By Shawn McAndrew
A first glance at the title of this blog might lead you to think this is about what you do to earn money. It could be, depending on the type of work you do. But I’m thinking more in terms of why people come to the Hoffman Process, or participate in the Hoffman Essentials.
LOW SIMMERS THAT SOMETIMES ERUPT
I think back on the years prior to my Process. They were not pretty. Yes, I had good times, but underneath my smile was a low simmer that sometimes erupted into a boiling volcano. Derived from childhood patterns and the Negative Love Syndrome, buttons were pushed, bad memories popped up, and chaos could ensue at a moment’s notice.
Thank goodness for the suggestion of a friend. I couldn’t get to the Process fast enough. Once there, I uncovered so many reasons why I reacted the way I did to little things in life. I understood where these ways of being originated. And though I really wanted to blame my father, I learned that he was surely guilty, but not to blame.
Why We Do the Work We Do
Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to meet and get to know many Hoffman grads. We speak a common language of love, compassion, understanding of patterns, awareness, acknowledging our past and taking responsibility for our lives today. Sure, I have friends with whom I have similar language, but going through the Process opens a different door to understanding. We dive deep into the abyss. We remember who we are, what we came from, why we’re here.
I don’t like to use the term “hero’s journey” to describe what we do, because all of us on earth are on some kind of journey. We all have good days and bad days. And we have a common thread for our humanity – love. And that is why I do the work I do – out of love.
Deep Love for Ourselves and Others
If it weren’t for the deep down love for our selves and others, we wouldn’t get on that Process roller coaster. We wouldn’t go into that deep, dark cave to find out what makes us tick and then learn new ways to operate in the world. We wouldn’t step into that classroom and rediscover our true spirit.
Nerves, fear, unknowing, dread – most of us feel something less than excitement when we start the Process, or the 2-day Hoffman Essentials. And yet, we show up and do the work. Everyone has their own reasons for showing up; the commonality is that we have the courage to do it.
Doing the work we do, being courageous, is out of love – for one’s self and for others. We connect, we make ourselves better, and hopefully we are making others better. This thread in life is not just for us and our loved ones. It is for all of us, to keep all of us connected to love. I can’t think of a better reason for why we do the work we do. “Everybody get together; try to love one another right now.”