The Joan of Arc Complex

Sometimes I think that I have a mental health problem and that at any minute the pharmaceutical companies are going to develop a cute little green star-shaped pill to cure me of my ailment. I call it my Joan of Arc Complex. You see, I hear voices that I'm pretty sure aren't mine and they tell me to go out and do these stupid save the world projects. I call them THEY or THEM because they refuse to give me a more accurate name to call them. So, I must be crazy.

I've spent a lot of years analyzing the heck out of this topic. Here are the eerie facts. I have no control whatsoever as to when and how THEY show up. I am absolutely convinced that THEY are something separate from me, my 'Higher Self,' or my imagination. I have no influence over THEM and what THEY believe. THEY have a higher accuracy rate at predicting my future than most of the psychics I know. THEY refuse to 'serve' me and do not require that I 'serve' THEM. We are both free to end the relationship at any time. Therefore, I believe THEY are real.

I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out who or what THEY are. When I ask, THEY typically just chuckle and say something cosmically vague like, "We are the light before it shines, the medicine before it cures, the song before it's sung." Yeah great, that helps a lot, thanks guys. I've come to a place that for my own personal understanding and for the ability to be able to even talk about it to others, I call THEM angels. It 'feels' accurate. THEY are not opposed to such titles. Apparently THEY have been referred to as such for quite some time now and THEY seem to think it's a rather quaint concept that we've used to wrap our heads around the idea of them.

So I hear angels telling me to go out and do good works. More than half of my articles are really their messages. I find myself sometimes in awe of the things that I write. Sure it's all stuff that I think or believe, but often I didn't even know that I knew that stuff until it came out of me. It's like the book on overcoming fear and doubt caused by our inner-critic. I didn't have a clue what to say or why I even needed to write on that topic. But, as it came out day after day, I found myself amazed and strangely impressed that THEY took all of these seemingly separate ideas and beliefs that had been rattling around in my head and THEY pulled it all together into that book. Cool! I had no idea that I knew that much about the topic. I just sat there with my coffee cup every morning and asked THEM what did they want me to say. Next thing you know, there's this pretty cool book with some really nice tips and ideas. I had to learn the lessons of that book before I could even begin to do the other works THEY told me I was to do. Funny thing, telling someone you've written a book about overcoming fear and doubt but you're too chicken to submit it to a publisher! Beautiful irony.

A few times over the years, I've concluded that I was some type of schizophrenic and that I needed to shut up and stop doing this stuff or I'd surely end up in a pink padded room. I've quit many times for fear that I was making it all up in my head and that THEY weren't real and I was just having illusions of grandeur. You know what? I always missed being the kind of person that THEY say I am. I always felt lost and not really sure what to do with myself or what kind of a career to move forward with. I really tried to be smart and logical and to get a real job in the industry I was formally educated and trained to do. It really sucked. I just couldn't get into the flow of it. I couldn't find success or happiness doing anything else but this save the world stuff. "Teach them how to be happy. In doing so, you'll find your own happiness."

I know there are people out there like me. I'm not alone. Are we making a difference? Do the weird things we teach really work? Do crystals have healing powers? Do aliens telepathically communicate with us? Can the many religions be united into one root concept - love one another? Can the Lightworkers hold the energy of enlightenment for us until we figure it out for ourselves? Does any of this even matter?

I also know there's people out there who are nothing like me. They're the majority. They believe their version of god is the only version that matters. They believe only in what their five senses can see, hear, and feel. If science can't prove it, then it's not real. We're all just a bunch of quacks you know.

Even as I write this, my heart swells and I feel so blessed to do this work that THEY have asked of me that I am moved to tears. If you knew me, you'd know that I really hate that sappy crying in public stuff. It just goes to show how deeply touched I am by the fact that I get to do this. So like Joan of Arc, I hear these voices and THEY tell me to go do these great things, and I listen and I do them and people seem to like it, to be helped, to be touched on a soul level. If I am crazy, please don't give me that pill. Let me live to my dieing breath believing in THEM and that I'm doing the work of angels. Don't cure me.

Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge

About The Author

Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.

Skye@TomorrowsEdge.net

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Christian Psychotherapy for Convicts?

Repeated research studies have revealed that secular efforts at rehabilitation... Read More

Achieving an Ambidextrous Mindset

History lends us an ideal of ambidexterity: Leonardo da Vinci,... Read More

Jack the Ripper

At around 3.40am on August 31st 1888, a carter named... Read More

Hypnotic Myths

Even though hypnosis has been around officially since the 1700s... Read More

Get Out of Jail Free: Stop Being Defensive

When Marcus and Sally first met they immediately felt like... Read More

Kleptomaniac Confessions

Ever felt urged to steal a piece of bubblegum from... Read More

Kids and Lifebooks: Tips for Social Workers

Every child who is adopted from foster care deserves a... Read More

The Attention Spanner

After a long and patient wait in queue, you reached... Read More

What are the 4 Brainwave Patterns and How Do They Effect Your Health

WHAT ARE BRAINWAVES?Every moment of your life your brain is... Read More

Its Never Too Late

First of all, a bit of background: A high school... Read More

Split Personality - A Myth or a Reality?

IntroductionIn this world today, there are a lot of unbelievable... Read More

What?s the Problem: Introducing Solution Focus Pt 2

Again, many of us think we listen, yet we don't... Read More

Panic Attacks: Effective Ways to Cope

Jill is a 21 y/o college student who used to... Read More

Are Observations Objective?

On the outset all observations may seem to be objective,... Read More

Metaphors of the Mind (Part I)

The brain (and, by implication, the Mind) has been compared... Read More

Self Hypnosis or Shelf Hypnosis?

Self hypnosis is usually thought of as a person listening... Read More

Treatment Modalities and Therapies

Narcissism constitutes the entire personality. It is all-pervasive. Being a... Read More

The Mind, Information, and Attitude

Information is flowing to us at a great rate. The... Read More

Creating A Winning Mindset

Do you know anyone who always wins? Sure you know... Read More

What?s the Problem: Introducing Solution Focus Pt 1

Solution Focus is the brain child of Insoo Kim Berg... Read More

Gay Men Psychology

Gay men are said to be usually third or further... Read More

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) At a Glance

Most narcissists (75%) are men.NPD is one of a "family"... Read More

What is the Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?

How do we treat bipolar disorder? Specifically, how do we... Read More

Traumas as Social Interactions

("He" in this text - to mean "He" or "She").We... Read More

Do You Love Your Body?

Through out the course of one's life one is faced... Read More

An Easy Cure For Math Phobia

Why is it that one person enjoys math, while another... Read More

Cult De-Programming?

The following good work from a person engaged in trying... Read More

Waking Up in the Middle of a Good Dream

When the brain is asleep and in REM dream mode... Read More

Psychological Tips for Effective Studying

STUDY STRATEGIES* Revise regularly- Revision should be continuous if you... Read More

A Jungian Approach to Mental Illness

All of us suffer from some form of emotional distress... Read More

Establishing Trust in Grief Management Groups

Trust is the basis of all human relationships. Trust can... Read More

Accepting New Ideas

Much of the time when a new idea comes to... Read More

Are All Dementias Alzheimer?s?

I'm surprised when some patients and caregivers confuse dementia and... Read More