The Journey of the Self

I recently came across an infographic that I love.

I think it illustrates really well this journey, this evolution, that we’re all undergoing, and I wanted to take some time to walk through it.

These circles represent the self and the different levels we move through in our evolution.

We start with Level 1, Living in the Culturescape. This is where we are when we’re simply living in the world that’s around us. I’d call it being in “reactiveness.” We’re going with the status quo, and being part of that 90 to 95 percent of the world that exists in the Drama Triangle (Victim, Persecutor, Rescuer).

Now, I want to emphasize that there is nothing wrong or bad about being here. Drama isn’t bad. The Drama Triangle isn’t bad—it can be a tool, it can be fun, it can be interesting. I mean, what would our books and movies and stories be without drama? It’s a part of life—but it’s a part of life we can choose powerfully to either use, or not use.

Now we come to Level 2, The Awakening. This is the world inside us, the point at which we realize there’s choice. We’re starting to awaken to the idea that we can choose to be in the Drama Triangle or in the Empowerment Dynamic (Creator, Challenger, Coach). We can choose to be a leader. In this way, we’re creating the world around us. We’re choosing the perspective we take. That’s the beginning.

At Level 3, Recoding, we’re looking deep, deep inside ourselves. This is where we are when we talk about “doing the work.” The Leader Within is here, in this place.

And finally, when we move to Level 4, Becoming Extraordinary, we’re beginning to affect the world around us. The Leader Within in Level 3—that’s us taking responsibility for ourselves. Becoming Extraordinary is the level at which we take responsibility for the world. When I talk about Otto Scharmer’s Theory U concepts of “presensing” and leading from the emerging future, this is where that happens.

My clients tend to start in Level 3 and Level 4. I know I can best be of service to those who are already exploring these levels and who want to expand their consciousness here.

There’s a concept from Huston Smith, the religious scholar, that I’ve always loved. He says, when we’re born, we know. Then we grow up, and we learn to not know.

I’ve found that as we come closer to meeting our Maker, or changing form—whatever we may call that transformation—we return to that place of knowing. And that place isn’t intellectual—it’s knowing from the heart. That, to me, is why we’re on this planet.

Challenge: I’d ask you to take some time to consider your own journey through these levels of the Self. Where are you now? Where would you like to be?