Awakening to More: Life Lessons to Keep Us Grounded, Hopeful, and Prepared

By Adele von Rüst McCormick Ph.D. and Marlena Deborah McCormick Ph.D.

Life is a spectacular, wild, surprising, gut-wrenching, and fun-filled ride—so why is our society riddled with mental illness, addictions, despair, unhappiness, stress, rage, and hate? The vast and wide-reaching benefits of a bold outlook on life are not fully understood, and it’s time to change that.

In Awakening to More, Drs. Adele von Rüst McCormick and Marlena Deborah McCormick reveal how to become wiser about yourself and life. Going beyond self-help, the McCormicks reject a paint-by numbers approach to living. Instead, they offer life lessons from real encounters with people and animals. They explore the animal and spirit side of human nature, because learning about the many faces of our lower and higher minds can keep us grounded. They illuminate vital wisdom for everyday living, relying on their knowledge of the classics in psychology, spirituality, and philosophy and on their experiences traveling into the heart of nature, especially human nature. The lessons presented here can help encourage your original and spontaneous edge and increase your sense of optimism, even during challenging times.

This book offers narratives and wisdom designed to help you fully awaken to and appreciate the vast possibilities that are just within your reach in life.

º Seeing our problems as a problem is a problem. Why not awaken to more?

º Instead of trying to control or fix life, prepare to handle and enjoy what comes your way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532015588

Adele von Rüst McCormick Ph.D.

Adele von Rüst McCormick, PhD, and Marlena Deborah McCormick, PhD, have been psychotherapists for decades, developing and running unique programs for individuals, groups, and organizations. They are groundbreaking coauthors of two previous books, Horse Sense and the Human Heart and Horses and the Mystical Path. Pioneers in equine therapy, the McCormicks founded a program called Hacienda Tres Aguilas—The Equine Experience. They currently live on their ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Visit them online at www.horsesenseandthehumanheart.com.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 Adele von Rüst McCormick, Ph.D. and Marlena Deborah McCormick Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The information, ideas, and suggestions in this book are not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Before following any suggestions contained in this book, you should consult your personal physician or mental health professional. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions in this book.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5320-1557-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-1558-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017903117

iUniverse rev. date: 03/20/2017

We dedicate this book to:

Thomas E. McCormick, M.D.

A beloved husband, father, physician, humanitarian and visionary.

An Eagle in Flight.

Acknowledgement:

We wholeheartedly thank our editor Hal Zina Bennett, Ph.D., author of

Write From the Heart: Unleashing the Power of Your Creativity

for his support, keen sensibility and superb expertise.

You are a light in so many ways.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1: Skeptic

Chapter 2: How We Become Human

Chapter 3: Bringing Back Wisdom

Chapter 4: the Source of Our Being

Chapter 5: Berserk Syndrome

Chapter 6: Learning to Purr

Chapter 7: Awakening to Awe

Chapter 8: the Road to Deeper Truths

Chapter 9: Sane Love is a Catalyst

Chapter 10: Choosing Our Path

Chapter 11: Our Modern Mindset

Chapter 12: the Value of Retreating

Chapter 13: Who We Are Matters

Chapter 14: How Our Garden Grows

Chapter 15: Ways to Recharge Our Spirit

Chapter 16: Becoming An Eagle

Chapter 17: Reaching the Soul

Chapter 18: Ecology of the Mind

Chapter 19: In Good Conscience

Chapter 20: Lone Wolves

Chapter 21: Stress Reactions In People and Animals

Chapter 22: A Challenge not a Problem

Chapter 23: Out of the Wild

Chapter 24: Taking A Chance

Chapter 25: the Enchanted Garden

Epilogue

Bibliography

Endnotes

About the Authors

INTRODUCTION

Life is not a problem. It is a song that we must learn to sing. Sometimes it is harmonious and other times dissonant. We can sing solo or in unison. Yet, despite the various compositions placed before us, we must learn to cherish all the music. In Awakening to More: Life Lessons to Keep Us Grounded, Hopeful and Prepared, we sing with pathos and passion. By doing so, we hope that you will enjoy the collection of voices that we bring to you in this magnificent cosmic chorus. They awaken us to more.

We are not idealists. We are therapists who have worked with violent and mentally disturbed members for years within society. We have lived on the inside edges and contours of life. We have salvaged the wreckage of broken hearts and dreams. We tried to put the minute pieces of humanity back together again. Besides our backgrounds in clinical psychology, we are ranchers who have bred horses and other animals for decades. Studying animal behavior has deepened our awareness of the cosmology of life and the essential value of being interconnected. In fact, biodiversity is crucial to the very quality, substance and sustainability of our human lives. Involvement with animals and wildlife not only keeps human beings balanced and grounded, but it reconnects us with healing rhythms and vital lifelines in the universe.

