
Baltimore, MD

June 24, 2013 
Erie, PA

June 25, 2013
Cleveland, OH

June 26, 2013
Canton, OH

June 27, 2013
Pittsburgh, PA


Leap

Resilience:
Helping Clients Navigate 
the Heroic Journey

If you missed it during it's four year tour, catch it On Demand and get CEs while in the comfort of your own home.
 


pay

mouse love
 

door and lock
Unlocking the heart

SWA


Compassion Mentor


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