Afterlives of the Rich and Famous (4 page)

Fallibility.
Those with the Fallibility theme were born physically, mentally, or emotionally challenged. Only the most extraordinary spirits choose Fallibility as a theme, and when they find that choice discouraging, they need to remember what an inspiring example they’re setting as they face and triumph over special hurdles the rest of us can only imagine.

Follower.
Followers are, in their way, as essential to society as leaders, since without them there would
be
no Leaders. And offering strong, reliable support can be Followers’ greatest and most generous contribution on this earth. What Followers have to be mindful of, though, is the importance of carefully selecting whom and what to follow.

Freedom.
The anthem of this theme is “Don’t Fence Me In.” The Freedom theme is that of a gypsy, someone who likes to move often, go everywhere, and can’t seem to stay in one place very long. Even if they find a permanent residence, they’re always traveling and always on the go. They tend toward moodiness if they’re kept in one place for too long, and they have trouble quieting their minds. Many of those who’ve been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD are actually trying to make peace with a Freedom theme.

Harmony.
People with the Harmony theme make peace, calm, and balance not just their top priorities, but their
only
priorities, for they will go to any extremes to maintain those priorities. On the plus side, they’re refreshingly cooperative and usually have a quieting effect in chaotic situations. On the minus side, they can find it very difficult to accept and adjust to the inevitable bumps, bruises, and stress life has to offer.

Healer.
Healers are often drawn to the physical or mental healing professions, but are found in other areas as well. Their chosen theme of Healer can express itself in a variety of forms, all of them involving easing pain and improving general well-being. It’s imperative that Healers protect themselves from empathizing too closely with those they’re trying to heal and to pace themselves carefully to avoid an overload of the stress, pain, and illness their theme has drawn them to.

Humanitarian.
Humanitarians are born to extend themselves to humankind. Instead of addressing life’s inequities through sit-ins and protests, Humanitarians step past the protestors to directly feed the hungry, house the homeless, bandage the wounded, teach the uneducated, and generally tackle the world’s ills head-on. They face a twofold challenge: knowing there’s an infinite amount of work to be done, but also knowing when and how to keep themselves from burning out.

Infallibility.
Those with the Infallibility theme are seemingly born with everything—looks, talent, intelligence, privilege, wit, grace, and so on. And believe it or not, theirs can be an unusually difficult theme. Their problems are rarely taken seriously. They’re often resented for their advantages and can feel secretly unworthy for not having had to earn their privileged place in society. It’s not unusual for them to be uniquely drawn to such excesses as obesity, promiscuity, or substance abuse, almost as if they are trying to balance the scales by creating difficulties they were not born with. Because many things have come easily to them, they can feel emotionally inept in situations that challenge their character.

Intellectuality.
The best expression of this ultimate thirst-for-knowledge theme are people who study throughout their life and continuously use their wealth of education to inform, improve, nourish, and expand life on earth. The worst expression of this theme is found in the many versions of the “professional student” whose sole purpose is the self-directed goal of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, hoarded instead of shared, which is of no use to anyone but the one who possesses it.

Irritant.
The constant, deliberate pessimists, the faultfinders, those who are never at a loss for something to complain about have chosen the Irritant theme. For such a difficult theme, it’s amazing how many people seem to have chosen it. They’re helpful in teaching us patience, tolerance, and nonengagement in negativity, while they struggle to overcome the very negativity their chosen theme demanded they embrace.

Justice.
Those with the Justice theme are committed to an active, lifelong pursuit of fairness and equality. Some of our greatest presidents and activists are exquisite examples of the Justice theme at its finest. At its worst, when it is misguided and without God as its center, this passion for righting a wrong can result in riots, anarchy, and vigilantism.

Lawfulness.
Law enforcement and the practice and teaching of law are among the professional expressions of the Lawfulness theme, which revolves around a driven concern with safeguarding that line between legality and illegality. Elevated, those with this theme are devoted public servants who fiercely help maintain order and balance in this world. Corrupt and abusive with their power, they’re an insult to the theme they chose.

Leader.
Oddly, people with a Leader theme might be gifted at their ability to lead, but they’re almost never innovative, instead choosing to become Leaders in already established areas—for example, lawyers who gravitate toward highly publicized cases and thrive in the resulting spotlight, instead of devoting their expertise to making significant improvements in the judicial system. Perfecting this theme would involve changing their top priority from pursuing their own success to exploring new socially relevant frontiers.

Loner.
Loners are often socially active and visible, but tend to choose careers and lifestyles that will allow them to be isolated. They’re content alone and usually enjoy their own company, and they often struggle to overcome feeling drained and irritated when other people spend too much time in their space.

Loser.
The Loser theme is essentially the Fallibility theme without the physical, mental, or emotional challenges. Those with the Loser theme have many advantages and good qualities, but because they’re determined to feel sorry for themselves they insist on disregarding them. They seek attention through being martyrs, and if there’s no melodrama in their lives, they will create it. Like Irritants, they can inspire us to be more positive and to dislike their behavior without judging them as people.

Manipulator.
Manipulators approach their lives and the people in them like a one-sided chess game, controlling them to their advantage and often with remarkable talent. This is a powerful and not necessarily negative theme. When this theme is devoted to the highest, God-centered good, Manipulators can have an enormously positive impact on society. When the theme is abused, Manipulators are too self-absorbed to concern themselves with anyone’s well-being but their own, at everyone else’s expense.

