Wholism and the New Age

idea had formed, unbeknownst to me, and it was an idea that I could apply to myself.

Basically, I found myself saying that one could assess one’s talents, abilities, and interests and come up with a career that combined these, thus drawing on one’s wholeness. That perhaps we err in trying to think of having a job or career that already exists in our economic structure — of trying to fit ourselves into a pre-existing hole, instead of carving out and creating a career that suits us. A new form customized for us specifically.

In our one-dimensional society, we tend to think of people as being or doing only one thing. But this, of course, is the antithesis of wholeness. The eclectic person tends to be whole. And that eclecticism can be incorporated into how one earns one’s living. This idea runs counter to our era of narrow specialization, but I feel that we are truly moving toward just this sort of whole living and career, and away from specialization that cuts us off from things.

Wholistic living does not imply a closed system. The moment we think we have all the answers and stop seeking and questioning and adding to our whole — we close down and cease learning and growing. Closing down — not being open — also implies separation.

The Societal or Larger Level

Which brings us to another area of wholism — the societal, or our interactions with others and our world. How can we apply wholism to our interactions with that which is outside us?

Just as being whole means accepting all our own parts, it also implies accepting other people. It means feeling a connection, rather than separation. Just as Native Americans view all of life as

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11