Podcasts about age shifting

In this conversation, host Dori Mintzer welcomes Dr. Connie Zweig back to explore how “shadow work” can become a powerful inner practice in midlife and beyond. They discuss what the “shadow” actually is, how it forms in childhood, and the many ways it shows up in later life through self‑sabotage, repeating relationship patterns, addictions, moods, and projections onto partners, adult children, and political or religious “enemies.”Connie explains her practical method of identifying “shadow characters” using thoughts, feelings, and body sensations as cues, then naming and dialoguing with these inner figures to discover their valid, often hidden needs. Through vivid examples, the “foodie,” the inner critic, and the controller, she shows how greater awareness can transform blame into responsibility, especially in long‑term relationships and marriage. She and Dori also explore “shadow marriage” vows, how couples and families can consciously honor each other's shadow characters, and how elders can use shadow work for reconciliation, forgiveness, and a more peaceful final chapter of life.The discussion widens to the collective shadow, including how projection fuels polarization, dehumanization, and war, and how leaders like Donald Trump have “weaponized” shadow projection on a mass scale. Connie offers a different vision: inner work as a spiritual and social responsibility, combined with daily contemplative practice, so that each of us contributes less to the darkness and more to the light in this “crazy moment” of history.About the Guest – Connie Zweig, PhDConnie Zweig, PhD, is a retired Jungian psychotherapist, author, and teacher known as a pioneering guide to the human shadow across the lifespan. She is co‑author of the classic anthology Meeting the Shadow (new expanded edition) and author of Romancing the Shadow, which presents her method of working with “shadow characters” in individuals, couples, families, and communities.Her award‑winning book The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul extends shadow work into midlife and later life, reframing aging as a spiritual practice that includes life review, reconciliation, and releasing the victim narrative. In Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, she turns to religious and spiritual communities, illuminating how idealization, projection, and abuse of power create “spiritual shadow” and religious trauma, and how disillusioned seekers can reclaim their own light.Key Topics We CoverWhat the “shadow” is and how it forms in childhood.How shadow material erupts as addiction, procrastination, criticism, and repetitive conflicts.Using shadow work in couples, including “shadow marriage” vows and reducing blame in long‑term relationships.Shadow in families, adult‑child relationships, and the life review process in later life.Connect with Connie:Website with events, videos, and resources: ConnieZweig.comPodcast with her husband: Dr. Neil's Spiritual Awakening to Non‑Duality (all major platforms).What to do next: Click to grab our free guide, 10 Key Issues to Consider as You Explore Your Retirement Transition Please leave a review at Apple Podcasts. Join our Revolutionize Your Retirement group on Facebook.

