Emotionally charged reactions and choices seem like all that we’re doing today. Things have become so charged listening to each other and our own selves has become more and more difficult. Here at http://RickPattersonConnects.com, we focus on exposing the root driver behind many of our challenges and destructive decisions. The goal is to empower a life of better choices driven by our personal goals and not our emotional reactions to situations. Many times we make important decisions based on our past experiences and self-understanding.  Our mistakes and failures can play too important a role in directing our future as well, which can become a vicious cycle that seems impossible to break.  Our hope is to to hone in on the root roadblock insisting we get off course.

Over my 20 years of working in corporate America, 10 years of pastoral ministry, the adoption of our 4 children, starting up a cattle operation from scratch and just generally “living life”, I have spent much time battling my own “enemy within”. While my doctoraI dissertation focussed on how shame and narcissism permeate Christian ministry, It’s been the culmination of these real life seemingly contradictory events that have given me this unique perspective. I have experienced losing track of what’s important to me in every facet of life because of this little known enemy called “shame”.  My goal is to isolate the source of this internal critic and dismantle the voices that seem to control our destiny personally and professionally to help create a better today and a more successful tomorrow.

This hidden but not so subtle internal critic often presents itself as fear, depression, anger, self-hatred or even arrogance and egomania. However, once this internal enemy is identified and exposed, we can begin the process of liberating ourselves from it. When that happens we can begin to stop fortifying a false self and to choose our most meaningful life.

A final focus at rickpattersonconnects.com is to make sure you know you are not alone in your battle. Living a life struggling with shame is often a life of loneliness. Ironically, this is the primary goal of shame – to separate us from each other. Therefore, the most important tool in our fight is to make sure each of us remembers we are not alone in the battle.