Edward and Peter are a couple and they share an upscale apartment in Brooklyn New York.
Edward is a very logical man who works in the Health Care field. After a very successful internship, Edward progressed through his Masters degree and eventually his Doctorate. Edward has a very high salary and believes in giving back to the community, serving on multiple Healthcare and Economical boards. He is an established Author and public speaker. Edward is also very athletic and participates in many well known triathlons and marathons. Edward prefers clothing that is well tailored, his watch costs over 80 thousand dollars and he doesn't drive the same car for over a year. His credit is immaculate and his stock portfolio is so well diversified that even if the market crashed tomorrow, he would come out on top.
Peter is a very emotional man who is passionate about photography, poetry, painting, woodworking, sculpting, jewellery making, fashion design and is well versed in the Norwegian Flute among other instruments. To define Peter is to define the wind as it blows on an Autumn day.
Edward works very long hours and likes to unwind at home with a bottle of Cabernet and a cigar on his balcony as he watches the skyline. Peter is often upset that Edward does not spend enough time with him, despite the extravagant trips and vacations that they take three times a year, Peter is unhappy. Edward is the breadwinner and is supportive of Peters creative interests for the most part. Peter feels that he does not contribute and often spends his days laying about the apartment in his robe, playing with the cats and drinking martinis. These men are complete polar opposites yet they both agree that they give each other balance.
Peter will often criticise Edward to cause a fight. This is Peters way of gaining attention from Edward, yet Edward lets Peter express his emotions in a healthy way. Peter will often bring up old problems when he feels he is losing an argument and feels intimidated by Edwards level of education. Sometimes Edward will say something mean and Peter will retreat into himself for weeks. Edward wishes that Peter wasn't so emotional and Peter wishes that he was enough for Edward.
One night after weeks of reclusive behaviour, Peter emerges from the study drunk and in an effort to gain the attention from a very worn out Edward, he throws a plate at the wall. Edward instantly becomes angry with Peter and explains that these are very expensive plates and that he almost ruined their painting on the wall. In response Peter walks towards the painting, lifts it from the wall and throws it off the balcony. Edward rushes to the balcony terrified that the neighbours are witnessing such an embarrassing sight and decides to yell at Peter. The scene is very triggering to Peter who came from a home with a lot of domestic violence so he decides to lock himself in the bathroom and call the police.
PAUSE:
Well...that escalated quickly...ahem.
Where was I going with this?
Oh yes.
Sometimes we can feel like Edward and sometimes we can feel like Peter. Edward is your Ego and its need to identify yourself with achievement, status, career, wealth and rigid logical/statistical thinking. Peter is your pain body or emotional wounds that further their existence by reliving past trauma.
Neither of these two individuals are who you truly are.
"Then who am I Patrick?"
You are the person reading this article.
You are the witness of your thought and emotion.
Mindfulness does not mean to kill your ego or to cure your emotional pain. It is the practice of being mindful of your thoughts, feelings and desires. It is to be truly awake and aware of your present without letting the human conditioning of ego and pain rule you. It is the practice of clearing your mind of the trash that you have collected over your lifetime and connecting to your body and soul.
So always remember to acknowledge, honour and show love to your inner Peter and Edward..that is all they truly want from you.
I will leave you with the words of Dan Millman the author of -Way of the Peaceful Warrior.
"You would be surprised at the things you can do and how well you can do them, if you take out the trash"
Patrick Phelan Ackroyd
April 2023
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