What if the most transformative thing you can do for your writing craft and author business is to face what you fear? How can you can find gold in your Shadow in the year ahead? In this episode, I share chapters from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words. In the intro, curated book boxes from Bridgerton's Julia Quinn; Google's agentic shopping, and powering Apple's Siri; ChatGPT Ads; and Claude CoWork. Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty [MoonShots with Tony Robbins]; and three trends for authors with me and Orna Ross [Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast]; plus, Bones of the Deep, Business for Authors, and Indie Author Lab. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. What is the Shadow? The ‘creative wound' and the Shadow in writing The Shadow in traditional publishing The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author The Shadow in work The Shadow in money You can find Writing the Shadow in all formats on all stores, as well as special edition, workbook and bundles at www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words The following chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn. Introduction. What is the Shadow? “How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole.” —C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul We all have a Shadow side and it is the work of a lifetime to recognise what lies within and spin that base material into gold. Think of it as a seedling in a little pot that you're given when you're young. It's a bit misshapen and weird, not something you would display in your living room, so you place it in a dark corner of the basement. You don't look at it for years. You almost forget about it. Then one day you notice tendrils of something wild poking up through the floorboards. They're ugly and don't fit with your Scandi-minimalist interior design. You chop the tendrils away and pour weedkiller on what's left, trying to hide the fact that they were ever there. But the creeping stems keep coming. At some point, you know you have to go down there and face the wild thing your seedling has become. When you eventually pluck up enough courage to go down into the basement, you discover that the plant has wound its roots deep into the foundations of your home. Its vines weave in and out of the cracks in the walls, and it has beautiful flowers and strange fruit. It holds your world together. Perhaps you don't need to destroy the wild tendrils. Perhaps you can let them wind up into the light and allow their rich beauty to weave through your home. It will change the look you have so carefully cultivated, but maybe that's just what the place needs. The Shadow in psychology Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychologist and the founder of analytical psychology. He described the Shadow as an unconscious aspect of the human personality, those parts of us that don't match up to what is expected of us by family and society, or to our own ideals. The Shadow is not necessarily evil or illegal or immoral, although of course it can be. It's also not necessarily caused by trauma, abuse, or any other severely damaging event, although again, it can be. It depends on the individual. What is in your Shadow is based on your life and your experiences, as well as your culture and society, so it will be different for everyone. Psychologist Connie Zweig, in The Inner Work of Age, explains, “The Shadow is that part of us that lies beneath or behind the light of awareness. It contains our rejected, unacceptable traits and feelings. It contains our hidden gifts and talents that have remained unexpressed or unlived. As Jung put it, the essence of the Shadow is pure gold.” To further illustrate the concept, Robert Bly, in A Little Book on the Human Shadow,uses the following metaphor: “When we are young, we carry behind us an invisible bag, into which we stuff any feelings, thoughts, or behaviours that bring disapproval or loss of love—anger, tears, neediness, laziness. By the time we go to school, our bags are already a mile long. In high school, our peer groups pressure us to stuff the bags with even more—individuality, sexuality, spontaneity, different opinions. We spend our life until we're twenty deciding which parts of ourselves to put into the bag and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get them out again.” As authors, we can use what's in the ‘bag' to enrich our writing — but only if we can access it. My intention with this book is to help you venture into your Shadow and bring some of what's hidden into the light and into your words. I'll reveal aspects of my Shadow in these pages but ultimately, this book is about you. Your Shadow is unique. There may be elements we share, but much will be different. Each chapter has questions for you to consider that may help you explore at least the edges of your Shadow, but it's not easy. As Jung said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” But take heart, Creative. You don't need courage when things are easy. You need it when you know what you face will be difficult, but you do it anyway. We are authors. We know how to do hard things. We turn ideas into books. We manifest thoughts into ink on paper. We change lives with our writing. First, our own, then other people's. It's worth the effort to delve into Shadow, so I hope you will join me on the journey. The creative wound and the Shadow in writing “Whatever pain you can't get rid of, make it your creative offering.” —Susan Cain, Bittersweet  The more we long for something, the more extreme our desire, the more likely it is to have a Shadow side. For those of us who love books, the author life may well be a long-held dream and thus, it is filled with Shadow. Books have long been objects of desire, power, and authority. They hold a mythic status in our lives. We escaped into stories as children; we studied books at school and college; we read them now for escape and entertainment, education and inspiration. We collect beautiful books to put on our shelves. We go to them for solace and answers to the deepest questions of life. Writers are similarly held in high esteem. They shape culture, win literary prizes, give important speeches, and are quoted in the mainstream media. Their books are on the shelves in libraries and bookstores. Writers are revered, held up as rare, talented creatures made separate from us by their brilliance and insight. For bibliophile children, books were everything and to write one was a cherished dream. To become an author? Well, that would mean we might be someone special, someone worthy. Perhaps when you were young, you thought the dream of being a writer was possible — then you told someone about it. That's probably when you heard the first criticism of such a ridiculous idea, the first laughter, the first dismissal. So you abandoned the dream, pushed the idea of being a writer into the Shadow, and got on with your life. Or if it wasn't then, it came later, when you actually put pen to paper and someone — a parent, teacher, partner, or friend, perhaps even a literary agent or publisher, someone whose opinion you valued — told you it was worthless. Here are some things you might have heard: Writing is a hobby. Get a real job. You're not good enough. You don't have any writing talent. You don't have enough education. You don't know what you're doing. Your writing is derivative / unoriginal / boring / useless / doesn't make sense. The genre you write in is dead / worthless / unacceptable / morally wrong / frivolous / useless.  Who do you think you are? No one would want to read what you write. You can't even use proper grammar, so how could you write a whole book? You're wasting your time. You'll never make it as a writer. You shouldn't write those things (or even think about those things). Why don't you write something nice? Insert other derogatory comment here! Mark Pierce describes the effect of this experience in his book The Creative Wound, which “occurs when an event, or someone's actions or words, pierce you, causing a kind of rift in your soul. A comment—even offhand and unintentional—is enough to cause one.” He goes on to say that such words can inflict “damage to the core of who we are as creators. It is an attack on our artistic identity, resulting in us believing that whatever we make is somehow tainted or invalid, because shame has convinced us there is something intrinsically tainted or invalid about ourselves.” As adults, we might brush off such wounds, belittling them as unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We might even find ourselves saying the same words to other people. After all, it's easier to criticise than to create. But if you picture your younger self, bright eyed as you lose yourself in your favourite book, perhaps you might catch a glimpse of what you longed for before your dreams were dashed on the rocks of other people's reality. As Mark Pierce goes on to say, “A Creative Wound has the power to delay our pursuits—sometimes for years—and it can even derail our lives completely… Anything that makes us feel ashamed of ourselves or our work can render us incapable of the self-expression we yearn for.” This is certainly what happened to me, and it took decades to unwind. Your creative wounds will differ to mine but perhaps my experience will help you explore your own. To be clear, your Shadow may not reside in elements of horror as mine do, but hopefully you can use my example to consider where your creative wounds might lie. “You shouldn't write things like that.” It happened at secondary school around 1986 or 1987, so I would have been around eleven or twelve years old. English was one of my favourite subjects and the room we had our lessons in looked out onto a vibrant garden. I loved going to that class because it was all about books, and they were always my favourite things. One day, we were asked to write a story. I can't remember the specifics of what the teacher asked us to write, but I fictionalised a recurring nightmare. I stood in a dark room. On one side, my mum and my brother, Rod, were tied up next to a cauldron of boiling oil, ready to be thrown in. On the other side, my dad and my little sister, Lucy, were threatened with decapitation by men with machetes. I had to choose who would die. I always woke up, my heart pounding, before I had to choose. Looking back now, it clearly represented an internal conflict about having to pick sides between the two halves of my family. Not an unexpected issue from a child of divorce. Perhaps these days, I might have been sent to the school counsellor, but it was the eighties and I don't think we even had such a thing. Even so, the meaning of the story isn't the point. It was the reaction to it that left scars. “You shouldn't write things like that,” my teacher said, and I still remember her look of disappointment, even disgust. Certainly judgment. She said my writing was too dark. It wasn't a proper story. It wasn't appropriate for the class. As if horrible things never happened in stories — or in life. As if literature could not include dark tales. As if the only acceptable writing was the kind she approved of. We were taught The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie that year, which says a lot about the type of writing considered appropriate. Or perhaps the issue stemmed from the school motto, “So hateth she derknesse,” from Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women: “For fear of night, so she hates the darkness.” I had won a scholarship to a private girls' school, and their mission was to turn us all into proper young ladies. Horror was never on the curriculum. Perhaps if my teacher had encouraged me to write my darkness back then, my nightmares would have dissolved on the page. Perhaps if we had studied Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H.P. Lovecraft stories, or Bram Stoker's Dracula, I could have embraced the darker side of literature earlier in my life. My need to push darker thoughts into my Shadow was compounded by my (wonderful) mum's best intentions. We were brought up on the principles of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and she tried to shield me and my brother from anything harmful or horrible. We weren't allowed to watch TV much, and even the British school drama Grange Hill was deemed inappropriate. So much of what I've achieved is because my mum instilled in me a “can do” attitude that anything is possible. I'm so grateful to her for that. (I love you, Mum!) But all that happy positivity, my desire to please her, to be a good girl, to make my teachers proud, and to be acceptable to society, meant that I pushed my darker thoughts into Shadow. They were inappropriate. They were taboo. They must be repressed, kept secret, and I must be outwardly happy and positive at all times. You cannot hold back the darkness “The night is dark and full of terrors.” —George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords It turned out that horror was on the curriculum, much of it in the form of educational films we watched during lessons. In English Literature, we watched Romeo drink poison and Juliet stab herself in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. In Religious Studies, we watched Jesus beaten, tortured, and crucified in The Greatest Story Ever Told, and learned of the variety of gruesome ways that Christian saints were martyred. In Classical Civilisation, we watched gladiators slaughter each other in Spartacus. In Sex Education at the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid-'80s, we were told of the many ways we could get infected and die. In History, we studied the Holocaust with images of skeletal bodies thrown into mass graves, medical experiments on humans, and grainy videos of marching soldiers giving the Nazi salute. One of my first overseas school field trips was to the World War I battlegrounds of Flanders Fields in Belgium, where we studied the inhuman conditions of the trenches, walked through mass graves, and read war poetry by candlelight. As John McCrae wrote: We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Did the teachers not realise how deeply a sensitive teenager might feel the darkness of that place? Or have I always been unusual in that places of blood echo deep inside me? And the horrors kept coming. We lived in Bristol, England back then and I learned at school how the city had been part of the slave trade, its wealth built on the backs of people stolen from their homes, sold, and worked to death in the colonies. I had been at school for a year in Malawi, Africa and imagined the Black people I knew drowning, being beaten, and dying on those ships. In my teenage years, the news was filled with ethnic cleansing, mass rape, and massacres during the Balkan wars, and images of bodies hacked apart during the Rwandan genocide. Evil committed by humans against other humans was not a historical aberration. I'm lucky and I certainly acknowledge my privilege. Nothing terrible or horrifying has happened to me — but bad things certainly happen to others. I wasn't bullied or abused. I wasn't raped or beaten or tortured. But you don't have to go through things to be afraid of them, and for your imagination to conjure the possibility of them. My mum doesn't read my fiction now as it gives her nightmares (Sorry, Mum!). I know she worries that somehow she's responsible for my darkness, but I've had a safe and (mostly) happy life, for which I'm truly grateful. But the world is not an entirely safe and happy place, and for a sensitive child with a vivid imagination, the world is dark and scary. It can be brutal and violent, and bad things happen, even to good people. No parent can shield their child from the reality of the world. They can only help them do their best to live in it, develop resilience, and find ways to deal with whatever comes. Story has always been a way that humans have used to learn how to live and deal with difficult times. The best authors, the ones that readers adore and can't get enough of, write their darkness into story to channel their experience, and help others who fear the same. In an interview on writing the Shadow on The Creative Penn Podcast, Michaelbrent Collings shared how he incorporated a personally devastating experience into his writing:  “My wife and I lost a child years back, and that became the root of one of my most terrifying books, Apparition. It's not terrifying because it's the greatest book of all time, but just the concept that there's this thing out there… like a demon, and it consumes the blood and fear of the children, and then it withdraws and consumes the madness of the parents… I wrote that in large measure as a way of working through what I was experiencing.” I've learned much from Michaelbrent. I've read many of his (excellent) books and he's been on my podcast multiple times talking about his depression and mental health issues, as well as difficulties in his author career. Writing darkness is not in Michaelbrent's Shadow and only he can say what lies there for him. But from his example, and from that of other authors, I too learned how to write my Shadow into my books. Twenty-three years after that English lesson, in November 2009, I did NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and wrote five thousand words of what eventually became Stone of Fire, my first novel. In the initial chapter, I burned a nun alive on the ghats of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. I had watched the bodies burn by night on pyres from a boat bobbing in the current a few years before, and the image was still crystal clear in my mind. The only way to deal with how it made me feel about death was to write about it — and since then, I've never stopped writing. Returning to the nightmare from my school days, I've never had to choose between the two halves of my family, but the threat of losing them remains a theme in my fiction. In my ARKANE thriller series, Morgan Sierra will do anything to save her sister and her niece. Their safety drives her to continue to fight against evil. Our deepest fears emerge in our writing, and that's the safest place for them. I wish I'd been taught how to turn my nightmares into words back at school, but at least now I've learned to write my Shadow onto the page. I wish the same for you. The Shadow in traditional publishing If becoming an author is your dream, then publishing a book is deeply entwined with that. But as Mark Pierce says in The Creative Wound, “We feel pain the most where it matters the most… Desire highlights whatever we consider to be truly significant.” There is a lot of desire around publishing for those of us who love books! It can give you: Validation that your writing is good enough Status and credibility Acceptance by an industry held in esteem  The potential of financial reward and critical acclaim Support from a team of professionals who know how to make fantastic books A sense of belonging to an elite community Pride in achieving a long-held goal, resulting in a confidence boost and self-esteem Although not guaranteed, traditional publishing can give you all these things and more, but as with everything, there is a potential Shadow side. Denying it risks the potential of being disillusioned, disappointed, and even damaged. But remember, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. Preparation can help you avoid potential issues and help you feel less alone if you encounter them. The myth of success… and the reality of experience There is a pervasive myth of success in the traditional publishing industry, perpetuated by media reporting on brand name and breakout authors, those few outliers whose experience is almost impossible to replicate. Because of such examples, many new traditionally published authors think that their first book will hit the top of the bestseller charts or win an award, as well as make them a million dollars — or at least a big chunk of cash. They will be able to leave their job, write in a beautiful house overlooking the ocean, and swan around the world attending conferences, while writing more bestselling books. It will be a charmed life. But that is not the reality. Perhaps it never was. Even so, the life of a traditionally published author represents a mythic career with the truth hidden behind a veil of obscurity. In April 2023, The Bookseller in the UK reported that “more than half of authors (54%) responding to a survey on their experiences of publishing their debut book have said the process negatively affected their mental health. Though views were mixed, just 22%… described a positive experience overall… Among the majority who said they had a negative experience of debut publication, anxiety, stress, depression and ‘lowered' self-esteem were cited, with lack of support, guidance or clear and professional communication from their publisher among the factors that contributed.” Many authors who have negative experiences around publishing will push them into the Shadow with denial or self-blame, preferring to keep the dream alive. They won't talk about things in public as this may negatively affect their careers, but private discussions are often held in the corners of writing conferences or social media groups online. Some of the issues are as follows: Repeated rejection by agents and publishers may lead to the author thinking they are not good enough as a writer, which can lead to feeling unworthy as a person. If an author gets a deal, the amount of advance and the name and status of the publisher compared to others create a hierarchy that impacts self-esteem. A deal for a book may be much lower than an author might have been expecting, with low or no advance, and the resulting experience with the publisher beneath expectations. The launch process may be disappointing, and the book may appear without fanfare, with few sales and no bestseller chart position. In The Bookseller report, one author described her launch day as “a total wasteland… You have expectations about what publication day will be like, but in reality, nothing really happens.” The book may receive negative reviews by critics or readers or more publicly on social media, which can make an author feel attacked. The book might not sell as well as expected, and the author may feel like it's their fault. Commercial success can sometimes feel tied to self-worth and an author can't help but compare their sales to others, with resulting embarrassment or shame. The communication from the publisher may be less than expected. One author in The Bookseller report said, “I was shocked by the lack of clarity and shared information and the cynicism that underlies the superficial charm of this industry.” There is often more of a focus on debut authors in publishing houses, so those who have been writing and publishing in the midlist for years can feel ignored and undervalued. In The Bookseller report, 48 percent of authors reported “their publisher supported them for less than a year,” with one saying, “I got no support and felt like a commodity, like the team had moved on completely to the next book.” If an author is not successful enough, the next deal may be lower than the last, less effort is made with marketing, and they may be let go. In The Bookseller report, “six authors—debut and otherwise—cited being dropped by their publisher, some with no explanation.” Even if everything goes well and an author is considered successful by others, they may experience imposter syndrome, feeling like a fraud when speaking at conferences or doing book signings. And the list goes on … All these things can lead to feelings of shame, inadequacy, and embarrassment; loss of status in the eyes of peers; and a sense of failure if a publishing career is not successful enough. The author feels like it's their fault, like they weren't good enough — although, of course, the reality is that the conditions were not right at the time. A failure of a book is not a failure of the person, but it can certainly feel like it! When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Despite all the potential negatives of traditional publishing, if you know what could happen, you can mitigate them. You can prepare yourself for various scenarios and protect yourself from potential fall-out. It's clear from The Bookseller report that too many authors have unrealistic expectations of the industry. But publishers are businesses, not charities. It's not their job to make you feel good as an author. It's their job to sell books and pay you. The best thing they can do is to continue to be a viable business so they can keep putting books on the shelves and keep paying authors, staff, and company shareholders. When you license your creative work to a publisher, you're giving up control of your intellectual property in exchange for money and status. Bring your fears and issues out of the Shadow, acknowledge them, and deal with them early, so they do not get pushed down and re-emerge later in blame and bitterness. Educate yourself on the business of publishing. Be clear on what you want to achieve with any deal. Empower yourself as an author, take responsibility for your career, and you will have a much better experience. The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author Self-publishing, or being an independent (indie) author, can be a fantastic, pro-active choice for getting your book into the world. Holding your first book in your hand and saying “I made this” is pretty exciting, and even after more than forty books, I still get excited about seeing ideas in my head turn into a physical product in the world. Self-publishing can give an author: Creative control over what to write, editorial and cover design choices, when and how often to publish, and how to market Empowerment over your author career and the ability to make choices that impact success without asking for permission Ownership and control of intellectual property assets, resulting in increased opportunity around licensing and new markets Independence and the potential for recurring income for the long term Autonomy and flexibility around timelines, publishing options, and the ability to easily pivot into new genres and business models Validation based on positive reader reviews and money earned Personal growth and learning through the acquisition of new skills, resulting in a boost in confidence and self-esteem A sense of belonging to an active and vibrant community of indie authors around the world Being an indie author can give you all this and more, but once again, there is a Shadow side and preparation can help you navigate potential issues. The myth of success… and the reality of experience As with traditional publishing, the indie author world has perpetuated a myth of success in the example of the breakout indie author like E.L. James with Fifty Shades of Grey, Hugh Howey with Wool, or Andy Weir with The Martian. The emphasis on financial success is also fuelled online by authors who share screenshots showing six-figure months or seven-figure years, without sharing marketing costs and other outgoings, or the amount of time spent on the business. Yes, these can inspire some, but it can also make others feel inadequate and potentially lead to bad choices about how to publish and market based on comparison. The indie author world is full of just as much ego and a desire for status and money as traditional publishing. This is not a surprise! Most authors, regardless of publishing choices, are a mix of massive ego and chronic self-doubt. We are human, so the same issues will re-occur. A different publishing method doesn't cure all ills. Some of the issues are as follows: You learn everything you need to know about writing and editing, only to find that you need to learn a whole new set of skills in order to self-publish and market your book. This can take a lot of time and effort you did not expect, and things change all the time so you have to keep learning. Being in control of every aspect of the publishing process, from writing to cover design to marketing, can be overwhelming, leading to indecision, perfectionism, stress, and even burnout as you try to do all the things. You try to find people to help, but building your team is a challenge, and working with others has its own difficulties. People say negative things about self-publishing that may arouse feelings of embarrassment or shame. These might be little niggles, but they needle you, nonetheless. You wonder whether you made the right choice. You struggle with self-doubt and if you go to an event with traditional published authors, you compare yourself to them and feel like an imposter. Are you good enough to be an author if a traditional publisher hasn't chosen you? Is it just vanity to self-publish? Are your books unworthy? Even though you worked with a professional editor, you still get one-star reviews and you hate criticism from readers. You wonder whether you're wasting your time. You might be ripped off by an author services company who promise the world, only to leave you with a pile of printed books in your garage and no way to sell them. When you finally publish your book, it languishes at the bottom of the charts while other authors hit the top of the list over and over, raking in the cash while you are left out of pocket. You don't admit to over-spending on marketing as it makes you ashamed. You resist book marketing and make critical comments about writers who embrace it. You believe that quality rises to the top and if a book is good enough, people will buy it anyway. This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment when you launch your book and it doesn't sell many copies because nobody knows about it. You try to do what everyone advises, but you still can't make decent money as an author. You're jealous of other authors' success and put it down to them ‘selling out' or writing things you can't or ‘using AI' or ‘using a ghostwriter' or having a specific business model you consider impossible to replicate. And the list goes on… When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Being in control of your books and your author career is a double-edged sword. Traditionally published authors can criticise their publishers or agents or the marketing team or the bookstores or the media, but indie authors have to take responsibility for it all. Sure, we can blame ‘the algorithms' or social media platforms, or criticise other authors for having more experience or more money to invest in marketing, or attribute their success to writing in a more popular genre — but we also know there are always people who do well regardless of the challenges. Once more, we're back to acknowledging and integrating the Shadow side of our choices. We are flawed humans. There will always be good times and bad, and difficulties to offset the high points. This too shall pass, as the old saying goes. I know that being an indie author has plenty of Shadow. I've been doing this since 2008 and despite the hard times, I'm still here. I'm still writing. I'm still publishing. This life is not for everyone, but it's my choice. You must make yours. The Shadow in work You work hard. You make a living. Nothing wrong with that attitude, right? It's what we're taught from an early age and, like so much of life, it's not a problem until it goes to extremes. Not achieving what you want to? Work harder. Can't get ahead? Work harder. Not making a good enough living? Work harder. People who don't work hard are lazy. They don't deserve handouts or benefits. People who don't work hard aren't useful, so they are not valued members of our culture and community. But what about the old or the sick, the mentally ill, or those with disabilities? What about children? What about the unemployed? The under-employed? What about those who are — or will be — displaced by technology, those called “the useless class” by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book Homo Deus? What if we become one of these in the future? Who am I if I cannot work? The Shadow side of my attitude to work became clear when I caught COVID in the summer of 2021. I was the sickest I'd ever been. I spent two weeks in bed unable to even think properly, and six weeks after that, I was barely able to work more than an hour a day before lying in the dark and waiting for my energy to return. I was limited in what I could do for another six months after that. At times, I wondered if I would ever get better. Jonathan kept urging me to be patient and rest. But I don't know how to rest. I know how to work and how to sleep. I can do ‘active rest,' which usually involves walking a long way or traveling somewhere interesting, but those require a stronger mind and body than I had during those months. It struck me that even if I recovered from the virus, I had glimpsed my future self. One day, I will be weak in body and mind. If I'm lucky, that will be many years away and hopefully for a short time before I die — but it will happen. I am an animal. I will die. My body and mind will pass on and I will be no more. Before then I will be weak. Before then, I will be useless. Before then, I will be a burden. I will not be able to work… But who am I if I cannot work? What is the point of me? I can't answer these questions right now, because although I recognise them as part of my Shadow, I've not progressed far enough to have dealt with them entirely. My months of COVID gave me some much-needed empathy for those who cannot work, even if they want to. We need to reframe what work is as a society, and value humans for different things, especially as technology changes what work even means. That starts with each of us. “Illness, affliction of body and soul, can be life-altering. It has the potential to reveal the most fundamental conflict of the human condition: the tension between our infinite, glorious dreams and desires and our limited, vulnerable, decaying physicality.” —Connie Zweig, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul The Shadow in money In the Greek myth, King Midas was a wealthy ruler who loved gold above all else. His palace was adorned with golden sculptures and furniture, and he took immense pleasure in his riches. Yet, despite his vast wealth, he yearned for more. After doing a favour for Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, Midas was granted a single wish. Intoxicated by greed, he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold — and it was so. At first, it was a lot of fun. Midas turned everything else in his palace to gold, even the trees and stones of his estate. After a morning of turning things to gold, he fancied a spot of lunch. But when he tried to eat, the food and drink turned to gold in his mouth. He became thirsty and hungry — and increasingly desperate. As he sat in despair on his golden throne, his beloved young daughter ran to comfort him. For a moment, he forgot his wish — and as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, she turned into a golden statue, frozen in precious metal. King Midas cried out to the gods to forgive him, to reverse the wish. He renounced his greed and gave away all his wealth, and his daughter was returned to life. The moral of the story: Wealth and greed are bad. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is described as a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner.” He's wealthy but does not share, considering Christmas spending to be frivolous and giving to charity to be worthless. He's saved by a confrontation with his lonely future and becomes a generous man and benefactor of the poor. Wealth is good if you share it with others. The gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: 14-30, tells the parable of the bags of gold, in which a rich man goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with varying amounts of gold. On his return, the servants who multiplied the gold through their efforts and investments are rewarded, while the one who merely returned the gold with no interest is punished: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Making money is good, making more money is even better. If you can't make any money, you don't deserve to have any. Within the same gospel, in Matthew 19:24, Jesus encounters a wealthy man and tells him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, which the man is unable to do. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Wealth is bad. Give it all away and you'll go to heaven. With all these contradictory messages, no wonder we're so conflicted about money! How do you think and feel about money? While money is mostly tied to our work, it's far more than just a transactional object for most people. It's loaded with complex symbolism and judgment handed down by family, religion, and culture. You are likely to find elements of Shadow by examining your attitudes around money. Consider which of the following statements resonate with you or write your own. Money stresses me out. I don't want to talk about it or think about it. Some people hoard money, so there is inequality. Rich people are bad and we should take away their wealth and give it to the poor.  I can never make enough money to pay the bills, or to give my family what I want to provide. Money doesn't grow on trees.  It's wasteful to spend money as you might need it later, so I'm frugal and don't spend money unless absolutely necessary. It is better and more ethical to be poor than to be rich. I want more money. I read books and watch TV shows about rich people because I want to live like that. Sometimes I spend too much on things for a glimpse of what that might be like.  I buy lottery tickets and dream of winning all that money.  I'm jealous of people who have money. I want more of it and I resent those who have it. I'm no good with money. I don't like to look at my bank statement or credit card statement. I live off my overdraft and I'm in debt. I will never earn enough to get out of debt and start saving, so I don't think too much about it. I don't know enough about money. Talking about it makes me feel stupid, so I just ignore it. People like me aren't educated about money.  I need to make more money. If I can make lots of money, then people will look up to me. If I make lots of money, I will be secure, nothing can touch me, I will be safe.  I never want to be poor. I would be ashamed to be poor. I will never go on benefits. My net worth is my self worth. Money is good. We have the best standard of living in history because of the increase in wealth over time. Even the richest kings of the past didn't have what many middle-class people have today in terms of access to food, water, technology, healthcare, education, and more. The richest people give the most money to the poor through taxation and charity, as well as through building companies that employ people and invent new things. The very richest give away much of their fortunes. They provide far more benefit to the world than the poor.  I love money. Money loves me. Money comes easily and quickly to me. I attract money in multiple streams of income. It flows to me in so many ways. I spend money. I invest money. I give money. I'm happy and grateful for all that I receive. The Shadow around money for authors in particular Many writers and other creatives have issues around money and wealth. How often have you heard the following, and which do you agree with? You can't make money with your writing. You'll be a poor author in a garret, a starving artist.  You can't write ‘good quality' books and make money. If you make money writing, you're a hack, you're selling out. You are less worthy than someone who writes only for the Muse. Your books are commercial, not artistic. If you spend money on marketing, then your books are clearly not good enough to sell on their own. My agent / publisher / accountant / partner deals with the money side. I like to focus on the creative side of things. My money story Note: This is not financial or investment advice. Please talk to a professional about your situation. I've had money issues over the years — haven't we all! But I have been through a (long) process to bring money out of my Shadow and into the light. There will always be more to discover, but hopefully my money story will help you, or at least give you an opportunity to reflect. Like most people, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. My parents started out as teachers, but later my mum — who I lived with, along with my brother — became a change management consultant, moving to the USA and earning a lot more. I'm grateful that she moved into business because her example changed the way I saw money and provided some valuable lessons. (1) You can change your circumstances by learning more and then applying that to leverage opportunity into a new job or career Mum taught English at a school in Bristol when we moved back from Malawi, Africa, in the mid '80s but I remember how stressful it was for her, and how little money she made. She wanted a better future for us all, so she took a year out to do a master's degree in management. In the same way, when I wanted to change careers and leave consulting to become an author, I spent time and money learning about the writing craft and the business of publishing. I still invest a considerable chunk on continuous learning, as this industry changes all the time. (2) You might have to downsize in order to leap forward The year my mum did her degree, we lived in the attic of another family's house; we ate a lot of one-pot casserole and our treat was having a Yorkie bar on the walk back from the museum. We wore hand-me-down clothes, and I remember one day at school when another girl said I was wearing her dress. I denied it, of course, but there in back of the dress was her name tag. I still remember her name and I can still feel that flush of shame and embarrassment. I was determined to never feel like that again. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I was also learning the power of downsizing. Mum got her degree and then a new job in management in Bristol. She bought a house, and we settled for a few years. I had lots of different jobs as a teenager. My favourite was working in the delicatessen because we got a free lunch made from delicious produce. After I finished A-levels, I went to the University of Oxford, and my mum and brother moved to the USA for further opportunities. I've downsized multiple times over the years, taking a step back in order to take a step forward. The biggest was in 2010 when I decided to leave consulting. Jonathan and I sold our three-bedroom house and investments in Brisbane, Australia, and rented a one-bedroom flat in London, so we could be debt-free and live on less while I built up a new career. It was a decade before we bought another house. (3) Comparison can be deadly: there will always be people with more money than you Oxford was an education in many ways and relevant to this chapter is how much I didn't know about things people with money took for granted. I learned about formal hall and wine pairings, and how to make a perfect gin and tonic. I ate smoked salmon for the first time. I learned how to fit in with people who had a lot more money than I did, and I definitely wanted to have money of my own to play with. (4) Income is not wealth You can earn lots but have nothing to show for it after years of working. I learned this in my first few years of IT consulting after university. I earned a great salary and then went contracting, earning even more money at a daily rate. I had a wonderful time. I traveled, ate and drank and generally made merry, but I always had to go back to the day job when the money ran out. I couldn't work out how I could ever stop this cycle. Then I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, a book I still recommend, especially if you're from a family that values academic over financial education. I learned how to escape the rat race by building and/or accumulating assets that pay even when you're not working. It was a revelation! The ‘poor dad' in the book is a university professor. He knows so much about so many things, but he ends up poor as he did not educate himself about money. The ‘rich dad' has little formal education, but he knows about money and wealth because he learned about it, as we can do at any stage in our lives. (5) Not all investments suit every person, so find the right one for you Once I discovered the world of investing, I read all the books and did courses and in-person events. I joined communities and I up-skilled big time. Of course, I made mistakes and learned lots along the way. I tried property investing and renovated a couple of houses for rental (with more practical partners and skilled contractors). But while I could see that property investing might work for some people, I did not care enough about the details to make it work for me, and it was certainly not passive income. I tried other things. My first husband was a boat skipper and scuba diving instructor, so we started a charter. With the variable costs of fuel, the vagaries of New Zealand weather — and our divorce — it didn't last long! From all these experiments, I learned I wanted to run a business, but it needed to be online and not based on a physical location, physical premises, or other people. That was 2006, around the time that blogging started taking off and it became possible to make a living online. I could see the potential and a year later, the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle launched, which became the basis of my business as an author. (6) Boring, automatic saving and investing works best Between 2007 and 2011, I contracted in Australia, where they have compulsory superannuation contributions, meaning you have to save and invest a percentage of your salary or self-employed income. I'd never done that before, because I didn't understand it. I'd ploughed all my excess income into property or the business instead. But in Australia I didn't notice the money going out because it was automatic. I chose a particular fund and it auto-invested every month. The pot grew pretty fast since I didn't touch it, and years later, it's still growing. I discovered the power of compound interest and time in the market, both of which are super boring. This type of investing is not a get rich quick scheme. It's a slow process of automatically putting money into boring investments and doing that month in, month out, year in, year out, automatically for decades while you get on with your life. I still do this. I earn money as an author entrepreneur and I put a percentage of that into boring investments automatically every month. I also have a small amount which is for fun and higher risk investments, but mostly I'm a conservative, risk-averse investor planning ahead for the future. This is not financial advice, so I'm not giving any specifics. I have a list of recommended money books at www.TheCreativePenn.com/moneybooks if you want to learn more. Learning from the Shadow When I look back, my Shadow side around money eventually drove me to learn more and resulted in a better outcome (so far!). I was ashamed of being poor when I had to wear hand-me-down clothes at school. That drove a fear of not having any money, which partially explains my workaholism. I was embarrassed at Oxford because I didn't know how to behave in certain settings, and I wanted to be like the rich people I saw there. I spent too much money in my early years as a consultant because I wanted to experience a “rich” life and didn't understand saving and investing would lead to better things in the future. I invested too much in the wrong things because I didn't know myself well enough and I was trying to get rich quick so I could leave my job and ‘be happy.' But eventually, I discovered that I could grow my net worth with boring, long-term investments while doing a job I loved as an author entrepreneur. My only regret is that I didn't discover this earlier and put a percentage of my income into investments as soon as I started work. It took several decades to get started, but at least I did (eventually) start. My money story isn't over yet, and I keep learning new things, but hopefully my experience will help you reflect on your own and avoid the issue if it's still in Shadow. These chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn  The post Writing The Shadow: The Creative Wound, Publishing, And Money, With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Summary In this episode, Cultivating Curiosity host Jeff Ikler reflects on his love of year-end "Best Books" lists and why reading sits at the heart of his podcast and personal life. He welcomes lists from institutions like The New York Times and the New York Public Library, seeing them as both a defense against book banning and a source of discovery, connection, and generosity. For Ikler, books spark curiosity, deepen empathy, and create bonds—whether through gifting or thoughtful conversation with authors. He also underscores podcast hosts' responsibility to read their guests' work in full, arguing that preparation honors both listeners and writers. Ultimately, Ikler finds himself drawn to books that slow him down through careful observation and reflection, or expand his understanding through deeply researched history, reinforcing reading as both nourishment and refuge. Three Major Takeaways Reading lists are acts of resistance, curiosity, and connection—not just recommendations. Thoughtful reading is essential to meaningful conversation, especially in podcasting. The most rewarding books either sharpen our attention to the present or deepen our understanding of the past. Jeff's favorite books in 2025 Crossings – How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb. Quoting from the book jacket, "Creatures from antelope to salmon are losing their ability to migrate in search of food and mates; invasive plants hitch rides in tire treads, road salt contaminates lakes and rivers; and the very, very noise of traffic chases songbirds from vast swaths of habitat." In this beautifully crafted book, Goldfarb makes the case that overpasses and underpasses are essential for reducing the deaths of animals and humans who inevitably come into brutal contact with one another. One of the chief takeaways in our era of divisiveness is that road ecologists and other scientists, insurance companies, and government officials are working collaboratively to solve problems. They have different goals for doing so, but they're working effectively at the intersection. You can access my two-part podcast interview on Getting Unstuck–Cultivating Curiosity with Ben in episodes 347 and 348. The Comfort of Crows – A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. This title came from one of last year's best books, and it did not disappoint. Quoting from the book jacket, "Margaret Renkl presents a literary devotional: fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year." How often do you read a chapter or passage because the writing is so moving? If you're interested in slowing down and seeing more of your immediate world, this is a great place to start. This small volume is a course in observation and reflection. Challenger – A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham. Like many Americans who watched the Space Shuttle Challenger break apart just seventy-three seconds into its mission, I thought I knew the story, but I was so wrong. As the book jacket explains, "…the Challenger disaster was a defining moment in twentieth-century history–one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told." I was moved to head-shaking anger after reading how decisions were made and bungled. Higginbotham's explanation of a highly complicated topic is beautifully presented. The book is a primer on the dangers of overly complex and competing bureaucracies and ego. Remember Us – American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter. Remember Us documents twelve lives connected to the American Military Cemetery near the small village of Margraten, Netherlands. Approximately 8,300 Americans who helped liberate the Netherlands from the Nazis and the grip of fascism during World War II are buried there. One of these was a Black American soldier who, along with a company of other Black Americans, dug the graves under the harshest weather conditions. The cruel irony is that Black soldiers worked in segregated and mostly non-combat roles in a war fought to eliminate tyranny and oppression. The cemetery is remarkable because local Dutch citizens have taken it upon themselves to adopt each grave and visit it weekly. This practice reflects the citizens' ongoing gratitude, and their visits ensure that the soldiers are always remembered for their sacrifice. There is a waiting list of citizens who wish to adopt a grave. Raising Hare—a Memoir by Chloe Dalton. This title has made almost every list I've come across. From the jacket cover, "…Dalton stumbles upon a newborn hare—a leveret—that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she brings it home, only to discover how difficult it is to rear a wild hare." Dalton deftly and wisely navigates caring for the hare as a house guest versus a pet, a choice that lets the hare move between the wild of the nearby woods and the security of her home. Like Renkl, Dalton has a keen eye for observation, one that put me in her home and garden as a witness to their interactions. Origin — A Genetic History of the Americas by Jennifer Raff. When I was growing up, I watched or read with almost religious fervor anything National Geographic produced featuring Louis Leakey, a paleoanthropologist and archaeologist. I was in awe of how he dug through the layers of time to find bones and artifacts from our earliest ancestors. Leakey's work was critical in demonstrating our human origins in Africa. So, when my friend Annette Taylor, a researcher of evolutionary psychology and biology, shared an article featuring Professor Jennifer Raff, an anthropologist and geneticist trying to rewrite the history of human origins in the Americas, I knew I had to invite her on my podcast. As a history enthusiast, I found it especially rewarding to co-host, along with Annette, a discussion with Professor Raff on podcast episode 358 about how and why early peoples migrated to and within North America. Raff has a talent for simplifying complex topics and making listeners comfortable with uncertainty. Scientists have theories and are constantly testing and revising them. We don't yet know for sure how early peoples arrived here or why they migrated, but that's the beauty of science and history. There is always more to discover. If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende. I read this book decades ago and was as captivated then as I was this year by Heather Lende's storytelling ability. Adapted from the back cover, "As both the obituary writer and social columnist for the local newspaper (in Haines, Alaska, population about 2,500), Heather Lende knows better than anyone the goings-on in this breathtakingly beautiful place. Her offbeat chronicle brings us inside her — and the town's — busy life." Why read about a small town in Alaska? Maybe because it helps us look critically at our own lives. Like Renkl and Dalton, Heather Lende has an eye for detail, but also the humanity beneath the detail. She has graciously agreed to be my guest in podcast episode 400 this coming February. The most interesting books read in 2025 by his friends and colleagues Steve Ehrlich – The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul by Connie Zweig.  Zweig writes from a Jungian perspective that is accessible to anyone who thinks about old and new agendas, internal and external, as we transition to later life, and reflect on what we want to hold on to, and what we're prepared to let go of to live an authentic life.   Cindy House – What Just Happened by Charles Finch. It's one person's experience of the terrible year that was the pandemic lockdown, with all the fear, uncertainty, and strangeness I had forgotten. I loved his cultural observations and witty take on one of the weirdest years of our lives. I am so glad this particular record exists.  By Edgington – The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. I first read the book in 2013, then again in '24, and now I read and refer to it every year. Singer's book is what propelled me to join his Temple of the Universe, where Mariah and I now live on the grounds. It's filled with inspiration and simple, almost homely wisdom: "The moment in front of you is not bothering you; you're bothering yourself about the moment in front of you!" Spencer Seim – To Possess the Land by Frank Waters. It follows the life of Arthur Manby, who came to the New Mexico territory in 1885 from England. He quickly tried to cash in by calling parcels of land his own. He quickly ran into resistance, often by force, and had to learn the hard way that the land of New Mexico in those days was a bit more complicated. Charlotte Wittenkamp – Shift by Ethan Kross. Kross examines Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and the notion that we always have the freedom to choose how we respond - even to the atrocities Frankl had to put up with in a WWII concentration camp. Kross examines and supports, with scientific findings, various ways we can shift our perspectives to gain easier access to that freedom of choice. Paul McNichols – E-Boat Alert by James F. Tent. The book offers a nearly forensic yet highly readable analysis of the threat posed by the E-Boats of the German Kriegsmarine to the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944. It covers the development, use, strengths, and limitations of these fast, maneuverable craft, as well as their impact on the Normandy landings on D-Day and the weeks thereafter. The most interesting part is the chain of events that ultimately led to their neutralization. Annette Taylor – My Name is Chellis, and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization by Chellis Glendinning. Chellis writes affectionately and respectfully about eco-psychology and nature-based peoples from whom members of Western Civilization could learn a lot. Sue Inches – The Light Eaters – How the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on earth by Zoe Schlanger. A thrilling journey that leads the reader from an old paradigm of plants as separate inanimate objects, to the true nature of plants as sensing, alive beings who communicate with the world around them. An inspiring example of how human understanding of the world around us is making progress! Rich Gassen – The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. Priya teaches us how to have better parties, events, and relationships through her writing. I used this book's information (along with her podcasts) to plan a better 10-year anniversary party for the Campus Supervisors Network community of practice I lead at UW-Madison — making it exclusive, inviting, and tailored to those who attended. Mac Bogert – Renegades by Robert Ward. After some time as a college professor, Bob decided to try journalism. He spent twenty years interviewing folks from Waylon Jennings to Larry Flynt, and, damn, he's good at it! Hunter Seim – Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. The novel is set during World War II, from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of antihero Captain Yossarian, a U.S. Air Force B-25 bombardier. The term "Catch-22" itself refers to a paradoxical situation in which contradictory rules or circumstances trap a person. In the novel, Yossarian discovers that he can be declared insane and relieved from duty if he requests it, but by requesting it, he demonstrates his sanity. Remarkably accurate in describing organizational dysfunction and bureaucratic absurdity. It was the perfect book to read in 2025. Bill Whiteside – I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally. I wondered whether this memoir by a New York restaurateur (who hates the word "restaurateur" and much else), who suffered two strokes and survived a suicide attempt, would live up to its social media hype. It does.

