Introduction

When this message or inspiration came to write a book, to write down on paper the information that was being given to me I was fifty-seven years and one month old. At that time, I had been asking myself, for at least four years the questions, "What am I still doing here? What is my purpose? Why haven't I died yet?"

My children are on their own and although I am thoroughly in love with my partner and we have a good life together I continued to wonder "What is keeping me here?" "What is it that I am supposed to do that I haven't already done or that no one else has done?" There has to be more to this life than sitting in a chair, watching television and waiting to die.

Over my lifetime I had become all of the things I had told my grade one teacher that I wanted to be. I announced at that great age of six, that I wanted to be a mother, a nurse, and a teacher. I have been all of these, without planning and in the order that I had stated them. For the past ten years I have been searching for help with a health problem and when the medical profession was unable to resolve my difficulties, I looked for some resource that would help me at least cope with the pain.

The major part of this search was centered in the study of angels, guides and the spiritual help and guidance that was available through them.

Many of the books that I came across were well written and where of some help. With the information I was able to gather I learned a little about patience and letting go of some of the control I was struggling to hold on to.

Even though the pain persisted the involvement of spiritual guides and angels in my life offered me some reassurance and comfort that things would get better. These resources at least made the waiting more interesting. Many of the books that I read gave a lot of information on what to do, but no information on how to do the things the author assured the reader would bring the enlightenment and bring the reader to a place in their life where they could experience peace. It seemed that the authors would just expect the reader to automatically gain the skills by reading the information given.

After all of this reading and study I was becoming very frustrated. Much of what was written was new to me and I was able to answer some of my troubling questions, but when I came to the point of some enlightenment and thinking I could now be satisfied, I came across a part in one of these writings that said, that once we gain some enlightenment we are supposed to teach others. I was totally dismayed.

Now that my career as a nurse and a teacher were behind me, and my children were grown is when I learn some of the important things that I could have passed on to others.

Then in early April of 2000 my partner, our dog and myself went to visit my brother who lived two provinces away from our home. As I lay awake in the middle of the night, in a voice as clear as any voice I have ever heard, the message came, "Write a book."

I have to tell you I had not slept much the previous two nights, so I pushed the idea away as the product of an old and tired mind. I convinced myself to stay in bed against a strong urge to get up. Once again I tried to sleep and the message came a second time, "Write a book", so I asked "What about?" To my astonishment the answer came, "Mental Health and the Soul."

The idea seemed logical this time but I was still able to convince my feet to stay in bed. On the third attempt the message got though, I was unable to stay in bed any longer

At three o'clock in the morning I was groping around in the dark, in a strange house. At three - thirty my brother found me in his family room writing down things I did not know. When I answered his question as to what I was doing up at this hour, he reacted as though this was a perfectly logical and natural thing to be doing at this early morning hour.

I was unable to stop the words from coming out of the pen. I was writing down ideas and information that I did not know. Concepts that I certainly had not formulated were finding their way on to the paper in front of me. Nor did I know where the information was coming from. I did know however, that this was the right time and the right thing to do. Each time, (and there have been many) that I have tried to talk myself out of writing I am overcome with anxiety.

This book contains the answers to the questions that were raised by my reading many books over the years and the question that have been bothering me. The question that stayed in my mind after reading each new piece of information or statement of what we must do to live as the universe intended was, "OK, how do I do that?"

The understandings that I have come to, come not only from reading, but seem to come from a source outside of myself.

The twenty-five years I spent as a Psychiatric Nurse and as a Nursing Instructor have helped me understand how the mind and the emotions work, but no where was I prepared for the spiritual growth that I have experienced though this outside source.

It seems that the years that I have spent trying to help others have led me to the point where I am ready to help in the most useful way of all.

The years of writing manuals have provided me with the skills I need to write down the answer to the question that had troubled me for so long, "OK, how do I do that?" This has become my purpose. The things that I have come to know as a result of this writing have made my life a continuos pleasure. The opportunities to learn and grow are presented every day. I have only to remember what I am now sure is some universal source, is trying to teach me and each moment of each day becomes an adventure.

