12. Symbolic–Existential Capacity (Master Cycle)

12. Symbolic–Existential Capacity is the meaning backbone of the Lifelong Capacities Map®. It integrates four core skills: 12.1 Meaning-Making in Suffering, 12.2 Narrative Flexibility & Coherence, 12.3 Symbolic Thinking & Archetypal Awareness, and 12.4 Existential Presence & Tolerance. This isn’t abstract philosophy; it’s the ability to live with depth, coherence, and courage in the face of suffering, change, and mortality. Using the Meaning-Making Cycle — Suffer → Mean → Story → Symbol → Stand — you’ll learn to name what hurts, ask what it’s asking of you, tell a story that honours both pain and growth, choose a symbol, and stand in presence with an anchor phrase: “I can stand in what is larger than me.”