Shadow work requires us to confront the parts of ourselves we've hidden away – often since childhood – to gain approval and avoid rejection. Each of us develops shadow characters with specific thought patterns, feelings, and bodily sensations that emerge in our relationships.By recognising these patterns, we can uncover the valid needs behind our seemingly negative behaviours and heal the vulnerable feelings of unworthiness that drive them.Connie Zweig, PhD is a retired Jungian therapist and author of Meeting the Shadow (a new edition is now available) and Romancing the Shadow (a new edition is also now available).Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice.Her book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, extends shadow-work into religion and spirituality.Listen to Connie's podcastFollow her on SubstackVisit her website for free videos and eventsMentioned in this episode:Evolve – October 3rd, 2025 An intimate afternoon and evening with Lorin Krenn in LondonHealing Your Relationship with the Masculine A 4-week immersive program for women

Patricia Martin and Connie Zweig discuss the nature of shadow work. Before doing shadow work, we live an unexamined life – overeating, criticizing yourself or your partner, blaming someone, procrastinating – which leads to uncontrollable, self-sabotaging behaviors. Connie Zweig, PhD is a retired Jungian therapist and author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends Shadow-work into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Her book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, extends shadow-work into religion and spirituality. See her new SUBSTACK for livestreams and new writing: shadowworkawareness.com/about. Books by Connie Zweig: Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings, and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

SHADOW is a Jungian concept that refers to those traits we have suppressed in ourselves that may be waiting to find expression in our lives. This week Connie Zweig PhD returns to the podcast to talk about shadow-work for conscious relationships.  We explore: How the unconscious erupts in our lives and sabotages our relationships Why we can become caught up in repetitive arguments, criticism, distancing, projections, or addictions. How the shadow forms in childhood and how to detect it when it emerges Making a conscious relationship to the shadow, and choosing different outcomes. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, writer, and Climate Reality Leader. Known as the Shadow Expert, she has written several books about shadow-work, including  Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital, Authentic Life, both of which have recently been reissued.  Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years, and is a wife, stepmother and grandmother.  If You're Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 This week supporters will hear: Psychology of Evil Three Things Connie Zweig knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew's new men's retreat, Reconnect With Yourself, this autumn in the Brandenberg countryside near Berlin  Get Andrew's free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Read Connie Zweig's books: Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital, Authentic Life The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening Explore Connie Zweig's Substack, Shadow Work to Expand Awareness  Listen to Connie Zweig's podcast with her husband, Dr Neil's Spiritual Awakening to Non-Duality Visit Connie Zweig's website https://conniezweig.com  Follow  Connie Zweig on Twitter @InnerWorkofAge and on Facebook at @Dr.ConnieZweig Take a look at Andrew's new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

In this episode I will be discussing with Connie Zweig, Jungian Psychotherapist and best-selling author of several books on the shadow-work. In the episode we will be touching the questions such as: How do you learn to 'romance your shadow'? What happens when two shadows meet in a 'shadow marriage'? And how can we tell if our relationships are truly fostering our growth, or if certain 'shadow characters' are holding us back?Connie Zweig, Ph.D. is a retired Jungian therapist and author of Meeting the Shadow (A New Edition is now available) and Romancing the Shadow (A New Edition is now available). Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends Shadow-work into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Her book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, extends shadow-work into religion and spirituality. Her new PODCAST, Dr. Neil's Spiritual Awakening to Non-Duality, posts on all podcast platforms. See her new SUBSTACK for livestreams and new writing: https://www.shadowworkawareness.com/about.