I believe that this book is the end result of years of preparation. The universe has provided and now it is pushing me onward to share what I have come to know.

Many people have achieved some degree of spiritual enlightenment through various means. Most of these people have like myself, been casting around for years, reading self-help books in an attempt to find the answersto their questions.

Now in my life I am surrounded by people who have not had the opportunities or experiences I have had, they have not read self-help books, but are still asking the same questions I have asked. It is for these people I believe I am being pushed to write this book.

I cannot take credit for the idea or the content. This is all provided by some source outside of myself. If it were left to me I would likely not do this book since my self concept does not include "book writer" as one of the thing I am good at.

I have written teaching materials and was good at that. But writing a book has always eluded me before.The task that I believe was given to me is to write down what was supplied to me so the question, "How do I do that," can be answered for any one, especially those who have not studied for years.

When I imagine writing in the style of other writers I become anxious and nothing happens. When I pick up a pen and just relax and ask for guidance the style and content come without effort. The material that is provided comes without my thinking. The research is done. The task at hand is to write the book.

This book is presented with respect and appreciation to all of the authors that I learned from in the past. I hope in some way you might learn from this book and that together we might make a difference in others' lives.

This idea of writing a book as I saw it, started out to be a guide for mental health workers who want to provide the people they serve with a different option for approaching their lives. It quickly became clear that this was my mind trying to control the experience. As I wrote, it became clear that the intention of the source of this information was for this book to be written for everyone. The content applies to each of us including those who are therapists and those who face extraordinary challenges in their daily lives.

This book will be devoted to an explanation of the how the mind and soul contribute to our lives. What we experience through the mind and soul when they are in conflict and working in concert. How each serves in our growth and in realizing our higher purpose, which is the healing and growth of our souls. As well there is information provided to the reader as to how to change their behavior so the soul has a chance to meet it's needs.

This book will apply to us all, at what ever level or degree of enlightenment we see ourselves as having achieved.

Most importantly this book is intended to provide the opportunity for each of us to change and grow so we are able to fulfill our higher purpose in a knowing and caring way.

For the purposes of these writings the mind, soul, body and their respective functions will be individualized. The reader is to understand that this is only done out of necessity to facilitate the discussions of the contributions of each part to our being.

The intent is not to suggest that we are able to isolate any of the parts of our self. We are our body, mind and soul all at once and the combination of the three parts are all necessary to a complete and fulfilled life.

CHAPTER THREE

Living from the soul and healing the soul does not exclude physical pleasure and enjoyment. To enjoy the involvement of our soul in our life we do not have to be pious and rigid in our way of living. We really do not have to change much about the way we live right now to allow our soul to be fully integrated into our lives.

If you already treat all others with dignity and respect, take responsibility for protecting the environment in your daily activities, and fulfill your responsibilities to those close to you, you may only have to change some of the ways you are used to thinking and dealing with problems.

The soul approaches each minute, and each new experience as an adventure and a new opportunity to learn and to grow. When you start to live with a conscious awareness of your soul, the one factor that will influence the choices you make as you go through your day is your reflection on the question, "Will the outcome of this choice increase or decrease my joy?" You only have to keep in mind that your ultimate goal is the healing and growth of your soul and that this goal is most easily met in an atmosphere of kindness and love.

When our soul needs are being met we experience joy. If the choices we make allow us to avoid harming something of nature or someone else, allow us to achieve what we need to achieve so we can maintain our obligations and at the same time be kind to others, our soul will be happy and our joy will increase.

Any time we choose to do activities or actions that make us uncomfortable because we know they are not what is in our best interest, we are likely moving away from what our soul needs. Any time we do things that make us feel guilty we are almost positively moving away from our souls needs.

Any time we neglect to honor our soul's needs and act to harm others or the things of nature we are setting the stage for negative things to come back on us.

