Charlie Houpert shares a developmental model (attributed to Michael Beckwith) that maps stages of consciousness:
To me — Victim consciousness. Life happens to me. Whose fault is it? Please don’t be mine. This is where most personal development begins.
By me — Agency and responsibility. I’m taking control. That conversation didn’t go well because I could have been funnier or smiled wider. Most personal development occurs here. At first it’s liberating — then it becomes exhausting. “The endless responsibility of having to…”
Through me — Surrender and grace. You allow gratitude, grace, inspiration to move through you. There’s still a “me” but it’s permeable. This is different from the “to me” stage even though both involve things happening without your control — the distinction is subtle but felt.
As me — Unity. Life is as me. The separation dissolves further.
Joe suggests there’s at least one more stage beyond “as me” — “as long as there’s a me, there’s one more step.” And perhaps a dozen steps beyond that. Evolution doesn’t end. But each new phase integrates rather than replaces the previous ones — you can walk, but that doesn’t mean you can no longer crawl.
Related Concepts
- Every epiphany is a rut waiting to happen
- Emotional development stages
- Awakening is not an endpoint
- The hollowing out process never ends