Hades in mythology was the Greek god of the underworld. It is our belief that when we face trauma in life or hardship we can feel so incredibly low that we do not know which way to turn and we are lost for navigation. We can keep the concept of Hades in our tool belt for times of hardship when we do not know what to do next. Through activation of thought and epiphany we can create internal happiness. Through our own actions and the actions of those from others towards us we can create internal emotion. During times of significant suffering it is often through loss or the fear of loss of what we value the most. To pass through Hades we must have one or more things that we cannot give up on. It is moments of meaning, purposeful living, and our loved ones that will help see us through our darkest hour and be our torch through Hades. If there is something to hold onto then there is hope, and if there is hope then we believe in the possibility of escaping Hades.
In the Greek myth of Orpheus entering the underworld to meet Hades to bring back his wife Eurydice from the dead we can learn two strong messages for ourselves. How did Orpheus navigate through the protectors of the underworld and charm Hades? Orpheus was a master musician and by utilising this skill he was able to charm his way to securing the safe return of his wife from the dead back to the world of the living. Ultimately Orpheus used his greatest skill to his advantage to navigate his way into and out of the underworld. Looking at this more deeply Orpheus was using one of his Key Character Strengths of Creativity. When we are suffering and feeling lost we often do not know which way to turn and this can result in deeper layers of feeling worse and also could lead to counter productive actions. It is important that we use our Key Character Strengths to navigate our way out of our personal battle with Hades. Moments of meaning, purposeful living and our loved ones can give us hope; and our Key Character Strengths can be the energy we need to escape Hades.
When we feel low and lost it is natural for us to withdraw from the world and naturally we want to curl up into a ball. We withdraw from our hobbies and passions and in a raw form withdraw from activities that are good for us and have meaning for our happiness. If we can logically recognise this and accept the above then we can begin to pick ourselves back up and take action. No matter what we feel it is imperative that we do not take action where it will do us harm and that we instead take action on things that are good for us and create passion within ourselves. By taking such actions we may not have a shift in our feelings straight away, albeit we must continue with healthy actions to guide ourselves away from Hades. Find your inner Orpheus music and make this the back bone of your journey back to happiness. Your Key Character Strengths will see you escape Hades and micro-moments of meaning will give you the determination and endurance to do so.
Written by Meaningful Paths Founder David Chorlton