To have a crisis is to have your answer, your solution to the question of how to live life, suddenly appear questionable. Then you no longer have an answer, which means you have no foundation for your existence, no meaning, no purpose.

 

Like Wiley Coyote, you find yourself over an abyss. Of course, you are always standing over an abyss. But crises are those times when, like Wiley Coyote, you dare to look down and notice that you're standing on nothing! Not surprisingly, crises are turbulent, anxious times in one's life. Everything is up for grabs; nothing is secure.

 

But here is the good news. Now, for the first time, you have a real question! This is an important accomplishment; let us consider why. Formerly you were closed; that is what it is to have an answer. Now, having a question, you are open. You are open to those powerful insights that can transform your life.

 

There is, of course, a certain type of crisis that occurs in midlife. In youth, the energy of existence goes outward. At midlife, it seeks to return to its source. It seeks to return from the ego back to the Self. Midlife crisis often has to do with the difficulty in acknowledging this shift in the direction of our life energies.

 

The Philosophy Clinic's Different Approach to Crisis

What is The Philosophy Clinic's approach to crisis? Unlike most psychotherapists, we won't seek to bring you back to who you were before you had the crisis, for to do so would render you a great disservice. It would mean losing that brief window of opportunity that a crisis allows for a new life. It would be a shame for you to put our boat back in harbor when the wind begins to blow, rather than harnessing the wind's power. Then the winds of crisis can take you beyond the limits of the known, beyond the confines of our world. If a person does not leave his former life when the time is ripe, it is likely that he will shrink and degenerate. It is therefore crucial to undergo a crisis in the right way and at the right time.

 

More specifically, our approach consists in clarifying your past and present life. Clarity burns away the encrustations of your life, allowing something new to emerge.

 

To learn more about midlife crisis, we strongly recommend that you read Issue One of our newsletter, "Mysteries in Broad Daylight." It discusses Princess Diana, and how NOT to react to a midlife crisis. You'll also find useful the essay "What Gets You through the Day?" Of particular interest is the discussion of the man who was tempted to drive his car backwards, and also the discussion of the foreign currency trader who was addicted to crossword puzzles. Mark Dillof's new book, "Awakening with the Enemy," focuses on relationship crises, but the book is more universally an exploration of crisis in all realms of human existence.

 

The Philosophy Clinic's workshop on midlife crisis can be a half day, a whole day, or a weekend. Mark Dillof will travel anywhere in the world to offer this workshop to the members of your organization. Call to find out about cost and availability. He also offers individual counseling by telephone and through e-mail.