My Imago Journey
I was persuaded to attend the Imago Couples Workshop by my husband. My love for him helped me to agree and in the 20 years that have passed, I have never regretted it. I am so thankful for that.
It is very fascinating and challenging to get to know myself. It is a lifelong journey, that includes all areas. Areas in which I feel comfortable and like to see myself the way I am and like to be seen that way by others.
During the training I realized again how much I admire others, for qualities I miss in myself. For example, the self-confident appearance in a group.
I learned that I have the potential for this in me. It was just not possible for me to live it. This certainty helps me to reduce my fear of change and my resistance to further development. I feel the enrichment of being open to this curiosity, despite my resistance. Imago means to me now, the way I am is okay and what is true for me, is also true for my fellow human beings. This unique sentence makes sense to me. It seems to be simple. But in execution through my resistance, nourished by the experiences of my childhood, insurmountable.
It is a path, a process, which I would like to describe figuratively with my hiking experiences through the Alps, of my homeland. The hike, connected with sweat and joy at the same time. When I have walked a beautiful piece, there is always another piece in front of me that excites me to reach. So, the enthusiasm is always there, and this enthusiasm is the energy that drives me to get closer and closer to my goal. Above all, everything along the way gives me joy, starting with the flowers, the animals, the air, the smells, the sounds like the singing of the birds, the rustling of the leaves and branches in the wind and the beautiful view back and forward. This new view of the world connects me to my life with Imago, the new view of security, connection, and appreciation of myself, accepting my responsibilities, life and standing by my work done.
A connection to myself is the pre-requisite to connect well with my fellow human beings.
The connection to myself, with the resistance to accept myself as I am. It is the prerequisite to be open to connection, without judgement towards others, connection with appreciation in a safe framework, with the awareness that everyone of us is important. Each in her/his own way, is part of the seemingly vast cosmos and each is equally important in it.
This value I have is crucial to the place I occupy. It gives me the ability to share space with others and to treat them with respect and dignity.
All these terms are clear and appear easy, but there is also my/our resistance we continuously have to work with. It is a lifelong journey as I told at the beginning, so a year ago my husband and I decided to treat ourselves with another trip into the Imago-World. We signed up for the International Professional Facilitator Training. Again, I have learned a lot more. Many things I had already learned before I have become aware of on a deeper level during this training. And yet again, I have undergone some fundamental inner changes I am grateful for.
Above all I have now the desire and joy to engage myself in this area.
I want to help people realize that their uniqueness and diversity is equal to the nature of our earth. Every spot of our earth is different and just for this reason it is something special, just as we humans appreciate our diversity and the diversity of others. With this awareness we can realize peace without war.
So, this is my story about my Imago-Journey. I would be very happy to hear from each of you the story of what aroused your interest in Imago, what thoughts you had about it, what made you curious and what you were afraid of, and what gave you courage.
Christine Simeoni
Christine Simeoni with her husband Gunther Walch in the Alps. Both Christine and Gunther are Certified Imago Professional Facilitators.
