The Greatness Of Being Small with Michael Gellert

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In a culture that values greatness, where we're expected to grow our families, our communities, and our financial nest eggs, it's easy to lose sight of the small simplicities that bring meaning to our lives. We forget that we occupy just a tiny slice on the continuum between macrocosm and microcosm, and that today's joys and sorrows are a miniscule blip on the universe's radar screen. But when we remember how small our lives really are, and turn our attention back to those simple moments that define our very greatness, we reconnect with who we really are. Michael Gellert explains, "To inhabit that smallness fully, that is a realistic appraisal of our condition. When you live small, and you live within your skin, and you're not ego-inflated, you don't have to be somebody you're not. All we have to do is be who we are. In a sense, living small is about discovering who we really are. It's a life of integrity." (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Michael Gellert holds masters degrees in religious studies and social work. He is a Jungian analyst in private practice, and has served on the faculties of Vanier College in Montreal, City University of New York, and currently the C. G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. He lectures throughout the United States on psychology, religion, and contemporary culture, and has been a mental health consultant to the University of Southern California and Time magazine.

Mr. Gellert is the author of:

• Modern Mysticism: Jung, Zen and the Still Good Hand of God (Nicolas-Hays 1995)
• The Fate of America: An Inquiry into National Character (Potomac Books 2002)
• The Way of the Small: Why Less Is More (Nicolas-Hays 2007)

To learn more about the work of Michael Gellert go to michaelgellert.com.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• Why embracing your smallness is liberating
• How changing your expectations can reduce your suffering
• Why your happiness is not dependent upon feeling good
• How your darkest hour might lead to your deepest happiness
• Why your own smallness is different from anyone else's