If you spend any time on Facebook, you've probably noticed many people have changed their profile pictures to that of a celebrity they resemble. While the word "doppelganger" has come to mean someone with similar physical features, originally it was a ghostly double and a bad omen. Abraham Lincoln is said to have seen his doppelganger on the night he was first elected President, and Mary Todd Lincoln suggested it meant he would be re-elected to a second term but not survive. We often create doubles of ourselves, when we adopt different personas for different areas of our lives. Then we're set with the task of trying to "balance" these different identities, when what we really need to do is integrate them. When we are not whole, parts of our lives are separated and it is difficult to make the decisions that best meet our needs and wants. We end up in a juggling act trying to keep each piece satisfied, perpetuating the schism and conflict. Today, think of two conflicting goals you have set yourself. Look at the different parts of yourself that desires each goal. Then think about the commonalities each part has. |
