Our goal as a human being is to become whole, or rather, to become a complete “Self”. It is a true wholeness we hope to achieve within our experience of ourselves and our lives, for this will indicate to us a sense of balance, well-being, and a much-needed forward direction. In order to be aware of what this whole self is like, we must understand that it consists of different parts that make it be what it is. We know that we have a physical part, an emotional part, and a mental part. These three together make us be who we are as a personality, as a human being. To become a whole self, then, each of these parts must be functioning properly and fully integrated in order to achieve the balance and well-being we seek. Each of these parts of ourselves are designed with a certain purpose, and they indeed have a life of their own.
Ultimately, our goal is to become identified with ourselves as a whole being, not any individual part. We get into trouble when we believe that a specific thought, feeling, or what is happening in our physical bodies is real, is permanent, and cannot be changed. You see, it is our whole self that guides and directs each part. My friends, what we must understand and accept today is that we stand at the top of our experience. We have control. We say what is and what is not. If we’re uncomfortable, if things aren’t going well, then we must know that it can be changed. We have to take charge, and know, that we create our lives. If we assume this control that is ours, we cannot and will not be victimized by, or uncomfortable with, anything we experience. We choose, and in this choosing, we create. The creative process can therefore be defined as our purpose.
To become a whole self, we heal, through a proper understanding of our experience. Whether our discomfort is at a physical level, an emotional level, or a mental level, we gain understanding of it by discovering the meaning it holds. When we discover what our experience means, we will discover the cause. It is within cause that we become integrated and healed. You see, it is not the purpose of life to be uncomfortable, to be in pain, to be lost or confused. If we pay attention to our experience, then we see it as a teacher, as a way for us to be comfortable and whole once again. This gives great importance to our need of remaining detached, remaining free of judgment, even if our experience is uncomfortable. In this way, our experience can be seen as neither good nor bad. It is merely an opportunity to change something in order to return to the whole self, where that sense of balance and well-being is found. Again, we get stuck, we stop the process of learning and growing when we attach ourselves to temporary thoughts and feelings. Accept them first, let them be what they are. Discover their meaning, and change is now possible. It is a change of perception that will be required for us to succeed, and yes, to heal. We “heal”, for we are indeed able to “see”.
We know there is a lot involved in our healing process, that is a certainty. To be successful, we must approach it wholistically. Each part of ourselves needs attention, each part needs to be addressed to see what is there for us. Each part has only a relative importance, however, and this understanding will be key in creating a gentle forward movement in our lives. My friends, it’s all about understanding how we become improperly identified with temporary experience. In here lies our difficulty. Again, our goal is to be able to see our experience accurately, and thereby discover its meaning. This involves our perception, which is the tool we have available to understand this experience. To increase or change our perception will lead us into the proper perspective we need, a perspective of wholeness. And, I must say, wholeness provides a freedom. It is a freedom to explore, a freedom to be, a freedom to learn, and a freedom to enjoy.
Before we part ways, I want to give you a couple of things to think about, as a lead to the upcoming series, “The Perception of Experience”. Essentially, my friends, there are four parts to ourselves that make us be who we are. Let’s take a quick look.
Physical
We need to keep in mind, our physical body does not create anything of its own. We can view it as a mere vehicle to help us express ourselves. Everything the physical body is and does is simply an effect of feeling and thought. In essence, it is a reflection or creation of higher parts of ourselves.
Emotional
This is the part of ourselves that creates the most difficulty. The majority of humanity is entirely identified here. Why is this a problem? Well, we forget our feelings are indeed temporary. They have no ability to create reality in and of themselves, they are simply an indication of our thoughts. They help us identify what is happening in our minds. In other words, they’re a reflection of what we’re creating, or in many cases, what we’re not creating! Remember, friends, fear, and love are not really emotions. They are states of mind!
Mental
It is here where all creative faculty resides. My fellow companions, thoughts are things! What we think about, what we believe, creates the reality we find ourselves in. Everything else we experience in our lives follows, including how we feel, and the condition of our physical body as well. It is in our minds where we must “gain control”.
Soul
The soul is the part of us that creates and informs the lower three. Ideas, intuitive feeling and perception, and a sense of oneness, come from this place. From an individual perspective, this is the whole self, the real self. This is our goal and direction. This is our journey.
All my love and support, be well