We are also trailblazing authors. In our first book, Horse Sense and the Human Heart: What Horses Can Teach Us about Trust, Bonding, Creativity, and Spirituality, we explored how horses offer hope, inspiration, and sense to humanity.

Our second book, Horses and the Mystical Path: The Celtic Way of Expanding the Human Soul, unveiled what can happen to human beings who follow the mystical path with horses as guides and soul friends.

In Awakening to More: Life Lessons to Keep Us Grounded, Hopeful and Prepared we take a relevant turn. We integrate our years of experience in human and animal psychology, and our vast knowledge in philosophy and spiritual wisdom to help others, understand modern society’s growing turbulence and discover how to rise above the fray. We will share many encounters with you that inspired us to become eagles. Eagles see life from a higher vantage point. Undergoing this process, we gained a unique and uplifting outlook on life, particularly with regard to human well-being, distress, growth and healing. It enlarged our vision.

The Many Faces of Human Nature

It is important to realize that our human suffering does not simply arise out of thin air. It undergoes a period of incubation, until one day the full blown ‘dis-ease’ or ‘unimaginable’ erupts. When this occurs society is faced with an epidemic of unsustainable behavior, which we are seeing today. This increase is the result of our misplaced values, pastimes and priorities.

To advance as individuals, and a species, we must begin to expand our view of what impacts our formation and reactions. How we spend our time matters. So does lifestyle. The books and music we choose etch memories in our hearts and minds. How we treat plants, animals and each other is crucial. Who we are is important because our own consciousness can limit or liberate us, depending upon whether we think big or small.

Our experiences and relationships set the stage for what is to come. Therefore, we must broaden our scope and repertoires. In the process, we can find auxiliary avenues to help us cultivate a resilient heart and mind. We contend that learning about Nature, including human nature, is an ideal venue to stretch one’s consciousness and compassion, because its messengers and cast of characters whisper to the human soul. Through these encounters we learn to handle stress, find solutions, soar higher and stand taller.

Since so many in modern times are cut off from ranches and wildlife, and so few have insights from the ‘world of the mentally ill and the psychological landscapes of people in general,’ we are going to bring you a wealth of knowledge and relevant discoveries. We will share stories with you of life, love, hope, uncanny friendships, and death, and we offer you many enduring principles from psychology, nature, spirituality and philosophy that can open many doors.

We will zoom in and focus on the ups and downs of life, and learn how human beings evolve. We will also explore what inner attitudes and outer environments are fertile ground for personal growth. By sharing stories of triumph and defeat, this book will help you see trouble brewing, rise after failure and, most importantly, enjoy the highs and endure the lows. It will help you find a strong decisive voice and make you battle ready. People who are battle ready become peace-loving because they are more prepared for life and less vulnerable.

If you apply these lessons to your personal and professional life, you will begin to act from a deeper place. You will also enrich the lives of others, young and old, that are entrusted to you. We firmly believe that all of us can create a more responsible and compassionate world when we talk honestly not only about the joys but also about the sadness of living.

Ultimately, we feel there is always hope. Awakening to More is a book about learning to seize these moments, and appreciate the vast possibilities that are just within our reach. Considering what is at stake, we hope that developing our human consciousness, to become wiser human beings, will be on the top of everyone’s bucket list. Yet, this personal quest often begins when we realize there are many things that are beyond our control. In our case, a devastating death deepened our search.

CHAPTER 1

SKEPTIC

It was a cold windy day in December, right before Christmas. The day began as any other. As a family, we were anticipating another year of celebration. Tom wanted to take us to his favorite haunt, an antique shop in San Antonio, so Adele could select something special. Delighted, we stopped for lunch. We had a wonderful time. When we arrived home, Tom put the packages under the tree. He then cleaned the two fireplaces, which was unexpected. He laid a fire. We were happily surprised. When Adele noticed what he had done, she suggested we have a great dinner as a pre-holiday celebration. We toasted to our family. Tom lifted his glass and said how much he loved us.

After dinner, we all retired to bed. In the middle of the night, Adele awakened with a foreboding feeling that her husband Tom, the love of her life, was gone. Upon awakening she heard him make a noise she had never heard before. It was not a gasp or rattle but a lingering resounding tone like a call to prayer. Adele came running to Deborah’s room. I can’t get your father up. Call 911. I think he is gone.

The wait for EMS seemed like an eternity. EMS worked on him for hours to no avail, and then pronounced him dead. How could it be? He was a vital and active man. He had so many dreams and plans. The sheriff waited with us until the funeral home could send someone over to take the body. It all seemed surreal. Two men knocked on the door. They were dressed in long