How do we navigate spiritual transformation when everything seems to be falling apart? In this episode, we're exploring Chapter 4 of Richard Rohr's final book, The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage, titled "Welcoming Holy Disorder: How the Prophets Carry Us Through." After our conversation with Richard, we're joined by Jungian psychologist and author Connie Zweig, who deepens our exploration into the role of the shadow, the hidden parts of ourselves and our communities that disorder brings to light. Connie, along with hosts and CAC staff Mike Petrow, Paul Swanson, and Carmen Acevedo Butcher, unpack the cyclical pattern of order, disorder, and reorder that Richard calls the Wisdom Pattern. Together, they explore how disorder is not only inevitable but sacred, a season of necessary unraveling that allows space for grace, healing, and transformation. This episode shows how the prophets help us see what we cannot, why true spiritual growth demands discomfort, and how embracing the dark night of the soul can lead to profound renewal—both personally and collectively. Connie Zweig, Ph.D. is a retired Jungian therapist and author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends Shadow-work into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Her book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, extends shadow-work into religion and spirituality. Her new podcast, Dr. Neil's Spiritual Awakening to Non-Duality, posts on all podcast platforms. See her new SUBSTACK for livestreams and new writing: https://www.shadowworkawareness.com/about.

In this episode, Béa sits down with author and depth psychologist Connie Zweig to explore what it really means to “romance the shadow.” We speak about the lifelong task of making the unconscious conscious, the myths that still live in us, and how shadow work becomes even more essential as we age. Drawing from her decades of writing and teaching—from Meeting the Shadow to The Inner Work of Age—Connie offers insight into how the parts we reject hold the keys to our vitality, our creativity, and even our spiritual growth. This is a conversation about memory, myth, inner figures, and the radical courage it takes to turn toward what we've exiled within. Connie Zweig, Ph.D. is a retired Jungian therapist and author of Meeting the Shadow (A New Edition is now available) and Romancing the Shadow (A New Edition is now available). Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends Shadow-work into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Her book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, extends shadow-work into religion and spirituality. Her new PODCAST, Dr. Neil's Spiritual Awakening to Non-Duality, posts on all podcast platforms. See her new SUBSTACK for livestreams and new writing: https://www.shadowworkawareness.com/about.      

“There's no generation before us that's had this opportunity to find this treasure,” says therapist Connie Zweig, PhD. Zweig is the author of The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. She outlines a compelling approach to aging—one that teaches us how to navigate identity shifts, see who we are beyond our roles, and truly make the most of the gifts of our lives. Today, she shares what happened when she did her own life review practice, and so many other gems that make me excited to keep getting older. See the show notes and more about Zweig on my Substack. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a Text Message.Have you experienced religious/spiritual abuse or betrayal? Do you feel spiritually disillusioned? Do you want to complete spiritual unfinished business before you die?In every tradition, saints and poets speak of the soul's search for the beloved, the seeker's yearning for the divine, for the Self beyond ego. This holy longing is a secret feeling with many disguises, leading us to pursue a higher union in spiritual practice, religious discipleship, and even romantic embrace. It guides us to timeless wisdom and transcendent experiences.But it also can go awry when we project the divine onto a therapist, teacher, priest, guru, rabbi, or roshi who is all too human - who has unhealed wounds, undeveloped empathy, or authoritarian tendencies. In effect, a woman or man who has a shadow. If he or she abuses power -- sexual, financial, or emotional coercion -- we feel the shock of betrayal, our innocence lost, our faith destroyed.Today, we have witnessed many contemporary teachers of Buddhist, Hindu Hasidic, Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant groups act out their shadows in destructive ways, leaving their followers traumatized and lost. This can be viewed as a mythological moment of ordeal or dark night of the soul.Suffering spiritual disillusionment, we can learn to apply the tools of depth psychology and spiritual shadow work to help us recover and rekindle the flame of longing in our souls.This episode explores personal and archetypal projection, spiritual bypassing, as well as the evolution of consciousness, the nature of awakening, and the role of the Shadow.In this episode, you'll discover why we are drawn to charismatic leaders, what we unconsciously give away to them, and how to reclaim it for our own treasury.About Connie Zweig:Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist and coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won the 2022 Gold COVR Award, the 2022 Gold Nautilus Award, the 2021 American Book Fest Award, and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Her latest book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, is available now. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shift from role to soul.Get in touch with Connie Zweig:Buy Connie's Book: https://revolutionizeretirement.com/shadowspiritual Visit Connie's website: https://conniezweig.com/ Read Connie's articles: https://medium.com/@conniezweig What to do next: Click to grab our free guide, 10 Key Issues to Consider as You Explore Your Retirement Transition Please leave a review at Apple Podcasts. Join our Revolutionize Your Retirement group on Facebook.

What is the shadow? How do we understand it? In this episode, we're joined by Connie Zweig as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 11: "The Shadowlands." In this conversation with Connie Zweig, we explore the complex relationship between spiritual communities, the unconscious aspects of ourselves, and the potential for growth within ourselves and these groups. Before we dive in to the interview with Connie, CAC staff catch up with Richard at his hermitage to hear his reflections on the eleventh chapter a decade after he originally wrote it. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, writer, Climate Reality Leader, and Citizens Climate Lobbyist. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Her newest book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening is available now. It explores shadow-work into the religious and spiritual arena. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shift from role to soul. Resources: A PDF of the transcript for this episode is available here. Grab a copy of the newly revised version of Falling Upward, with a new foreword by Brené Brown here. To learn more about Connie's work, check out her website here. We mentioned Connie's book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path, several times in this episode. You can find that here. Connect with us: Have a question or thought about this season that you'd like to share with us? Email us: podcasts@cac.org Send us a voicemail here: http://www.cac.org/voicemail

Dr. Connie Zweig is a retired therapist and author. Known as the Shadow Expert, she has written several books on the spiritual path to health and wholeness. In this show, we talk about her book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Connie has many important insights for all of us as we cross numerous thresholds in the later years. To learn more about Dr. Connie Zweig and her work, go to https://conniezweig.com/ Pleas do join us for this enlightening and uplifting conversation! Support the showHave comments or questions for us? Interested in sharing your story on Aging Well? Please send your information and questions to Hugh via email at willowwaycreations@gmail.com or through any of our social media links on our website, findingbeautyinthegray.com. We'd love to hear from you and appreciate your feedback. Leaving feedback on your podcast host site (Apple, Spotify, etc.) is the single most important and effective way for us to stay viable and to continue to bring you great stories and helpful resources. And if you are enjoying the show and getting value from our topics and guests, we would most welcome your financial support. Producing a quality resource does require appreciable financial investment. Thank you!

“If you have a reaction to a stranger or someone in the media or someone in politics or someone who's just providing this kind of blank slate because you don't really know him or her, then it's a projection. And yes, there's often a sensation in the body that's negative. It could be fear, it could be distrust, it could be disgust, right? And then there's the flip side. There's positive projection, which happens in the spiritual universe a lot. When someone is looking for a charismatic leader, then they're going to project their own awakening, their own compassion, their own wisdom onto the leader, the clergy person. So the content of the projection can be anything, what we view as negative, what we view as positive.” So says Connie Zweig, a Jungian therapist and author who has focused much of her career exploring and teasing out the implications of the shadow, which is how Carl Jung referred to the unconscious. Chances are that you've been hearing more and more about shadow work—it's having a moment—in part, I'm convinced, because it's a concept whose time has come. As I've written about a lot in my Substack newsletter, we are swimming in collective shadow, unable and unwilling to process our share of it. When we don't take on this unconscious material, or darkness, our tendency is to project it onto other people and groups, to get away from it as quickly as possible. But, of course, it doesn't work like that—our shadow is ours. It's our blind spot. When we're willing to face our shadow, to access it, to allow it to emerge, we often find that it's full of gold. In fact, Jung believed that the shadow is the source of all of our energy, the main mechanism for growth—ask anyone who has gone through hard or dark times and they will likely tell you that the experience propelled them forward in unexpected ways, often for the better.  Connie and I explore all of these concepts and then some, as she's one of the most prodigious writers in the space. She co-authored Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, which are essential anthologies and texts, and then more recently wrote Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path, which explores what happens when the shadow, or darkness, is unresolved in spiritual and religious communities. She's also the author of The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, which is an exploration of the shadow of aging in our ageist culture. I'm hoping she comes back to the podcast soon so we can discuss that book at length.  MORE FROM CONNIE ZWEIG, PHD: The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital, Authentic Life Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi Connie Zweig's Website To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we talk about the shadow and how important it is to the spiritual path. Have you ever wondered how spiritual leaders and gurus who claim to reach high levels of consciousness can get caught up in sexual or financial scandals, or just generally misbehave in relationships? Or how independent adults can give up their own authority and give blind faith to someone else? In this episode we'll learn about that and more. Listen to the end to learn about the separate lines of development and how we have shadow material stuck in each chakra. This is very important spiritual work! Guest bio: Connie Zweig is a retired psychotherapist, former executive editor at Jeremy P Tarcher Publishing, former columnist for Esquire magazine and contributor to the LA times. She has been on a spiritual path, practicing and teaching meditation for more than fifty years - exploring the light and dark side of contemporary spirituality. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. In all these roles, she practices the shift from role to soul. Connie's latest book is Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path – The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening. Some of the topics we discuss are: • Our focus on the light and not the dark • Meditation doesn't solve our emotional problems, prayer doesn't resolve our trauma, affirmations don't bring us relief or awakening • We don't want to give up the practices but we want to expand to include the full spectrum of life • We can't “grow up” with spiritual practices only • Meditation can help prepare us to meet our shadow • If I recognize my shadow characters I can have a moment where I can make another choice – requires self-reflection and moral development • Narrow cultural identities that are so popular today miss the spiritual identity • Most of humanity is tribal, not yet individuated out of the group • There are separate lines of development in us – emotional, spiritual, moral, cognitive • There is shadow material stuck in every chakra If you want to learn spiritual shadow work with other people (free groups), email conniezweig@gmail.com and put "Spiritual Shadow" in the subject line Links: Website: https://conniezweig.com/ The Inner Work of Age: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1644113406?tag=simonsayscom Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: https://www.amazon.com/Meeting-Shadow-Spiritual-Path-Awakening/dp/1644117223 #shadowwork #awakening #awakeningsoul #consciousness #spiritualshadow #chakrahealing © the spiritual forum 2023

Air Date - Thursday, 19 October 2023Spiritual Abuse – Why Some Gurus and Religious Leaders Get Seduced By Money, Sex, and Power with Connie ZweigWhy do some gurus and religious leaders get seduced by money, sex, and power? Why are we drawn to charismatic leaders? What do we unconsciously give away to them? Why are so many willing to surrender their spiritual authority?And how do we break free of denial, projection, and dependency and recover from spiritual abuse or betrayal by a teacher or group?In her latest book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., reveals that within each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves, to awaken to our unity with all of life. Yet, no matter the spiritual path we choose, we inevitably encounter our own shadow, those unconscious aspects of ourselves that we suppress or deny, or the shadows of our teachers and their secret desires about money, sex, and power. But while meeting the shadow can derail our journey, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., we can learn to recover from loss of faith, and move from spiritual naivete to spiritual maturity, and reclaim our spiritual authority.Connie Zweig, Ph.D. is a retired therapist and co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, which won several coveted book awards extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice.Connect with Connie at https://conniezweig.com#ConnieZweig #SpiritualAbuse #SandieSedgbeer #WhatIsGoingOMOMVisit the What Is Going OM show page https://omtimes.com/iom/shows/what-is-going-omConnect with Sandie Sedgbeer at https://www.sedgbeer.comSubscribe to our Newsletter https://omtimes.com/subscribe-omtimes-magazine/Connect with OMTimes onFacebook https://www.facebook.com/Omtimes.Magazine/ and OMTimesRadio https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousRadiowebtv.OMTimes/Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmTimes/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omtimes/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OMTimesTVLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2798417/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/omtimes/

Connie Zweig, PhD, is a retired Jungian-oriented therapist and coauthorof Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winningbook, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work onthe Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Itwon the 2022 Gold COVR Award, the 2022 Gold Nautilus Award, the 2021American Book Fest Award, and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for bestinspirational non-fiction. Her new book is Meeting the Shadow on the SpiritualPath: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening.Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is awife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shiftfrom role to soul. Connect with Connie:Email: conniezweig@gmail.comWebsite: https://conniezweig.comConnie's books:The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul,Meeting the Shadow Romancing the Shadow(novel) A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet RumiMeeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for AwakeningThe Inner Work of Age:https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASINw/1644113406?tag=simonsayscom

Our “shadow” is made up of the unconscious parts of ourselves that we try to suppress or deny. Acknowledging and understanding shadow can be a powerful path to healing and authenticity.  If we pursue spiritual growth, we will certainly encounter shadow - both our own, and those of our teachers (whose secret desires around money, sex and power can come into play).  In this episode, psychotherapist and author Connie Zweig PhD talks with Andrew about her new book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path. Connie shares some of the ways we can heal from bruising encounters with shadow on spiritual journeys, and how we can “recover from loss of faith and move from spiritual naivete to spiritual maturity”.  Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, writer, and Climate Reality Leader. Known as the Shadow Expert, she has written several books about shadow-work, including a bestseller about ageing as a spiritual practice, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years, and is a wife, stepmother and grandmother.  Subscriber Content This Week If you're a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you'll be hearing: ⭐️Projection: how we see our shadow in others. ⭐️Three things Connie Zweig knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Connie Zweig's new book Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening.  Take a look at Connie Zweig's other books  Visit Connie Zweig's website You can email Connie Zweig about the questions raised in this episode at conniezweig@gmail.com Follow  Connie Zweig on Twitter @InnerWorkofAge and on Facebook at @Dr.ConnieZweig Listen to Andrew's previous interview with Connie Zweig on From Role to Soul: How to Become an Elder Rather than Just Old  Get Andrew's advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall

Have you experienced the shadow on your path for spiritual awakening? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with Connie Zweig, Ph.D., on her new #book Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening.Moments with Marianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET 1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate! Connie Zweig, Ph.D., a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, is co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of the bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi. She has been practicing and teaching meditation for more than 50 years. https://conniezweig.comFor more show information visit: www.MomentswithMarianne.com#bookclub #consciousliving #consciousness #mindfulness #consciousness #consciousnessshift #personalgrowth #meditation #shadowwork #shadow #reclaim #intuition #selfhelp #ConnieZweig

Crossing the threshold into late life can feel like a high-wire act without a net. But, if you are retiring or rewiring, ill or caregiving, feeling purposeful or disoriented, yearning to serve or do spiritual practice, you can learn to cross over from denial to awareness, from distraction to presence, from role to soul.How do we explore who we are beyond work? How do we uncover the unconscious material that erupts around losing our roles, losing our loved ones, losing control of our bodies, and losing our faith? And how do we overcome the denial, resistance, and distraction that arise with these changes?If you want to move past denial, fear, and resistance to discover your dreams and opportunities for this stage of life, join us to redefine "age" and to help you reimagine and reinvent it for yourself.In this episode, you will discover:Retirement as a Rorschach TestHearing the callDenying the call -- What stops us from stopping?Heeding the call -- Who am I now?Liminal spaceRelease of the DoerRole of shadow-workRole of spiritual work: meditation and ritualShift from hero to elderCrossing the threshold from role to soulAbout Connie Zweig:Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist and coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won the 2022 Gold COVR Award, the 2022 Gold Nautilus Award, the 2021 American Book Fest Award, and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Her new book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, is available now. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shift from role to soul.Get in touch with Connie Zweig:Visit Connie's website: https://conniezweig.com/ Connect with Connie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connie.zweig Buy Connie's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Connie-Zweig/e/B000APYJ8E  What to do next: Click to grab our free guide, 10 Key Issues to Consider as You Explore Your Retirement Transition Please leave a review at Apple Podcasts. Join our Revolutionize Your Retirement group on Facebook.

