Hi Thou! (I know that’s not your name, but keep reading. 😉)

I recently rewatched The Power of Myth, an interview series with Bill Moyer and Joseph Campbell.

It’s one of my favorite programs. I watch it once a year and recommend it as a starting point for Joseph Campbell’s work.

In episode 3, Campbell offers the distinction he learned from his study of Native Americans, who saw the natural world as a “Thou” rather than “it.”

He says:

The ego that sees a “thou” is not the same ego that sees an “it.” You can address anything as a “thou”, and you can feel the change in your psychology as you do it.

Thou transports us to a state of reverence.
Reverence elicits gratitude.
Gratitude brings happiness.

If you want to be happier, bring more Thou energy into your life.

Notice what happens when you feel the Thou-ness of a tree or a bird.

See the next person you pass on the street as Thou rather than them.

Practice cutting through the personality, and see the divinity in each person, place, and thing.

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If you’re interested in The Power of Myth, you can watch the series on Gaia, read the book, or listen to the audio version.