“I am not a Labor Leader; I do not want you to follow me or anyone else; if you are looking for a Moses to lead you out of this capitalist wilderness, you will stay right where you are…You must use your heads as well as your hands, and get yourself out of your present condition.”
~Eugene Debs
In the summer of 1894, the residents of Pullman, Illinois, reached a breaking point. They lived in a company-owned town where their homes, stores, and even utilities were controlled by the very same railroad company that employed them. When their wages were cut, but their rents and living expenses remained the same, they realized their lives were not theirs. The question became unavoidable: How are we living? The answer was crushing; they were trapped in indignity and powerlessness.
Confronted with this harsh reality, the workers made a transformative choice: they initiated a strike, halting the railroads and sparking a national struggle. Despite its violent end with federal troops sent to suppress it, the strike was not in vain. Their efforts played a role in the birth of Labor Day, a symbol of the fight for dignity and the courage to choose a better way to live.
Just as the Pullman workers faced their harsh reality, we are often called to ask ourselves: “How am I presently living?” Often, this question arises from feelings of despair. In existential-humanistic therapy, awareness is the first step toward transformation . Presence means coming into contact with uncomfortable truths and recognizing patterns or conditions that no longer serve us. This awareness reveals what holds us back and opens the door to change. One key role as therapists is helping our clients come into this presence.
With awareness comes the freedom to choose, though this freedom often brings anxiety. “How am I willing to live?” Do I endure or take a stand on my life? In therapy (and life), this decision requires courage to pursue “our” life. It’s through this courage that transformation occurs. The willingness to be present with what is and to choose courageously is what fosters lasting transformation. Labor Day reminds us that even in the face of daunting conditions, change is possible when we can see clearly and act courageously.
Links to Related Blog Posts:
Read more posts about the therapeutic relationship.
Read more posts about presence, awareness and protective patterns in E-H therapy on EHI’s blog.
Read more posts about freedom and transformation in E-H therapy on EHI’s blog.
Read all the Existential Moment series posts on EHI’s blog.
Existential Moment Author: Scott Gibbs, LMFT, EHI Board Member-at-Large | Website: www.mscottgibbs.com | Twitter: @Novum_Organum