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., just released the book Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening. A guide to rekindling spiritual inspiration after betrayal and disillusionment. Within each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves. Yet, no matter the spiritual path we choose, we inevitably encounter our own shadow. This guide explores how to use shadow work to recover from spiritual abuse or betrayal and move from spiritual naivete to spiritual maturity. Explains why we are drawn to charismatic leaders, what we unconsciously give away to them, and how to reclaim our inner spiritual authority. Explores how to recover from spiritual abuse or betrayal by a teacher or group, including breaking free of denial, projection, and dependency, using psychology and shadow work. It extends #MeToo into the spiritual domain and tells the stories of contemporary clergy and spiritual leaders who acted out their shadows in destructive ways, leaving their followers traumatized and lost. Within each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves, to awaken to our unity with all of life. Yet, no matter the spiritual path we choose, we inevitably encounter our own shadow, those unconscious aspects of ourselves that we suppress or deny, or the shadows of our teachers and their secret desires about money, sex, and power. Meeting the shadow can derail the journey, but according to Connie Zweig, Ph.D., we can learn to recover from losing faith and move from spiritual naivete to spiritual maturity. We talk about Explanation of the shadow Why shadow work completes us How the shadow can be projected onto others Religious betrayal and spiritual abuse Are you being gaslighted? Definition of spiritual integrity How culture is intertwined with religious, sexual abuse How to pick a spiritual teacher Spiritual integrity Consequences of spiritual abuse Watch the movie Wild Wild Country on Nexflix Our vision of religious and spiritual life must expand to include the human shadow. It is crucial to acknowledge the yearning that drives us toward the spiritual path, as it can lead us toward either ecstatic, transcendent experiences or terrible suffering. We must be wary of projecting this yearning onto an authoritarian teacher, priest, or guru who abuses their power, as this can have disastrous consequences. It is essential to learn from the cautionary tales of contemporary teachers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Catholicism, who, by acting out their shadows, have left their followers traumatized and lost. We can learn from renowned teachers, such as Sufi poet Rumi, Hindu master Ramakrishna, and Christian saint Catherine of Siena, whose lives unfolded as they followed their spiritual yearning. Meeting the shadow is a painful but inevitable stage on the path toward a more mature spirituality. It is vital to use spiritual shadow work to reclaim inner spiritual authority, separate from abusive teachers, and heal from betrayal. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, is co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of the bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi. She has been practicing and teaching meditation for more than 50 years. www.conniezweig.com

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, a prolific author, and a practitioner and teacher of meditation for more than 50 years. Best known for her research and writing on Carl Jung's concept of the shadow, she's the co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and the author of A Moth to the Flame (a novel about the life of the Sufi poet Rumi), the bestselling book on aging, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, and her latest book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening. About that book, the author says: "Within each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves. Yet, no matter the spiritual path we choose, we inevitably encounter our own shadow." How to understand, recognize, and work effectively with our shadow is the main focus of this illuminating conversation.   Connie Zweig, Ph.D. Connect with Philip Goldberg Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach Find books by Philip Goldberg and other MindBodySpirit.fm podcast hosts in the online store Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author, depth psychotherapist, and guide Connie Zweig shows us encountering darkness is a necessary part of our spiritual journey. In the first half of life, we disown aspects of ourselves to fit in and navigate our world more smoothly. Over time we realize all aspects of ourselves must be recalled and befriended. Integration of these shadow aspects lays the foundation for spiritual awakening.  Through careful introspection, dreamwork, and self-confrontation, we can see beyond stereotypes and projections, avoiding the pitfalls of black-and-white thinking. Jung reminds us,   "…we shall, by carefully analyzing every fascination, extract from it a portion of our own personality, like a quintessence, and slowly come to recognize that we meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life."  Navigating the complex psychodynamics between spiritual students, the teachers they choose, and the disciplines of the path they tread can be more complicated than most people imagine. The inherent power dynamics in many spiritual traditions can encourage students to dismiss their agency and silence their ambivalence. Idealizing their teachers through projecting the Self upon them or contracting to be unquestioningly obedient can leave students disoriented and vulnerable to exploitation.  Falling into moral idealism and accepting standards of spiritual perfection, students may split off essential aspects of their unique personality, hobbling their developmental progress. Spiritual bypass may be encouraged by certain spiritual teachers leaving the leader and the student blind to harmful impulses and minimizing destructive behaviors.  Confronting the flaws and failures of the teacher can help students place their spiritual center back inside themselves. Accepting the limits of many spiritual traditions may free students to rediscover their autonomous inner guidance.  Connie's work can help us understand why some are drawn to charismatic leaders, unconsciously surrendering parts of their psyche to them or the system they represent. In worst cases, students suffer abuse and betrayal that alienates them from their spiritual instinct, blocking them from the very experiences they long for. Shadow work and depth psychology can be key tools in breaking free from denial, projection, and dependency.  With support, time, and corrective action, it is possible to recover one's inner connection. Connie's stories of renowned teachers like Sufi poet Rumi, Hindu master Ramakrishna, and Christian saint Catherine of Siena exemplify the different paths that can support spiritual yearning.  Meeting the shadow, internally or externally, is a painful but inevitable stage on the path to a more mature spirituality. We can use spiritual shadow work to separate from abusive teachers or barren traditions and reclaim inner spiritual authority. It's about navigating the narrow path through the darkness toward the light, reigniting the flame of longing, and engaging once more in fulfilling spiritual practice.  ABOUT CONNIE:  Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist and coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Workshops, Blog, Videos, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening BECOME A DREAM INTERPRETER: We've created DREAM SCHOOL to teach others how to work with their dreams. A vibrant community has constellated around this mission, and we think you'll love it. Check it out.  PLEASE GIVE US A HAND:: Hey folks -- We need your help. So please BECOME OUR PATRON and keep This Jungian Life podcast up and running.

A guide to rekindling spiritual inspiration after betrayal and disillusionment• Explains why we are drawn to charismatic leaders, what we unconsciously give away to them, and how to reclaim our inner spiritual authority• Explores how to recover from spiritual abuse or betrayal by a teacher or group, including breaking free of denial, projection, and dependency using psychology and shadow-work• Extends #MeToo into the spiritual domain and tells the stories of contemporary clergy and spiritual leaders who acted out their shadows in destructive ways, leaving their followers traumatized and lostWithin each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves, to awaken to our unity with all of life. Yet, no matter the spiritual path we choose, we inevitably encounter our own shadow, those unconscious aspects of ourselves that we suppress or deny, or the shadows of our teachers and their secret desires about money, sex, and power. Meeting the shadow can derail the journey, but, according to Connie Zweig, Ph.D., we can learn to recover from loss of faith and move from spiritual naivete to spiritual maturity.Calling on us to expand our vision of religious and spiritual life—and our vision of awakening—to include the human shadow, Zweig examines the yearning that sets us on the spiritual path, showing how it can lead to ecstatic, transcendent experiences or to terrible suffering by projecting it onto an authoritarian teacher, priest, or guru who abuses power. She tells the stories of renowned teachers—Sufi poet Rumi, Hindu master Ramakrishna, and Christian saint Catherine of Siena—whose lives unfolded as they followed their spiritual yearning. And she tells the cautionary tales of contemporary teachers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Catholicism, who acted out their shadows in devastating ways, leaving their followers traumatized and lost. She explains how meeting the shadow is a painful but inevitable stage on the path to a more mature spirituality. She describes how to use spiritual shadow-work to separate from abusive teachers, reclaim inner spiritual authority, and heal from betrayal.With guidance for both inspired and disillusioned seekers, the author explores how to navigate the narrow path through the darkness toward the light, rekindle the flame of longing, and once again engage in fulfilling spiritual practice.Connie Zweig, Ph.D., a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, is coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of the bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi. She has been practicing and teaching meditation for more than 50 years.https://conniezweig.com/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2790919/advertisement

Connie Zweig – Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual PathAired Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM ESTWithin each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves. Yet, no matter the spiritual path we choose, we inevitably encounter our own shadow. How may we use spiritual shadow-work to recover from spiritual betrayal and move from disillusionment to inspiration, and from spiritual naiveté to spiritual maturity.Returning as my guest on Vox Novus this week, Connie Zweig is known as “The Shadow Expert.” Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, is co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romantic the Shadow and author of the bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Story of the Great Sufi Poet Rumi. She has been practicing and teaching meditation for more than 50 years. Her website is https://conniezweig.com/ and she joins me this week to share her path and latest book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening.#ConnieZweig #VoxNovus #VictorFuhrmanVisit the Vox Novus Show Page https://omtimes.com/iom/shows/vox-novus/Connect with Victor Fuhrman at http://victorthevoice.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter https://omtimes.com/subscribe-omtimes-magazine/Connect with OMTimes on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Omtimes.Magazine/ and OMTimes Radio https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousRadiowebtv.OMTimes/Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmTimes/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omtimes/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2798417/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/omtimes/

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, is co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of the bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi. She has been practicing and teaching meditation for more than 50 years. Sign up for 10% off of Shrink Rap Radio CE credits at the Zur Institute  

Today we welcome the Shadow Expert, Dr. Connie Zweig. She is a retired therapist, writer, Climate Reality Leader, and Citizens Climate Lobbyist. She is the co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and the author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. Her latest book is called The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, which has won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction.In this episode, I talked to Dr. Connie Zweig about embracing the shadow. We often associate the shadow with negativity, but it's not necessarily bad or sinister. The shadow is composed of repressed feelings and messages in our unconscious, which can erupt out of control. According to Dr. Zweig, we must develop a conscious relationship with our shadow by doing inner work - especially as we age. As we near the end of our lives, it's crucial that we conduct a life review to help us repair emotionally and spiritually.Website: conniezweig.comTwitter: @innerworkofage Topics02:33 Dr. Connie's interest and expertise 06:17 What is “the shadow”? 12:54 How to confront the shadow14:22 The inner ageist18:44 Letting go of “doing” 24:01 Elder is a stage, not an age28:00 The purpose of a life review32:09 Emotional repair34:37 Depth psychology39:50 Spiritual repair47:12 From role to soul

Join Tasha Simms as she speaks with Connie Zweig, Ph.D., retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul,  extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging […] The post The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul appeared first on Conscious Living Radio.

Many of us fear aging. We suppose that the long slow slide on the other side of the hill is a negation of the one life we've been given to live. But what if it's the opposite? What if aging is our crowning glory, all that experience finally adding up to something: meaning, depth, and even wisdom? Judy Steiert trains "sage-ing" guides and leaders, and she herself mentors those who want to welcome aging, rather than to fear it. For those of us retiring from our jobs and facing the next chapter of our lives, this is good news. It's not the end.  It's a new beginning. Resources“The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul” by Connie Zweig; Park Street Press, 2021“From Age-ing to Sage-ing” by Zalman Schacter Shalomi; Balance (reprint edition), 2014Sage-ing International: https://www.sage-ing.orgPersonal LinksMy web site (where you can sign up for my blog): https://www.brianepearson.caMy email address: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comSeries Music Credit"Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2022

Connie Zweig, Ph.D. is a retired therapist and coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of the award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shift from role to soul.Mission Evolution with Gwilda Wiyaka is brought to you by Beautiful Mind Coffee, the coffee your brain will love. Visit www.beautifulmindcoffee.ca.

New Year is a global time of celebration and self-reflection. We let go of what's worn out and cheer on what's new and emergent. Here at TJL, we raised our glasses in gratitude. We crested 8 million downloads, implemented major enhancements to your Dream School experience, started crafting our first book, The Key Dreams, and expanded our creative team. It's been a year of dynamic growth, and we couldn't have done it without you! Our mission to share Jung's life-enhancing wisdom is advancing through your patronage, soulful participation, and kind-hearted enthusiasm. Your experiences are important to us, and we noticed the 2022 episodes you liked best. So to honor that, we're sharing some gems from those conversations. In Reality as Medicine, we explore the task of adapting to the truths of our inner and outer worlds. Finally, in Vocation: Answering the Call, we deepen Jung's comment, “In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential we embody, and if we do not embody that, life is wasted.” In Amor Fati: Love of One's Fate, we discuss the transformational shift that occurs when we embrace our fate and say the great “YES!” to our lives.  In Forgiveness or Fury: Finding a Way Forward, we offer a psychological definition of forgiveness and suggest that we can accept apology and remorse—if it's accompanied by introspection and greater self-understanding. We clarify that forgiveness is less about the other than self-liberation from the victim paradigm. When Jungian analyst Donald Kalsched joined us, we discussed Trauma and the Informed Heart. Don's wisdom, depth of understanding, and kindness move all of us. Connie Zweig led us through a profound exploration of The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. She lifted up the archetypal transition from Hero to Elder or role to soul. We learned this begins by releasing the ego's over-identification with doing and reorienting toward the transpersonal center Jung called the Self. REFERENCES: Donald Kalsched Connie Zweig  GIVE US A HAND! Hey folks, We need your help. Please become our patron and keep This Jungian Life podcast up and running: https://www.patreon.com/ThisJungianLife JUMP IN THE POOL - THE WATER'S FINE! We've created Dream School to teach others how to work with their dreams. A vibrant community has constellated around this mission, and we think you'll love it. Check it out: https://thisjungianlife.com/enroll/ RESOURCES: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisJungianLife/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisjungianlifepodcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisjungianlife/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThisJungianLife YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe8QSBLNlv765pT097FDeLA  Enroll in the Philadelphia Jungian Seminar and start your journey to becoming an analyst: https://www.cgjungphiladelphia.org/seminar.shtml 

Sheryl Glick host of Healing From Within Interviews Connie Zweig, a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, and author of her new book The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, which suggests that with extended longevity comes the opportunity to become an Elder, to leave behind past roles, shift from work in the outer world to inner work with the soul and become authentically who you are. Connie author of The Inner Work of Age will offer a radical reimaging of age for all generations, showing us how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around the key thresholds of later life, helping to attune one's soul longing and offering a transition to being a wise Elder, if you're lucky enough to pass through being a senior, and have the opportunity to repair the past, to be fully present, reclaim creativity and allow morality to be a teacher, and often to therefore become a force for change in the lives of others. Connie gives listeners a way to understand opportunities for our aging population and seniors, to appreciate the gift of longevity and the benefits as well as challenges that this chapter of life offers as well as prepare for it. https://conniezweig.com/ Learn more about Sheryl here: http://www.sherylglick.com/

Offering a radical reimagining of age for all generations, psychotherapist and bestselling author Connie Zweig reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life, attune to your soul's longing, and emerge renewed as an Elder filled with vitality and purpose. She explores the obstacles encountered in the transition to wise Elder and offers psychological shadow-work and diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness, move from self-rejection to self-acceptance, repair the past to be fully present, reclaim your creativity, and allow mortality to be a teacher. Sharing contemplative practices for selfreflection, she also reveals how to discover ways to share your talents and wisdom to become a force for change in the lives of others. Woven throughout with wisdom from prominent Elders this book offers tools and guidance to help you let go of past roles, expand your identity, deepen self-knowledge, and move through these life passages to a new stage of awareness, choosing to be fully real, transparent, and free to embrace a fulfilling late life. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, former columnist for Esquire magazine, and contributor to the LA Times. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is the coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. 

