The Wise Old Bird – The Raven

My Three Ravens logo is a graphic representation of the metal sculpture that rests on the front of my house.

I admire the Raven for its ability to survive in the cruel Canadian winters. Symbolically, the raven represents the ability to endure and even thrive in spite of life’s difficulties. The three ravens represent the three pillars of transformation: knowledge, wisdom, and creative imagination. Like in the logo, I consider myself as the wise old bird on the left spreading his knowledge on how to survive and thrive to the two ravens on the right, representing the next two generations.

During my career, I have continuously crossed paths with First Nations peoples, including two years living on reserves in Northern Manitoba. I consider myself to be a cross cultural kin to the First Nations’ elders whom I admire for their quiet yet powerful leadership. As I am now well into my senior years, I have become somewhat of an emotional and mental shaman in that I believe that the secret to living a full and complete life is more than just a physical and mental process. It is a spiritual journey.

The raven is a totem of the Northwest Coast First Nations. It recognizes the subtlety of truth and that we each see the world in our own unique way. The raven is the healer of emotional and mental disorders in that he demystifies damaging secrets through the process of storytelling. Through these stories we see a path through issues that could potentially harm us. In the process of discovery, he directs our journey back to a state of mental and emotional wellbeing. Like the raven, my desire is to help people transform their lives by changing their life story.

We can do this through poetry. Our life story is not just the events of our lives, but more importantly, it is the emotions and feelings we have experienced in relationship to the story. These emotions and feelings have shaped our beliefs, our thoughts and our actions. We can’t change the past content of our stories but we can change the feelings connected to those experiences. By revisiting these experiences in the form or poetic thoughts and images we can create positive feelings that can change our beliefs, thoughts, and behavior patterns. We can now begin rewriting the present script and provide an ending where we become the hero who “lives happily ever after”.

I would like to share my story with you and invite you to come along on this amazing transformational journey.

My Story

As a psychologist and poet, Lawrence J.W. Cooper is uniquely equipped to deal with the subject of mental disorders on both an emotional and academic level. Having walked the path of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Depression, he wishes to help others.

My Reward

Dear Mr.Cooper,

I hope you don't mind me writing to you. I have only recently happened upon your blog after having bought and read your book (more than once).
Firstly as a Bisexual man myself who has only truly awakened in the last year or so, and has struggled to come to terms with this fact, can I just say your life and experience and everything you have shared in your blog and book feels very relatable. 
What has helped me in particular are your blog posts and research related to the scientific or biological aspects of bisexuality in men. Your time and output, has given me relief to the anxieties and self-loathing I go through. 
While you don't know me at all, it also actually seems to me in many ways you do. I just wanted to reach out and say thanks for doing what you do. I've never admitted to another man in any context that I am bisexual, even though this part of me has all but consumed my every waking hour for the last year or so.

Best Regards

 

Anon