By Craig McAndrew
As I finished my morning Quadrinity Check-In, my emotions washed over me. I felt sadness, fear, anger, and stagnation. My intellect was reassuring my emotional self with reasons why it was going to be okay. I felt pain in different parts of my body as I reminded myself to breathe. Then I felt the reassurance of spirit, always guiding me without words. ‘Reassurance’ seems an inadequate word to describe what I felt.
In This Together
The phrase “I’m all in this together” popped into my head. My intellect said, “No, we’re all in this together.” My intellect was trying to correct my spirit.
Then I remembered when I was at Hoffman and how we integrated the Quadrinity. I remember how those four aspects used to try to edge each other out for recognition above the others, but now, thanks to Hoffman, they all worked in concert for the good of the ‘I.’
That’s when it made sense to me. I (the Quadrinity) am all (wholly and completely) in this (life) together (unified as one).
All Beings Are Connected
With eyes (and heart) now wide open, it made sense. We, as Hoffman grads, are to be united within ourselves, so that we can show up for others in order to help unite them with each other. This is the oneness that I’ve learned about from so many different spiritual teachings throughout my life. All beings are connected, but we are only as strong as our weakest link. When we show up as a whole and perfectly united Quadrinity, we strengthen that weakest link in our chains.
As we become strong, we strengthen others.
I then became so grateful. I am grateful for the Hoffman Process. I’m grateful for all those who came before me. I am grateful for the teachers who do this work. I’m grateful for the knowledge that they are struggling, too. I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity – that all of me has – to unite into the four aspects of my ‘I.’ I’m grateful for everyone on this planet, including that one person who is really annoying me right now (no, none of you know them). And finally, I’m grateful for you. All of you (singular) and all of you (plural). I am all in this together, and you are all in this together. We are.
Peace.
Craig McAndrew is a Hoffman Process graduate, and a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Kansas City, MO. He specializes in addictions, stress and anxiety, as well as PTSD and Post-Traumatic Growth. He is an international speaker on the subject of forgiveness, and the author of two books, Forgiving Judas – A Man’s Journey to Forgive His Brother and Forgiving Our Fathers, Forgiving Ourselves. He has also produced a meditation CD called “Meditations for Forgiveness and Relaxation.” Craig’s books and CD are available on Amazon. More information about his practice can be found here.
As per the last couple of blog posts, we’re including a couple of extra tips to help us all get through these trying times. Check out Gretchen Rubin’s tips on getting enough sleep, https://gretchenrubin.com/2020/04/anxiety-sleep-covid-19, or listen to our sleep visualization here.
And check out our resources page with links to various offerings here: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.ca/shelter-in-the-light/