Offering a radical reimagining of age for all generations, psychotherapist and bestselling author Connie Zweig reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life, attune to your soul's longing, and emerge renewed as an Elder filled with vitality and purpose. She explores the obstacles encountered in the transition to wise Elder and offers psychological shadow-work and diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness, move from self-rejection to self-acceptance, repair the past to be fully present, reclaim your creativity, and allow mortality to be a teacher. Sharing contemplative practices for selfreflection, she also reveals how to discover ways to share your talents and wisdom to become a force for change in the lives of others. Woven throughout with wisdom from prominent Elders this book offers tools and guidance to help you let go of past roles, expand your identity, deepen self-knowledge, and move through these life passages to a new stage of awareness, choosing to be fully real, transparent, and free to embrace a fulfilling late life. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, former columnist for Esquire magazine, and contributor to the LA Times. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is the coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. 

Offering a radical reimagining of age for all generations, psychotherapist and bestselling author Connie Zweig reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life, attune to your soul's longing, and emerge renewed as an Elder filled with vitality and purpose. She explores the obstacles encountered in the transition to wise Elder and offers psychological shadow-work and diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness, move from self-rejection to self-acceptance, repair the past to be fully present, reclaim your creativity, and allow mortality to be a teacher. Sharing contemplative practices for selfreflection, she also reveals how to discover ways to share your talents and wisdom to become a force for change in the lives of others.Woven throughout with wisdom from prominent Elders this book offers tools and guidance to help you let go of past roles, expand your identity, deepen self-knowledge, and move through these life passages to a new stage of awareness, choosing to be fully real, transparent, and free to embrace a fulfilling late life.Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, former columnist for Esquire magazine, and contributor to the LA Times. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is the coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. 

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist and co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new bestselling book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won several prestigious awards. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shift from role to soul. Check out Connie's new book here: https://amzn.to/3uA7VcD. Visit her website at https://conniezweig.com. Check out Sister Jenna's new book, Meditation: Intimate Experiences with the Divine through Contemplative Practices. Listen to the Om Shanti album by Sister Jenna on Spotify. Visit www.americameditating.org and if you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us.

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul.

Get early access to our latest psychology lectures: http://bit.ly/new-talks5 Within us, the dim cavern of the unconscious holds our forbidden feelings, secret wishes, destructive impulses, and creative urges. Over time, these “dark” forces take on a life of their own, forming the Shadow. A recurring theme in literature and legend, the Shadow is like an invisible twin, a stranger that is us, yet not us. When it acts out, we hurt ourselves or others. As we bring it into awareness with shadow-work, it loses its grip on us and we experience deeper self-knowledge, greater authenticity, and greater choice over our thoughts and behaviors. We also discover that the contents of the Shadow are not all bad; even our undeveloped gifts, talents, and dreams lie dormant there–the gold in the dark side. This talk will explore the formation of shadow in childhood, the common ways we encounter the shadow in life, and how to “romance” it, or make a conscious relationship with it. The Shadow is not a problem to be solved; it's a mystery to be faced. -- Dr. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality, and a novel entitled ‘A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi'. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. -- This episode is sponsored by our upcoming Day on Changing Consciousness, taking place at the University of Greenwich on 26th June, 2022. This will be The Weekend University's first ‘in person' event in over two years, and it's shaping up to be a special occasion. The lectures will focus on consciousness paradigms that go beyond the brain, how they work, why they matter, and how understanding them can enhance your everyday experience of reality, with talks on: --> Panpsychism: Is Everything Conscious? - Dr Philip Goff, PhD --> From Ego-Centric to Eco-Centric: Changing Consciousness through Psychedelics - Dr Sam Gandy, PhD --> Is Reality an Illusion? - Professor Donald Hoffman, PhD (via live video link) By attending live, you can interact with the speakers in the Q&A sessions, connect with like-minded participants during the conference, and get CPD certification. Should you be unable to attend in person, you'll also be able to tune in from the comfort of home with a "Livestream Pass". As a listener of this podcast, you can get a discount on your ticket, if you go to https://bit.ly/ccj-twu, and use the discount code: POD when registering. -- Links: - Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events - Dr Connie Zweig, PhD website: https://conniezweig.com - Dr. Zweig's books: https://amzn.to/3Djvx6X

This week's guest is with the brilliant Connie Zweig, a retired therapist and coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of a Sufi Poet Rumi.  Connie's most recent bestselling book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shift from role to soul. We're exploring: What is the shadow of aging What the impact is on our culture of a shadow of aging The lessons of mortality awareness Why and how death is a teacher How come legacy is a gift The importance of doing our shadow work The connection of the individual shadow to the collective shadow  And SO MUCH MORE!   To connect with Connie, simply email her at conniezweig@gmail.com. Her books, including her latest bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, is available anywhere you buy books.    Connie also mentioned Wisdom Circles for those looking to do the Inner Work of Age together and you can get involved in one by emailing Connie. The 1 year training Connie mentioned in the episode (and recommended!) can be found here: https://www.sage-ing.org/.

Episode Guest: Connie Zweig, speaker, author, Certified Sage-ing Leader, and Climate Reality LeaderEpisode Description: Most of us learn that being independent, quick, productive, and strong are highly valued and result in rewards of approval and status. On the other hand, we understand that their opposite traits - dependent, slow, unproductive, and weak - are devalued and result in disapproval and shame. So, we dread the loss of these socially acceptable traits as we age, slow down, do less, and need others more. We deny the call to retire.If our images of and associations with retirement remain outside our awareness, dormant in the shadow, then we are blind to them. By learning to orient toward the unconscious and meet the shadows of age more consciously, we deepen our self-knowledge to include that which has been excluded for so long-a deferred dream, a secret desire, a hidden talent. Now, when the ego no longer reigns supreme, we can open ourselves and allow these banished feelings and fantasies to be heard. When our roles so clearly fall away, retirement is an opportunity for a profound shift in awareness. We can move our identity from doing, achievement, success, and image to our essential spiritual nature.In this episode, you will:Identify your unconscious images and fears of retirement.Identify your romantic fantasies of retirement.Determine if you are denying the call to retire.Identify an unconscious inner obstacle or shadow character that stops you from stopping.Learn some spiritual practices on the threshold of retirement.Discover the shift in identity from role to soul.About Connie Zweig:Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her newest book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she practices the shift from role to soul.Get in touch with Connie Zweig:Connie's website: https://conniezweig.com/ Connie's Handout: https://revolutionizeretirement.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Inner-Work-of-Retirement-HANDOUT.pdf Purchase Connie's book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul: https://revolutionizeretirement.com/roletosoul Grab our free guide, 10 Key Issues to Consider as You Explore Your Retirement Transition, at https://10keyretirementissues.com/ 

With extended longevity comes a chance to become a true wisdom elder. To leap from adulthood to elderhood we're challenged to uncover our unconscious denials and resistances around repairing the past and reclaiming our creativity thus revealing ways to discover and share our talents and wisdom to become a force for change in ourselves and in the lives of others. Connie Zweig is a psychotherapist and has been initiated into Elderhood as a certified Sage-ing leader. She is known as an expert in Shadow Work and uncovering our inner shadow. Although she is retired from clinical practice, she leads online workshops listed on her website which is also populated with many activities, blogs, videos, and audio references. She is the author of several books including Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature (Tarcher/Perigee 1991 reprint iUniverse 2017), with (Steve Wolf, PhD.) Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital Authentic Life (Wellspring/Ballantine; Reprint edition 1999), A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi (a novel) (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers 2006), The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. (Park Street Press 2021)Interview Date: 2/14/2022 Tags: Connie Zweig, aging, senior, elder, longevity, ageism, unconscious, shadow work, inner ageist, regret, inner life review, outer life review, self-hate, productivity, depression, Ari Goldfield, wisdom, Anna Douglas, mindfulness, not good enough, inner sight, Bill McKibbon, Third Act, Citizens Climate Lobby, Elders Action Network, Encore.org, Sage-ing International, Sage-ing.org, Moses, Wisdom Circles, Aging, Personal Transformation, Spirituality

Connie Zweig is a psychotherapist and has been initiated into elderhood as a certified Sage-ing leader. She is known as an expert in Shadow Work and uncovering our inner shadow. Although she is retired from clinical practice, she leads online workshops listed on her website which is also populated with many activities, blogs, videos, and audio references. She is the author of several books including: Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature (Tarcher/Perigee 1991 reprint iUniverse 2017), with (Steve Wolf, PhD.) Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital Authentic Life (Wellspring/Ballantine; Reprint edition 1999), A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi (a novel) (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers 2006) and The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. (Park Street Press 2021)Interview Date: 2/14/2022 Tags: Connie Zweig, aging, longevity, senior, elder, letting go of control, impermanence, unconscious shadow, need to be right, deep listening, perfectionism, not being enough, having an impact, study circles on aging, Wisdom Circles, Sage-ing, Aging, Personal Transformation, Spirituality

Finding meaning and fulfillment in the second half of life requires us to make a conscious transition. We must explore “the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life” if we are to be happy as elders.  In this episode, psychotherapist and author Connie Zweig, PhD talks with Andrew about how to become an elder who is filled with purpose and vitality. She explains the concept of “shadow-work”, and how it can help you: ⚡️Repair the past and be fully present ⚡️Accept yourself as you are ⚡️Rediscover the creativity you may have lost along the way. ⚡️Move “from role to soul”. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, writer, and Climate Reality Leader. Known as the Shadow Expert, she has written several books about shadow-work, as well as her newest best-seller on aging as a spiritual practice, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. The Inner Work of Age won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction.  Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years, and is a wife, stepmother and grandmother. After all these roles, she's practicing the shift from role to soul.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. If you're interested in joining one of Dr Connie Zweig's groups, you can email her at The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Take a look at Dr Connie Zweig's other books  Visit Dr Connie Zweig's website  Follow Dr Connie Zweig on Twitter @InnerWorkofAge and on Facebook at @Dr.ConnieZweig. Get Andrew's advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew's blog “How To Avoid the Silver Divorce” Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

You won’t want to miss today’s conversation. On today’s episode, I speak with the incredible Connie Zweig Ph.D., a retired therapist and writer. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. Her new bestselling book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she’s practicing the shift from role to soul. We talk about the following and much more: ✅ What the shadow is, and why the shadow is something we often don’t talk about ✅ Why she started the book Romancing the Shadow with the story of the Portrait of Dorian Gray ✅ How our family dynamics, and societal dynamics contribute to the development and later the suppression of our shadows ✅ What the family shadow, the family soul and the sibling shadow are and how they play out ✅ Why she says there is “gold in the shadow”. ✅ What usually happens when people start to romance their shadows. Please tag us and tell us what you loved! You can follow @Gateways_To_Awakening on Instagram or Facebook if you’d like to stay connected. As always we appreciate reviews on Apple.

You won’t want to miss today’s conversation. On today’s episode, I speak with the incredible Connie Zweig Ph.D., a retired therapist and writer. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. Her new bestselling book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she’s practicing the shift from role to soul. We talk about the following and much more: ✅ How to explore the shadow in older age ✅ The three portals of age and why they are important ✅ Why retirement is a blessing, and what she suggests people do once they are entering retirement ✅ The process of the “review of your lived and unlived life”. Please tag us and tell us what you loved! You can follow @Gateways_To_Awakening on Instagram or Facebook if you’d like to stay connected. As always we appreciate reviews on Apple.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr Connie Zweig to discuss her latest publication The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Among many other topics, Connie discusses what it means to transform into an Elder, confronting the inner ageist, the spirituality of aging, the moral voice of the elder, earth elders and activism, and aging as a rite of passage. Support Rebel Spirit Radio https://paypal.me/rebelspiritradio Connie Zweig, Ph.D. https://conniezweig.com/ The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul Inner Traditions https://www.innertraditions.com/books/the-inner-work-of-age Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/books/the-inner-work-of-age-shifting-from-role-to-soul/9781644113400 Connect with Rebel Spirit on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebelspiritradio Twitter: @RebelSpiritRad Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebelspiritradio/ https://www.rebelspiritradio.com

Connie Zweig: Growing Whole: The Inner Work of AgeAired Monday, April 11, 2022 at 11:00 AM PST / 2:00 PM EST / 7:00 PM GMT / 8:00 PM CETThe great existential philosopher Kierkegaard said, “We live life forward but understand it backward.” With extended longevity comes the opportunity for vast personal growth and spiritual development. Yes, you now have the chance to become an Elder, leave behind past roles, shift from work in the outer world to inner work with the soul, and live more authentically. Much of this inner work is tuning into our Voice. As we learn to express ourselves more freely and clearly, we start integrating more and more pieces of who we indeed are.Getting older is a time to tell our stories, slow down and cherish. Many elders are drawn to their stories with great urgency. Reminiscing of days gone by. Others drop into silence. To many, they appear lost in the past. But are they? Fifty years ago, experts in aging believed that this reminiscence was a sign of senility. Now we know better.Join Voice Visionary and Award-Winning Author Connie Zweig as they talk about how important our Voice is in guiding us through the later years of life. What tools do we have to embrace getting older? For example, by consciously creating a life review, whether spoken or written, can we heal unresolved conflicts, makes amends, forgive others, and most importantly ourselves? A tremendous amount of energy can be set free for creative expression by embracing a holistic approach to aging. Connie Zweig's award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, reminds us that it is up to us to not merely grow old but to grow whole.#ConnieZweig #GrowingWhole #VoiceRising #KaraJohnstadConnect with Connie Zweig at https://conniezweig.com/To get in touch with Kara go to http://www.karajohnstad.com/Visit the Voice Rising show page https://omtimes.com/iom/shows/voice-rising/Subscribe to our Newsletter https://omtimes.com/subscribe-omtimes-magazine/Connect with OMTimes on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Omtimes.Magazine/ and OMTimes Radio https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousRadiowebtv.OMTimes/Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmTimes/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omtimes/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2798417/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/omtimes/

Ep. 19 | Connie Zweig, Ph.D., Elder, award-winning author, and Shadow expert, has provided us with a rare gift in her recent book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Upon discovering there was a surprising lack of any information, resources, or even language with which to contextualize the inner work of aging and the crucial rite of passage to elderhood, Connie has given us just that. In this conversation, we come face to face with our own inner ageist shadow character and we learn that if we do the inner work, we can make the all-important shift from doing to being, let go of our roles, begin to identify with our spiritual nature, and open the door of our awareness to further developmental stages. Rather than becoming seniors in decline, Connie illuminates who we can become as elders. “The world needs elders now: for their compassion, their gratitude, their generosity, their skills, their shadow awareness, and their spiritual development. The world is starved for this nourishment.” Recorded on October 6, 2021. “There is a whisper, a restless longing, inside of people for something more.” Topics & Time StampsThe surprising lack of information, language, and context for inner soul work for those of us living beyond midlife (03:44) Connie realizing her own “ageist” bias, and how ageism is internalized from our culture (08:08) The first inner obstacle to overcome on our way to elderhood is the Inner Ageist shadow character (10:06)  Internalized ageism affects our health, cognitive and physical, quality of life, and longevity and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (10:44) Challenges that elders face specific to our time (12:15) Aging from the inside out, from “role to soul,” doing contemplative practice and inner work, turning in, is available to all regardless of circumstance (15:32) What practices and spiritual experiences have led Connie on the wisdom path? (19:49) Connie's primary practice now: gratitude (23:07) What can we become, as elders? (24:39) Aging is a crucial rite of passage; it becomes a developmental process if we're open to doing the inner work (28:38) A door opens for us to ask again, Who am I? Who am I now? (31:26) From role to soul: what is the soul? And letting go of our roles (33:07) Differences in the ways masculine and feminine types tend to struggle with letting go of roles (35:58) Holy longing: the calling to be something more and the suffering that is caused when we don't fulfill our higher needs (38:12) Gerotranscendence: a spontaneous movement towards a transcendent perspective as people age (43:31) The shadow defined and the shadow of spirituality (45:32) How can we improve our capacity to work with the shadow? (49:14) The world needs elders now (51:12) Resources & ReferencesRoger Walsh & Frances Vaughan, https://amzn.to/3thMv3K (Paths Beyond Ego)* Connie Zweig & Jeremiah Abrams, https://amzn.to/3qbsNo2 (Meeting the Shadow)* Connie Zweig & Steve Wolf, https://amzn.to/3iecWkr (Romancing the Shadow)* Connie Zweig, https://amzn.to/3Jlh4Ld (Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality)* Connie Zweig, https://amzn.to/3u45CgL (The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul)* https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/fr-thomas-keating/ (Father Thomas Keating) https://ysph.yale.edu/profile/becca_levy/ (Becca Levy, PhD )studied ageism at Yale and how it affects our health, quality of life, and longevity Margaret Mead, https://amzn.to/3u5L9Iw (Culture and Commitment: A Study of the Generation Gap)* https://www.ramdass.org/turning-inward-with-ram-dass/ (Turning Inward with Ram Dass) (shifting from roles to souls) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_psychology (Depth Psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta (Vedanta), one of the 6 schools of Hindu philosophy Abraham Maslow, https://amzn.to/3u5JrqA (A Theory of Human Motivation)* “https://www.poetseers.org/the-great-poets/european-poets/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-holy-longing/ (The...

