Striving for Harmony: Intent and Impact

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” — Old Proverb

Opening Thoughts

When I first heard the above proverb a few years ago, it washed right over me like rain water over a giant, protective umbrella.

The second time someone reflected this quote to me, it impacted me a little more than before, akin to being caught in a heavy rain with one of those thin, plastic-bag-like one-time-use rain covers, where you’re still (mostly) dry underneath but the wetness of the plastic gloms onto your skin, leaving you mildly clammy and uncomfortable.

The third time someone recited this proverb to me, it was as if I had gotten caught in a violent downpour without a raincoat or umbrella. I was fully saturated by the torrent of meaning behind those words.

Each time this particular quote found its way into my life is representative of the unfolding of the three types of wisdom — received, intellectual and experiential, respectively — I wrote about in Course One of this series.

As I venture the path of becoming a therapist — someone whose intent is to help others navigate and make new meaning of their pain and suffering (which I perceive to be a good intention), I have been continuously humbled by how hollow…