QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
How is The Craft of Life different from other spiritual, psychological, or therapeutic practices?
Although I am not familiar with all methods and practices, let me point out what The Craft of Life (COL) offers. Though deceptively simple, COL is a complete system that maps out the structure of the human psyche into an understandable cause and effect model by making clear the relationship between the interior workings of one’s mind (cause) and the outer expression of one’s life (effect). It then builds on this theoretical construct by providing a practice that offers a direct experience of personal healing and transformation. This method is practical and concrete. It says, “Learn the concepts; do the practice, and this result will happen.” This statement is based on the principle that the organic, underlying structure of life is a cause and effect relationship that is observable, understandable, and predictable, which gives rise to a true science of the mind.
Through effort, you will begin to see life as a series of repeating patterns rooted in perceptions and beliefs that create predictable life outcomes (cause and effect). These same beliefs create the same effects but often appear deceptively in a multitude of different and unrelated forms (relationships, career, finances, health). COL teaches you to see past these different and seemingly unrelated forms to find and recognize the same old beliefs from which they sprung.
If, for example, you have anxiety or depression, it becomes possible to heal these conditions by understanding that the root cause of your suffering is based on long-held, self-defeating beliefs, which remain mostly unseen and poorly understood. COL’s practice and techniques direct you to the root cause of these maladies, providing clarity and, thus, the opportunity heal them. We must first see a problem clearly before we can solve it effectively.
COL explains how life and relationships change or why they don’t. It then adds a corresponding practice so that a concept becomes a learned skill through direct experience. As you practice this method, you will begin to understand yourself at deep levels and with greater clarity and from these you will make new choices. By choosing differently, based on this new self-awareness, your life will change for the better.
What are the benefits of learning and practicing COL?
This practice is about gradual, conscious awakening, which allows a serious practitioner (versus a casual reader or part-time practitioner) to make sense of one’s life. Consider what becomes possible when you understand what lies beneath the repetitive patterns that compose your life. From this new vantage point, your decision-making becomes clearer and improves across the entire spectrum of your life, conveying a sense of genuine control and stability. Life is no longer “happening” to you; rather, you’re imparting purpose and direction to your life in a way and to a degree not experienced before.
You don’t have any conventional degrees, so why should I trust this method?
I have successfully used this model for decades to teach and counsel large numbers of people. I have seen it work time and again, and it has held true over the years, gaining effectiveness as I have refined my model. Further, each of us walks our own path. I realized early on that traditional methods of education and learning were not for me. Neither my mind nor my temperament is suited to classroom study or mainstream thinking. I possess an unusual ability for observation and insight that moves me even further from a more traditional learning path. A university degree represents the completion of a study of the work of others. I am driven to look beyond whatever is considered the norm in the pursuit of laying my hands on things not yet discovered. I suggest you trust this material only if it makes sense to you and, more importantly, only if it produces the effects and changes you’re looking for in your life.
Who would benefit most from this method?
Anyone seeking to understand vexing, repetitive patterns in their life and relationships and who desires an effective way to move beyond old patterns to attain clarity and peace. Since this model is presented as a craft, it is suited for those who are interested in learning and practicing a craft, which means it is not the stuff of weekend workshops or cursory participation. It is not a shortcut to awakening nor is it a magic bullet to fulfill one’s fantasies. Throughout, I refer to the phrase “inner work” because it is work. From years of experience, I can also say that age may be a factor. We want different things at different ages; typically, we pursue the object of our desire without considering the effect of our pursuit. This effort sets us on course for an unconscious life, which is our societal norm. While this material will serve anyone of any age, those who are older and tired of ineffective beliefs running their lives are, perhaps, better positioned to benefit from this practice. Somewhere around age fifty, after life has kicked us in the rear several times, when we have seen illusions exposed and feel unsatisfied with what we have attained, then we are able to finally ask for what we truly want.
How difficult is it to learn COL?
It is not difficult, but it requires effort—as is true of any craft. It is not unlike learning how to play an instrument, build furniture or learn a foreign language. This method requires you to learn theory and concepts and then practice them correctly while focusing on improving. The greatest challenge is that it requires you to be honest while identifying and confronting your deepest fears.
How often do you practice the COL?
I spent many years seeking a method that would allow me to understand not only myself as an individual, but also myself in relation to others in general--as well as the universe at large. In other words, I wanted to understand how to live based on how life naturally and organically operates. While I found many systems that held significant pieces to this cosmic puzzle, I never found a complete model or the complete models that I found were, in my opinion, needlessly complex. With that said, I have painstakingly hammered out The Craft of Life through trial and error by using myself as the main test subject. I practice every day. I have not mastered this process (which is not the point), but I continually move forward within it to the best of my abilities. I see my life continue to improve in every way. I also see where I continue to hold fear and remain stuck. However, seeing and understanding my shortcomings and calcifications is much better than its opposite, because it permits self-acceptance. In other words, I can forgive my shortcomings because I can see their origins and understand what they are and, therefore, accept them, instead of denying or avoiding them as personal embarrassments.
What kind of support can I expect?
This work is best practiced in a small group of two to seven people. COL is based on many simple concepts, one of which is that hiding one’s true emotional longings from others is the main cause of one’s pain and problems. A small group reading, studying, and practicing together provides an environment in which one may risk, not hide, one’s emotional longings, genuine feelings, thoughts, or true beliefs. In a safe, non-judgmental but structured setting, one may do the deep inner exploration prescribed in The Craft of Life and learn to take ownership of one’s identity and the false personal belief system one has created to support and protect it. The small group then becomes a mainstay of support.
I will field specific questions from practitioners and post them to my website as time permits. I also offer—though my time is extremely limited—personal counseling services. Please see the Services tab on this website for details.
Are there any limitations of this system in terms of helping different types of people?
While the diversity of human beings is enormous, considering race, gender, education, class, sexual orientation, nationality, language and so on, the limitations of this system are not restricted by any of these factors. Your gender, sexual orientation, or race does not limit COL’s effectiveness. Any limitation is set primarily by an individual’s capability and desire for seeing, understanding, and processing their emotional lives objectively and authentically—in other words, the ability to consciously use one’s will to make internal changes. For example, if someone suffering from a neurological disorder and is unable to work constructively with his or her’s belief system and emotional life, then this method would not be helpful. However, if this individual’s caretakers sought to understand them more clearly, including how best to communicate with and treat them, then identity work could provide valuable help. COL’s language of living symbols offers the possibility of understanding even when verbal communication is not possible. Obtaining clarity and understanding when before there was none can provide much relief. A more common limit would be a person who is so sensitive and emotionally reactive that introspection and a related practice might not be possible. The Craft of Life is rooted in a practice that asks us to see and accept ourselves as a mirror does and then consciously to decide to change based on what we perceive. A person’s inability or unwillingness to do this establishes a limitation.
Have you found exceptions to identity theory? Are there cases or people that lie outside of your model?
I consider myself a social scientist. As such, I am continuously looking both to prove and disprove my theories. Disproving requires finding a case that does not conform to the construct I am presenting. I am looking for an anomaly, but in decades of counseling, as well as speaking with and observing people, I have yet to find a single outlier. Once a person’s story is known, it has always aligned with identity theory, down to the minutest detail. This is why I refer to identity theory as a natural law; it is universal—applicable to all people and situations throughout time. I believe identity theory is as constant and stable as the law of gravity.