Dr. Connie Zweig and Raghu investigate the lifelong process of aging through the lens of 'shadow awareness' and 'shifting from role to soul.'Connie Zweig, PhD, is a bestselling author who has retired from clinical practice, and has been initiated into Elderhood as a Certified Sage-ing Leader. She is extending her work into late life for Baby Boomers with The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. As co-author of Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: Illuminating the Dark Side of the Soul, Dr. Connie has come to be known as a guide who can go where others fear to tread. For more info and to join Dr. Connie's Wisdom Circle communities, please visit, ConnieZweig.com.Sign up for an in-depth reworking of Ram Dass' infamous '74 Naropa Lectures, in our new Bhagavad Gita Course starting March 14th!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep #173 - Who Am I? That can be a weighty question and one I tackle in today's episode with my guest Connie Zweig. Connie is a retired psychotherapist who was recently initiated into Elder-hood as a Certified Sage-ing Leader. She is also the author of, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul.  She and I discuss the shadow side that we all have and often times hide from. As we approach the latter part of our lives, it is important to ask ourselves, “Who am I?”  The answer may surprise you. The shadow side can reveal quite a bit about who we are and how we respond to this question. Connie's book is a guide to working through the inner obstacles of later life and embracing the spiritual gifts of aging. Her book offers many diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness and move from self-rejection to self-acceptance allowing mortality to be your teacher. To order Connie's book visit: barnesandnoble.com/w/the-inner-work-of-age To learn more about Connie: ConnieZweig.com Visit my website to learn more about what I do: SusanBurrell.com

​​By tuning in to this interview you will receive a new perspective with which to view aging, and how we can reverse the old phrase “getting old sucks” to see the valuable lessons we can learn as we live longer.This week, on The Conscious Consultant Hour, Sam welcomes Author and Therapist, Connie Zweig, Ph.D.Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality, and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. It won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul.Sam and Connie will be discussing all the spiritual gifts of aging. Blogging at: https://medium.com/@conniezweig Website: https://conniezweig.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drconniezweig/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReinventingAgeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.ConnieZweig/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdvX4rtyOC4SA75JU98qaA?view_as=subscriber Tune in for this enlightening conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here. Segment 1Sam reads a section from his book Everyday Awakening. This section is called “The Kinder We are with Ourselves, The Easier it is to Take Responsibility.'' He talks about how many people go through fear when taking responsibility for our actions and words. Some of this fear is about being hard on ourselves and judgment. We fear making mistakes. But he says that we should be kinder to ourselves and everyone else. We are all human and humans make mistakes. Sam says that this doesn't mean that we are letting ourselves off the hook, but he points out that we are not as kind and compassionate to others because we aren't like this to ourselves. When we become more gentle with ourselves, it's easier to forgive others and communicate with others as well as ourselves for mistakes when we all try to do better and take responsibility for what we do. Sam introduces his guest, Connie Zweig, a retired therapist, and author of her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie says that she was a journalist before getting her PHD in psychology. She was also in the publishing business for a decade. She was writing while also doing her private practice. Connie also studied the psychology of the unconscious rooted in Freud and Jung. She wanted to explore more about shadow work, especially since at the time there weren't a lot of books about it.Segment 2Sam asks Connie about what gave her the idea to write a book about aging and the work around it. She says that in her late 60s, when retiring from her therapy practice, she started to feel out of place and ask things like “who am I?” We know about the midlife crisis, but no one really talks about the late life crisis. She also mentions that today, everyone focuses on productivity and work. Connie says that there is an unconscious side of us that internalizes ageism and so there are people in this stage of their life who may not be able to accept their age and change in their life. Sam talks about how in the United States there's  culture that idolizes youth, which affects how we think about ourselves. Connie says that all of the aspects of being human that carry the parts that are seen as negative, like aging, go into the “shadow”, and we deny them. She talks about ageism and how it's seen in communities and institutions. Sam talks about her new book and it's different sections. One of them is called “The Divine Messenger.” Connie talks about a legend where a young prince was very sheltered and didn't see any suffering because he was kept inside the palace. One day he escaped and was shocked by what he saw on the outside. He saw an eldery, ill person, and a corpse. She says this gives an awakening to realize that life is temporary in this way, shown by the physical changes that happen to everyone.Segment 3Connie and Sam continue discussing her new book. They talk about the pandemic bringing awareness. Many people experienced loss and brought awareness of the risk and vulnerability that we all have. She also brings up an interesting concern that in a couple of years, when hopefully the pandemic is managed even better, that many people will forget about this awareness and that it will go back into the “unconscious.” She says that she's met people who do not let themselves grieve. But everyone handles grieving differently. Connie and Sam also discuss how age is seen differently in cultures and communities. Connie speaks about indigenous cultures that have a different relationship to the eldery and recognizes the transition into elderhood as a transition about storytelling, memories, and values. In her book she writes that when we become aware about our immortality, we search for what we believe in and what we do such as spirituality, look for a certain community, or religion. Connie also speaks about the subtitle of her book, Shifting from Role to Soul. She discusses how for most of our lives, we focus on the roles we have; we are a brother, sister, wife, husband, cousin, therapist, etc. Through time, these roles disappear. Her book includes practices to shift from our roles to who we really are as a person, as a human being.Segment 4Coming back from the final break, Connie and Sam continue their conversation about aging. Connie says that age is our curriculum. All the challenges that we have can be worked with. We can see things like caregiving as a spiritual practice. She says that we have a lot of challenges, whether mental or physical. But we have tools that can help us reach new stages of awareness. Connie and Sam also discuss the idea that “aging sucks.” Connie says that there are very difficult topics about aging. She says that the whole truth about this stage of life is important to be aware about. Connie also talks about working with her own inner ageism and the challenges she went through, which she also discusses in her book. Connie gives some advice to those who are struggling with challenges about coming to terms with aging. She talks about meditation, and choosing a cause and community working in an area that you are passionate about. She also says to ask yourself, if you are on your deathbed now, what would you be regretting about what you never said or done. How can you change that now to be at peace in your life and towards the end? Before closing the show, Sam asks Connie about who is an elder that she has seen as a role model and looked up to. She mentions Ram Dass. She credits him as someone who she borrowed the phrase “role to soul” from. She says that she is very grateful to him for being a role model for her and her generation. You can learn more about Connie at conniezweig.com, and Dr. Connie Zweig on Facebook and Linkedin. Sam thanks Connie for joining him today and sharing more about her new book as it is very insightful!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-conscious-consultant-hour8505/donations

Aging. It doesn't have to be something to dread, rather it's something to embrace, so please join me in welcoming #ConnieZweig, discussing her latest book, “The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from ROLE to SOUL.” Connie incorporates teachings from what she calls “divine messengers,” including Buddha, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Kirtan Chant Leader Krishna Das, and others, and she talks about how to embrace illness, retirement, living in the present, to embracing new relationships as we age. The book is filled with spiritual wisdom on how to age from the inside out, so I hope you'll join me for this important conversation with Connie, so we can all learn the wisdom behind the gift of aging. #DeborahKobyltLIVE on all video and audio platforms. #DeborahZaraKobylt

For the past 30 years, Dr. Connie Zweig  has been a pioneer in fields of shadow work and meditation practice.   Her latest book, The Inner Work Of Age: Shifting From Role To Soul has  been a bestseller on Amazon for months.   You can check it out here: https://amzn.to/3qvTFjuShe is also co-author of Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: Illuminating the Dark Side of the Soul, and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality.You can find out more on her website, https://conniezweig.com/Clint Sabom is Creative Director of Contemplative Light. He lived in Budapest, Hungary in 2003 as a Gilman Scholar. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese. In 2007, he lived for six months in a silent monastery.. He holds bachelor's degrees in Religious Studies and one in Spanish literature. He has traveled extensively through Europe and South America. He has spoken and/or performed at Amnesty International, Health Conferences, High Schools, and art galleries across the US. He has studied and done in his own work in Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Shamanism, NLP, and hypnosis.  Support the show (https://contemplativelight.org/)

Can extended longevity bring the opportunity for extended personal and spiritual growth? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with Connie Zweig, Ph.D., on her new #book The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul.Moments with Marianne airs Live in the Los Angeles area on KMET 1490AM & 98.1 FM, ABC Talk Radio! Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, former columnist for Esquire magazine, and contributor to the LA Times. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is the coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. https://conniezweig.com

Dr. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., retired Jungian-psychotherapist and author, joins us to discuss her new book, The Inner Work of Age. She extends her well-known work on shadow into midlife and beyond and provides a map for uncovering obstacles to aging consciously. The transition from Hero to Elder, or role to soul, begins with releasing the ego's identification with doing and reorienting toward the transpersonal center that Jung called the Self. As we let go of outworn personas and roles, harvest the wisdom of our long lives, and break free of unconscious shadows, the Elder's gift of authenticity naturally emerges. In this way, individuation, the deeper dimension of age, can be expanded along with our expanding longevity. This renewed purpose is the hidden promise of late-life.  Here's the dream we analyze: “I was sitting at the front of a moving bus that was full of a friend's family after a ceremony, maybe a wedding or a funeral. I was sitting facing backward so I could be part of the congregation. They announced they would shortly bring out my friend's grandmother's exhumed body for the dancing ritual. I wasn't sure I'd have the guts to take part but wanted to wait until I saw her grandmother to make my decision. She was brought out in a sheer black veil, through which I could see her body had shriveled to a tiny frame, almost a skeleton but preserved as if she had been embalmed. Her family took turns joyously and carefully waltzing down the aisle of the bus with her, and everyone gazed upon the ritual with loving delight. I decided I would just watch this time. My friend was gently handed her grandmother's corpse whilst sitting in her seat behind me. She held her in her lap and we had a conversation, during which my friend's face and her grandmother's became indistinguishable. My friend appeared both living and dead at the same time, her face hollowed and decomposed but animated and lively.” REFERENCES: Connie Zweig. The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1644113406/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ZCW0Z73PAQTREBXS1206 RESOURCES: Learn to Analyze your own Dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/enroll/

We all have lots of questions surrounding what is next for us after we "retire" from our careers.     How do we define ourselves? What kind of support do we have and/or need? Are we financially prepared? How do we stay healthy or improve our health?    All of these questions were discussed by the panel in this episode of the podcast. Some of the key take-aways:    1. Have honest discussions with your financial advisor, attorney, insurance agent as your are preparing to retire. 2. Have honest discussions with your partner as their idea of retirement may be different from yours. 3. Your changing identity becomes who you are rather than what you do, and this can be challenging and takes time. 4. Move into this next adventure with your eyes and your heart wide open. 5. Embrace the process of letting go. 6. Change can be scary Transition group coaching begins Feb. 22nd.    For more information, email me at wendy@heyboomer.biz  Books mentioned in this podcast:    The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, by Connie Zweig  Lastingness: The Art of Old Age, by Nicholas Delbanco  The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done , by Kendra Adachi

Shifting from Role to Soul: Dr. Connie Zweig With extended longevity comes the opportunity for extended personal growth and spiritual development. You now have the chance to become an Elder, to leave behind past roles, shift from work in the outer world to inner work with the soul, and become authentically who you are. This book is a guide to help get past the inner obstacles and embrace the hidden spiritual gifts of age. Offering a radical reimagining of age for all generations, psychotherapist and bestselling author Connie Zweig reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life, attune to your soul's longing, and emerge renewed as an Elder filled with vitality and purpose. She explores the obstacles encountered in the transition to wise Elder and offers psychological shadow-work and diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness, move from self-rejection to self-acceptance, repair the past to be fully present, reclaim your creativity, and allow mortality to be a teacher. Sharing contemplative practices for self-reflection, she also reveals how to discover ways to share your talents and wisdom to become a force for change in the lives of others. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her brand new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. www.conniezweig.com Learn more about Simran here: www.iamsimran.com www.1111mag.com/

With a longer life expectancy than humans have ever experienced before, retirement today is about much more than money. But a challenge we face during this transition is living in a culture that worships youth and disparages the elder.    That is part of the reason why there has been little guidance for those of us preparing for the next chapter of life. In today's episode, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., explains why this stage of life is unprecedented in human history—and how we can shift our mindset to reimagine how we want to live.   Connie is a retired therapist and author. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. She joins me to examine the unconscious into midlife and beyond. We discussed:   Why typical coping methods for a midlife crisis don't apply to retirement How the unconscious impacts the way we experience big life transitions The importance of ritualizing your retirement as a right of passage Why baby boomers are experiencing a new and unknown stage of life The effects of internalized ageism that we carry with us through our lifespan How to avoid bringing external and internal noise into our relationships.   Links https://conniezweig.com/ https://medium.com/@conniezweig

Connie Zweig joins us today to chat about her latest book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Also, Kurt Koontz guides readers through his three journeys to India in vivid, poignant detail.

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul.

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul.

Face to Face with Connie ZweigLive on OMTimes Radio Thursday, October 28, 2021, at 10:30 PST / 1:30 PM ESTWatch the Livestream on the No BS Spiritual Book Club on Facebook, OMTimes Radio & TV Facebook, or OMTimesTV Youtube Connie Zweig PhD is a retired therapist who is known as a guide who can go where others fear to tread. A renowned expert in shadow work, she is co-author of Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: Illuminating the Dark Side of the Soul, as well as the author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. Now in her latest book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, Connie is reinventing age by showing baby boomers how to master late life from the inside out, and learn that aging can be a spiritual experience that takes us across the threshold from role to soul.#ConnieZweig #SandieSedgbeer #NoBSSpiritualBookClubhttps://www.facebook.com/sandiesedgbeer | https://www.facebook.com/groups/nobsspiritualbookclubhttps://www.thenobsspiritualbookclub.comVisit the NO BS Spiritual Book Club Page https://omtimes.com/iom/shows/the-no-bs-spiritual-book-club/Connect with Sandie Sedgbeer at https://www.sedgbeer.comSubscribe to our Newsletter https://omtimes.com/subscribe-omtimes-magazineConnect with OMTimes on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Omtimes.Magazine and OMTimes Radio https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousRadiowebtv.OMTimesTwitter: https://twitter.com/OmTimesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/omtimes/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2798417/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/omtimes/

Aging into Awakening Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital, Authentic Life, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality, and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Story of the Great Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. Website: conniezweig.com Email: conniezweig@gmail.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded October 22, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Connie Zweig is a psychotherapist, former executive editor at Jeremy P Tarcher Publishing, a columnist for Esquire Magazine and a contributor to the LA Times, the author and co-author of several books on the psychology of the shadow. Her newest book is the Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. In this episode Rami and Zweig discuss aging and midlife, fear, changing careers, cultivating deeper awareness, and more.  “During our midlife period of life, we're all empire-building. We're building families and careers and our ego development is peaking. Then as those responsibilities begin to fall away, whether it's in our 50s, or 60s, 70s, or 80s, and there's a shift in the structure of our days and the demands and the stress on us, most people get disoriented. They don't know where to turn. They don't know what's meaningful to them anymore.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Connie Zweig is a psychotherapist, former executive editor at Jeremy P Tarcher Publishing, a columnist for Esquire Magazine and a contributor to the LA Times, the author and co-author of several books on the psychology of the shadow. Her newest book is the Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. In this episode Rami and Zweig discuss aging and midlife, fear, changing careers, cultivating deeper awareness, and more.  “During our midlife period of life, we're all empire-building. We're building families and careers and our ego development is peaking. Then as those responsibilities begin to fall away, whether it's in our 50s, or 60s, 70s, or 80s, and there's a shift in the structure of our days and the demands and the stress on us, most people get disoriented. They don't know where to turn. They don't know what's meaningful to them anymore.”