Passivity.
People with the Passivity theme are sometimes perceived as weak, when in fact they’re more accurately described as uncommonly sensitive to emotional disruption. They have opinions, but express them most effectively in a nonconfrontational manner, and when they take a stand on issues, they’re strictly nonviolent. It’s difficult for those with a Passivity theme to cope with extremes, but a little tension can be a valuable tool for spurring them into their form of action.

Patience.
One of the more challenging themes, Patience takes constant effort in a world in which impatience is almost considered an admirable coping skill. The choice of Patience over a less difficult theme indicates an eagerness to move more quickly on the spirit’s journey toward perfection—in other words, Patience, in a way, indicates a spiritual
im
patience. Along with their ongoing battle against snapping at stress, those with a Patience theme frequently fight the guilt of occasional lapses in efforts toward their goal and of the anger they feel their theme demands they suppress. Recognizing how hard their choice of themes really is can help them be more forgiving of themselves.

Pawn.
Pawns are those whose role is to be used as the fuse that ignites something of great magnitude, either positive or negative, to emerge; as such they are essential in the advancement of the universal spirit. Possibly the most classic historic example of a Pawn is Judas, whose paid betrayal of Christ was ultimately a critical element in the birth of Christianity. People who choose the theme of the Pawn, important in their way as they are, have to be vigilant in aligning themselves with only the worthiest, most loving causes.

Peacemaker.
Peacemakers are those extremely dedicated to stopping war and violence. Unlike those with the themes of Passivity and Harmony, Peacemakers typically show a surprising amount of aggression and zeal in efforts for peace. Their allegiance to peace is far greater than their allegiance to any group or country, and they’re not opposed to achieving a bit of celebrity as part of a noble, highly visible cause.

Perfectionist.
The Perfectionist theme is exactly what it sounds like: those who need and expect perfection in every aspect of their lives—their work, their personal lives, their houses, their cars, their clothing, and their friends. Because they also expect perfection from themselves, they’re most appreciated when they stop writing improvement memos to everyone else and direct those memos inward. They’re very valuable in their ability to get things done and done well, but they also have to realize that nothing on earth is perfect and all things here are passing and transient.

Performance.
Those with the Performance theme might pursue a career in the entertainment field, but are just as likely to be content with being the life of the local party, office, or classroom. They’re nourished by the spotlight, however large or small it might be. Too often they form their opinions of themselves exclusively through the eyes of others, which they need to combat by reserving some of their considerable energy for introspection and learning to provide their own spiritual and emotional nourishment.

Persecution.
Those with the Persecution theme are not only constantly braced for the worst possibility, but are actually convinced they’ve been singled out for special bad luck and negative attention. Happiness is literally frightening for them, because they’re sure they’ll have to pay too high a price for it or that it can simply be snatched away from them at any moment. Overcoming the Persecution theme takes enormous strength, but the reward for overcoming it is remarkable spiritual advancement.

Persecutor.
Persecutors are typically aggressive, self-justifying sociopaths who will abuse and even kill without guilt or remorse and without the mitigating factor of mental or emotional illness. Obviously, it is almost impossible to understand the purpose of this theme in the span of a single lifetime, but they can inadvertently test, challenge, and inspire progress in our laws, our judicial systems, our forensics techniques, our moral boundaries, our social consciousness, and the unity of humankind.

Poverty.
The challenge of the Poverty theme is obviously prevalent in third-world countries, but is almost more difficult in the midst of affluence, where privilege can look mocking and unfairly imbalanced by comparison. Even the advantaged can exhibit a Poverty theme, perpetually feeling that no matter how much they might have, it’s not enough. Endurance, hope, and a perspective on the cosmic irrelevance of material possessions can provide brilliant spiritual growth for those who choose this uniquely demanding theme.

Psychic.
You would think this would be my primary theme, but no. People who choose a Psychic theme often design strict childhood environments for themselves, where their ability to sense things beyond “normal” is met with severe disapproval. The challenge of the Psychic theme is to learn to accept the ability not as a burden, but as a gift and to put it to its highest, most unselfish, most spiritual use.

Rejection.
Those with the Rejection theme usually experience alienation or abandonment in early childhood and proceed with those same patterns throughout their lives. Hard as it is, the challenge for
those with this extraordinarily difficult theme is to recognize Re
jection not as a burden beyond their control, but as a specific theme chosen so they can learn that when the spirit is whole and self-reliant for its identity, the acceptance or rejection of others is no longer relevant.

Rescuer.
Rescuers gravitate toward Victims, wanting to help and save them, even if the Victims have obviously created their own crisis or don’t particularly want to be saved. Rescuers are typically at their strongest in the presence of the weakest or most helpless, and they’re highly empathetic, but they can easily be victimized if they don’t maintain a safe emotional distance from those they’re trying to rescue.

Responsibility.
Those who choose a Responsibility theme embrace it not as an obligation, but as a form of emotional nourishment. Their joy is in active, hands-on accomplishment, and they feel guilty if they’re aware of something that needs to be done and don’t see that it’s tended to. Their challenge is to become unselfish enough to remember that very often the people around them need the nourishment of assuming responsibility and accomplishing something too.

Spirituality.
Those with the Spirituality theme spend a lifetime in a fervent search of their own spiritual center, if not as a profession, then certainly as a constant personal drive. The more they search, the more new territory they’re compelled to explore, and at its highest level the Spirituality theme creates boundless inspiration, compassion, far-sightedness, and tolerance. At its lowest, it can manifest itself in narrow-mindedness, judgmentalism, and the dangerous isolation of fanaticism.