Mitch:
“You are probably right. Joan has long talked about visiting the mountains and lakes of Switzerland. Watching The Sound of Music many times didn’t help!”
Both Dr. Jung and Mitch chuckled a bit. Then Dr. Jung said a bit more about synchronicity:
“Events such as your decision to come to Zurich often seem to be random or casual. Yet at some level they seem to be purposeful. I often think of the Gods on Olympus directing our lives. These mythic figures somehow manipulate the world so that each of us finds ourselves in a place and time when we learned something important about ourself or find guidance in solving a pressing problem. I know that I never intended to follow in my uncle’s footsteps. Instead, after graduating from college, I attended business school and began work in a Zurich high tech company.
However, I didn’t find this to be satisfying, so I decided to attend medical school. While working on my Medical Degree, I did a rotation at a clinic where one of my uncle’s students was providing clinical services. I worked with her for a short while and was absolutely enthralled with the process of Jungian therapy. I decided that I wanted to become a psychotherapist; however, I also wanted to make use of my brief business background to engage in this newly emerging field called executive coaching. So here we are, you and I, addressing a problem located in a newspaper organization more than 4,000 miles from Zurich.”
Mitch appreciated this brief disclosure by Dr. Jung regarding his own background and what led him to become a psychotherapist and executive coach. Mitch indicated that he was particularly impressed with Dr. Jung’s brief background in business:
“I suspect this is something that your uncle didn’t have.”
Dr. Jung smiled:
“Yes, my uncle was many things and studied in many fields; however, he never attended business school. Nevertheless, he had valuable things to say about life in an organization and his concept of synchronicity speaks directly to the way in which business leaders seek to identify the cause of everything and are often frustrated when there seems to be no cause.”
Mitch leaned forward in his chair. This was going to be an interesting topic.
Lessons from Olympus
Dr. Jung:
“That is part of the reason why I often just turn to the metaphor of the Gods on Olympus causing all sorts of things. For instances, I might ask you what you think the Gods on Olympus were planning for you when you traveled here to Zurich. What do you think these Gods wanted you to learn?”
Mitch:
“Well, these Gods certainly wanted me to probe deeper into my long-standing relationship with Frank. I think they want me to heal this relationship on behalf of my own heart and soul, as well as the operations of my organization. I also think they wanted me to better understand my relationship with Gwen, and the way other members of my newspaper enterprise contribute to the overall welfare of this enterprise by stirring things up and by taking risks in proposing new ways of operating this enterprise. The Gods want me to know that there many sources of innovation in Western Times Press. I should more fully appreciate these sources.”