Secure, loving relationships are the cornerstone of happiness. The deeper and more intimate our relationships the less we have to resent and regret as we age. Many consider becoming an adult to be a number we grow into, but our chronological age differs vastly from what it means to mature. To explore processes that assist us in overcoming our childhood triggers and unconscious shadows, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two adults who examine what creates a purposeful life as we live and age. Dr. Connie Zweig is a retired therapist and Elder who explains the key processes from her book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Ira Israel is a Coach, Counselor, and Therapist who discusses what it means to be a successful adult and the goal of his book, How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You Are an Adult.

In this special episode, Steve Hasenberg and Cali Alpert welcome psychotherapist and best-selling author Connie Zweig, Ph.D., for a conversation about her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. We discuss the inner obstacles of late life and how to embrace the spiritual gifts of aging, including moving from self-rejection to self-acceptance, repairing past hurts, and exploring the resistance to later life chapters that can pave the way for a more peaceful and joyous aging process.

Ep#075  Fed up with fad diets and fake wellness? Christine Okezie is on a mission to guide you to approach your food and self care challenges from a genuinely "whole-istic" perspective.  She's passionate about you having the right tools to understand the deeper soul truths in your health challenges so you can feel empowered in your body and in your life.As I often say, caring for your body yields a certain level of health, caring for your mind and emotions yields really positive results, but when you work at the soul level and step into the spiritual domain, that's the gold.  Genuine vitality comes from an experience of your true self, detaching from the unconscious beliefs that obstruct the essence of who and what you really are. What if aging  was a portal to discovering our true self?  My special guest is giving people life changing tools to embrace aging as an advanced stage of human development, the next spiritual frontier.  I speak with Connie Zweig, PhD,  retired Jungian psychotherapist, writer and bestselling author about her latest book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul  where is she invites us to confront our unconscious beliefs around aging and reimagine later life as an enriching opportunity to experience more presence, to loosen the grip of our busy ego and to trade the image of youth for the depth of age. Dr. Zweig has led seminars nationwide on meditation, spirituality and Shadow Work, helping people let go of past roles, deepen self-knowledge and step into a more expansive and authentic sense of self. Vist Her Website: https://conniezweig.comBuy the Book:   The Inner Work of Age; Shifting From Role To Soul Check Out Her Upcoming Online Workshops:  https://conniezweig.com

With Musical Guests, Instrumentalists, and Award Winning Recording Artists, Suzanne Teng and Gilbert Levy on The LIFE CHANGES Show Ep651 Titled, “How Aging Can Be Beautiful;” with Guest, Author of The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, Retired Therapist, and Elder, Connie Zweig, Ph.D. This Episode Features Guest: CONNIE ZWEIG, PH.D.; and Musical Guests: SUZANNE TENG and GILBERT LEVY

Reinventing Age with Connie Zweig, PhDAired Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 4:00 PM PST / 7:00 PM ESTIt's a truism that we all want to live a long and productive life, but none of us wants to grow older… And while we may say age is just a number, deep inside most of us harbour secret fears and perceptions about the meaning of those words “old” & “ageing”––which we too often equate with failing health, cognitive decline, and the feeling of being put out to grass because we are no longer useful or important.The fact is age discrimination is rampant in many societies and cultures … And we too are guilty of being ageists simply for harbouring such negative thoughts. But according to this week's guest, there are many hidden treasures and spiritual benefits that can be found in aging.Connie Zweig PhD is a retired therapist who is known as a guide who can go where others fear to tread. A renowned expert in shadow work, she is co-author of Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: Illuminating the Dark Side of the Soul, and author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality. Now, in her latest book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, Connie Zweig is reinventing age by showing baby boomers how to master late life from the inside out, and learn that aging can be a spiritual experience that take us across the threshold from role to soul.Connect with Connie at https://conniezweig.com/Visit the What Is Going OM show page https://omtimes.com/iom/shows/what-is-going-omConnect with Sandie Sedgbeer at https://www.sedgbeer.com#ConnieZweig #ReinventingAge #WhatIsGoingOM #SandieSedgbeer #Lifestyle

Does it seem like society is obsessed with youth? Do you find yourself questioning as you go into middle age and beyond? Well, why not embrace older age? Today's guest, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist and author who says it's possible to thrive as we age. It's time to re-define the process, as we are essentially “aging” from the moment we are born. Her latest book is “The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul.”  She is an expert in “the shadow” and has written numerous books about that topic. Today she talks about extending shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years and she also notes the importance of meditation in daily life. Info: conniezweig.com

Achieving the financial security to retire is a big milestone. But you're not done. There's inner work to be done to move into this next phase of life. Retired psychotherapist and bestselling author Connie Zweig joins our retirement podcast to discuss her new book The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul - and her insights on how reflection and contemplation can be valuable practices in your transition. We discuss: How retirement can be a catalyst for an inner journey to reimagine life What the words retire and yoga have in common The obstacles often encountered on this inner journey - and what Shadow Work is How an Identity Crisis following retirement is different from a Mid-life Crisis Why letting go is important – and challenging Her own journey in retiring as a therapist – and what it's taught her What she's learned from grandparenting What an Elder is – and how one becomes one How people can come to view retirement as a spiritual journey The main message of her new book The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul Connie joins us from California. __________________________ Thank You Thanks to our wise guests and loyal listeners The Retirement Wisdom Podcast is among the top 3% in popularity globally according to Listen Notes. __________________________ Bio Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. __________________________ Wise Quotes On Letting Go "My framework in the book is that the shift from senior to Elder in late life is a rite of passage. And we don't have rites of passage for elders in our culture, right? It just doesn't exist. So there are three stages of every rite of passage - and the first stage is letting go. And that might mean letting go of outworn roles or attitudes, letting go of outworn beliefs, or self-images or relationships that don't work - or jobs, or finances, or goals of some kind. And so letting go at every stage of life is hard because as humans, we bond, and we get attached. And with our egos to try to control everything. But to become an Elder, we actually need to let go of the Ego's agenda and step into a different speed limit, a different pace of life, a different sense of flow. I call it from Obligation to Flow - and we need to let go of the past. A lot of people are clinging to the past, feel regret about the past, and need to give and receive forgiveness about the past. So there's a chapter about how to do the emotional work to help us let go of the past so that we can live fully in the present because many people don't know how to do that. They don't really know how to be here and enjoy it fully." On Becoming an Elder "I think this is very individual, but what I explore in the book is that everyone becomes a senior with a Medicare birthday, but becoming an elder is not an age. It's a stage. It requires intention and what I call inner work so that there's a certain level of self-knowledge and awareness and ways of relating and a desire to give to the common good. Some people are Activists Elders, and some are Creative Elders and some are Spiritual Elders. So we can transmit the knowledge of our lives in many different ways, but there is this impulse of generosity to give back." On a Life Review "There are lots of tools in the book. The last person I spoke with before you today said, she's having to really chew it and digest it. It's not a quick read.

Conversation starts @ 3:01 In this episode, John interviews author, book editor, meditation teacher, and psychotherapist, Dr. Connie Zweig. We begin by exploring Connie's history with meditation and the value and importance that she places on maintaining a practice in order to be present with the often overwhelming affect of inner work. She cites the necessity of body practice to work with the shadow – the content, traits, memories, and affects that does not fit into the ego-ideal. Why do this? Because, as she states, “Shadow work is the process of development.” We can learn to become aware of these inner figures by personifying them to relate to them in ways that provides us an opportunity to integrate the content rather than act it out. We continue the conversation with the ways in which we identify with the shadow, the structure of the psyche, the origins of the shadow character, the protective aspects of shadow, ego development, family of origin, agism, the body/mind relationship, repression, consequences of shadow repression, identification with roles, becoming an elder, rites of passage, age as our curriculum, life completion, and more. Bio: Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow, Romancing the Shadow, Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality, and the novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. https://conniezweig.com Website for The Sacred Speaks: http://www.thesacredspeaks.com WATCH: YouTube for The Sacred Speaks https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOAuksnpfht1udHWUVEO7Rg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesacredspeaks/ @thesacredspeaks Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesacredspeaks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesacredspeaks/ Brought to you by: https://www.thecenterforhas.com WATCH Get Centered https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdbeVcDXWXezYMkHJg-2duw Theme music provided by: http://www.modernnationsmusic.com

Connie Zweig – The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to SoulAired Thursday, September 16, 2021, at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM ESTWith extended longevity comes the opportunity for extended personal growth and spiritual development. How may “seniors” transition into “elders”, leave behind past roles, shift from work in the outer world to inner work with the soul, and find new purpose and authenticity?My guest this week on Vox Novus, Connie Zweig, offers a radical reimagining of age for all generations. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, former executive editor at J. P. Tarcher Publishing, former columnist, and author. Known as the “Shadow Expert”, her books include Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her website is https://conniezweig.com/ and she joins me this week to share her path and new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul.Visit the Vox Novus Show Page https://omtimes.com/iom/shows/vox-novus/Connect with Victor Fuhrman at http://victorthevoice.com/#ConnieZweig #TheInnerWorkOfAge #VoxNovus #VictorFuhrman

This week, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., discusses her forthcoming book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from ROLE to SOUL. [Read more...] The post Encore Presentation: Connie Zweig, Ph.D., Discusses Her New Book, “The Inner Work of Age” appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.

This week, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., discusses her forthcoming book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from ROLE to SOUL. [Read more...] The post Encore Presentation: Connie Zweig, Ph.D., Discusses Her New Book, “The Inner Work of Age” appeared first on .

WATCH THIS NOW HIGHLIGHTS: - What is the spirit of aging? - Getting older and breaking through #denial - Age and your value - #Conscious and positive aging - #Online opportunities for #elders This episode is about The Inner Work of Age. My guest is Connie Zweig, Ph.D., who is a retired therapist, and has contributed articles to Esquire magazine and the Los Angeles Times and holds a doctorate in Depth Psychology. Connie is the co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her latest book is, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, which extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. To learn more: https://conniezweig.com/ DARE TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY. Debbi Dachinger puts the ‘inspiration‘ back into podcasts in an award-winning show that is your #1 transformation conversation. Award-winning "Dare to Dream" podcast, enjoyed by listeners for 14 years with host, Debbi Dachinger, offers strong conversation on metaphysics, quantum creating, law of attraction, healing, and extraterrestrials. Dare to do great things. Dare to shine by living a daring life! This cutting-edge program offers weekly fresh interviews. Subscribe! Leave a review; we read and appreciate them all! Join me on Instagram: @daretodreampodcast and @debbidachinger Debbi Dachinger is a certified coach whose expertise is Visibility in Media. She coaches people to write a page turner book, and takes their book to a guaranteed international bestseller. Join the expert online book writing experience: https://debbidachinger.com/visiblevisionaries #ConnieZweig #Shadow #Jungian #podcast #DebbiDachinger #Aging #GrowingOld #DareToDream #meditation #therapist #spiritual #ageism #elderly #ancient #geriatric #HealthyLifestyle #Sage #Elder #psychology #Sufi #podcast #DebbiDachinger #DareToDream #Instagood #instalove #instawork #instapeople #instatime #health #quantum #Book #spiritual #consciousness #metaphysical #et #transformation #meditate #medicine #ceremony #alien #love #beautiful #happy #tbt #followme #nofilter #life #yoga #amazing #FBF #media #podcaster #apple #paranormal #listening The show is sponsored by DrDainHeer.com and Access Consciousness --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/debbi-dachinger/message

WATCH THIS NOW HIGHLIGHTS:- What is the spirit of aging?- Getting older and breaking through #denial- Age and your value- #Conscious and positive aging- #Online opportunities for #eldersThis episode is about The Inner Work of Age. My guest is Connie Zweig, Ph.D., who is a retired therapist, and has contributed articles to Esquire magazine and the Los Angeles Times and holds a doctorate in Depth Psychology. Connie is the co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her latest book is, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, which extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. To learn more: https://conniezweig.com/DARE TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY. Debbi Dachinger puts the ‘inspiration‘ back into podcasts in an award-winning show that is your #1 transformation conversation.Award-winning "Dare to Dream" podcast, enjoyed by listeners for 14 years with host, Debbi Dachinger, offers strong conversation on metaphysics, quantum creating, law of attraction, healing, and extraterrestrials. Dare to do great things. Dare to shine by living a daring life! This cutting-edge program offers weekly fresh interviews. Subscribe! Leave a review; we read and appreciate them all! Join me on Instagram: @daretodreampodcast and @debbidachingerDebbi Dachinger is a certified coach whose expertise is Visibility in Media. She coaches people to write a page turner book, and takes their book to a guaranteed international bestseller. Join the expert online book writing experience: https://debbidachinger.com/visiblevisionaries#ConnieZweig #Shadow #Jungian #podcast #DebbiDachinger #Aging #GrowingOld #DareToDream #meditation #therapist #spiritual #ageism #elderly #ancient #geriatric #HealthyLifestyle #Sage #Elder #psychology #Sufi#podcast #DebbiDachinger #DareToDream #Instagood #instalove #instawork #instapeople #instatime #health #quantum #Book #spiritual #consciousness #metaphysical #et #transformation #meditate #medicine #ceremony #alien #love #beautiful #happy #tbt #followme #nofilter #life #yoga #amazing #FBF #media #podcaster #apple #paranormal #listeningThe show is sponsored by DrDainHeer.com and Access Consciousness

The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, is the latest book by Dr. Connie Zweig. In this episode of Hey, Boomer we talk about moving past denial, fear and resistance to discover the dreams and opportunities available to us as we age. We talk about mortality awareness, what it means to become an Elder and we discuss some archetypes of aging. And we confront the inner ageist in all of us that has been nurtured by our youth oriented culture. https://conniezweig.com/  https://www.facebook.com/Dr.ConnieZweig  wendy@heyboomer.biz  https://heyboomer.biz  LifeLine Screening offer 

Connie Zweig, PhD, is a retired psychotherapist. She is coeditor of the anthology, Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature. She is coauthor of Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital, Authentic Life. Her newest book is The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role … Continue reading "Aging From Role to Soul with Connie Zweig"

The Dr. Pat Show: Talk Radio to Thrive By!: The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul with Connie Zweig, PhD

The Dr. Pat Show: Talk Radio to Thrive By!: The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul with Connie Zweig, PhD

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is the co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, and the author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. A retired therapist, she has extended shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. That is the focus of her latest book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. In this, our second interview for Spirit Matters, we spoke about the theme of her new book, i.e., a spiritual perspective on the inevitable challenges of aging, what it means to be an Elder, and the importance of consciously shifting from role to soul. Learn more about Connie Zweig here: https://conniezweig.com

This week, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., discusses her forthcoming book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from ROLE to SOUL. The post Connie Zweig, Ph.D., Discusses Her New Book, “The Inner Work of Age” appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.

This week, Connie Zweig, Ph.D., discusses her forthcoming book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from ROLE to SOUL. The post Connie Zweig, Ph.D., Discusses Her New Book, “The Inner Work of Age” appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.

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