The Book of You

Life on the earth plane is not just a series of events or a petri dish for some scientist in the heavens. Our lives begin with the context of the current moment and all of the aspects of the world we are incarnating into. From that time we begin our long sequence of experiences that shape and mold us day by day. We begin with the pain of birth, a pain so great no person can recall it later in life. This is followed immediately by the greatest joy of all, to be held in your mothers arms and make first eye contact with another soul. From there we are locked into the roller coaster of life with all of it's ups and downs and twists and turns.

When we are riding high we want to believe that we will enjoy uninterrupted upward movement, that things are getting better every day. But what goes up does come down and we find ourselves racing toward the bottom despite our will to grow and prosper and live happy and secure lives. Optimism would like to believe that we can live a life of only highs and that there is no limit to our joy and when things are going well we like to believe that our optimism is justified. But when things are not going well, when we are not happy or secure and things seem to be falling apart all around us, we fear that things are only getting worse and that there is no bottom and we will forever spiral downward in ultimate despair.

When we are experiencing the irrational exuberance of upward mobility we can use some cautionary wisdom to prepare us for the eventual crest and downward movement around the next corner. But it is when things seem to be spiraling out of our control and into a diminishing chaos that we actually seek out some insight or inspiring message to get us through the cold, dark winter of our discontent. The weight of the world and all of our burdens are so heavy sometimes we think we should simply end the journey to escape the pain and suffering. Even if you have never considered suicide or experienced the bitter taste of depression, you have found yourself asking "Why?" and felt that no answer can satisfy the query.

In these times it is necessary to step back from your life and see the bigger picture, and there is one analogy that can take you out of the dark corners of your despair and put you back in your soul seat for some much needed perspective. Life is just a book your soul is reading while it sits in a comfy chair by a warm fire. You are the main character, but alas, you are just a character in a book and your life is just a story. And no matter how cold and dark the night, no matter how poor, how hungry, how hurt, it is a really good book and your soul just can't put it down. When you are falling, when you are in pain and suffering, remember that you are actually your soul who is simply so caught up in this story that it feels real and it's lost in the character, you.

Perhaps your personal and professional life is going well but the world around you seems to be falling apart, sound familiar? Keeping up with world event can be an enormously stressful task, especially if you are actually a journalist who is required to know everything before the general public. And of course if your personal and professional life is in jeopardy and world events seem to be spinning out of control, the stress factor is thrice to tenfold what it may otherwise be. So apply this analogy to the news as you read the morning paper or ritualistically watch your trusted news source. The world in which we live is just a book you are reading, and no matter how hopeless it seems, it is an amazing story to read, absolutely brilliant.

This can be more than a book, any form of art can replace the book in this analogy. Life is a movie your soul is watching while eating juju bees and buttered popcorn. Life is a song your soul is listening to while it dances transfixed holding a lighter like a torch in the crowd. Life is a game your soul is playing and perhaps taking too seriously at times, forgetting it's just a game. The point remains the same, you are your soul whom is merely lost in your story, your role, your haunting melody. Someday the book ends, the song is over, and the credits role, and yet the story lives on, the song is still humming in the ears of those who shared the stage with you. But most importantly, you're still your soul, still reading books, watching movies, and listening to songs. Remember this and marvel at the beauty of your life.