Each time we cut down a tree there are consequences. Each time we spray herbicides on the weeds in our lawns and gardens there are consequences. Each time we treat others unkindly or harm others intentionally or accidentally there are consequences. Our physical, mental and spiritual selves all have to deal with the end results of our choices and behavior.

As humans we tend to rearrange the things of nature and the things in our lives to make it more convenient for us to meet our physical and mental needs without considering the short and long term consequences.

Manipulating nature, the way we are used to doing, is an example of man's belief that man is the supreme power in this world. The more money and political influence an individual or group has the more their decisions influence the world we live in. Those with the greatest amount of money and power may have to take the biggest share of the blame when there is harm done to our world but they are not the only ones who have to deal with the consequences of their choices.

The major problem with this power structure is the first premise it is based on. Those with big piles of money are not the ultimate power in this world. The second flaw is, that as the decisions made by the wealthy start to affect the environment, it is the general population and usually the least monetarily wealthy who have to suffer the consequences of these money making efforts.

Choices that result in damage to the environment and the planet slow down with the progress toward our primary goal and interfere with our purpose for being in this lifetime.

Living from the soul and healing the soul are what we are ultimately here for. The natural resources are not only here for our use in this life time. There has to be some resources available to us in each incarnation.

The soul knows that it will return to this dimension and will have to wait for the opportunity to grow and heal each time it returns. If the physical bodies of this dimension are using their energies to cope with environments that are damaged and polluted there will be little opportunity for the soul to achieve its goals. So the soul tries to influence us to behave in ways that will provide for the long term good of the planet as well as the long term good each other.

The more we experience life with our five physical senses the more in tune we become with the natural world around us. The more information we have about our environment, the more we can appreciate what part we are playing in its life.

When we look around and see the litter on the streets and the smog in the air, hopefully we will become aware of how we will have to change our collective behavior to compensate for this abuse. If enough people realize that change must happen then change will happen more quickly. Living from the soul makes it possible for us to realize that there are alternatives to the way we now choose to live.

Having material abundance at the expense of our own habitat does not make a great deal of sense if we consider the long term consequences. Living from our soul allows us to find peace and joy with the simple things in life and we do not need to buy more material things to make us happy.

The more we allow our five senses to be awakened, the easier it is for our soul to let us know what it is in need of. While we are preoccupied with the mind oriented tasks of daily living, moving about, trying to do many things at one time, we do not leave any time or energy for the soul to express it's needs.

Our preoccupation with being busy and accomplishing many things in one day interferes with our ability to enjoy any one moment. When we involve our minds in one activity and the body in another we stop ourselves from enjoying either experience or collecting accurate and complete information on which to base decisions.

Living from the soul and healing the soul makes decision making easier. A major factor that will influence our decisions and actions will be our response to the question, "How will this affect my growth?"

We are all here to heal our soul from damage done to it in past incarnations. Once the necessary healing has taken place the soul looks for opportunities for growth beyond the point where it is in the present. For the soul to heal and grow the mind too has to become more enlightened.

If the choice we are about to make leads us in the direction of greater enlightenment and joy, then the choice is easy. If the activity that we are considering, will lead us into being irresponsible, unkind to someone else or the environment then we have to be prepared to deal with the consequences. If our choice will interfere with our growth or divert us from our predestined path than we take the responsibility for the consequences.

The immediate results of being irresponsible can be fun and there can be a short term gain or enjoyment. The long term consequences are what we must face eventually.

Eventually the energy runs out or the resources are depleted and we are forced to look at where we have ended up. This is true in our individual lives as well as for the world and the environment.

Pretending to not notice or ignoring the obvious truth or lying to ourselves about the logical and natural outcomes of our behavior and decisions only delays the inevitable.

Living to fulfill the desires of the mind and making ourselves feel good via the mind and body works for awhile. However the energies of the mind and body are not limitless.

As we satisfy one goal, we set another. We can always see how we could have done better or we realize there are bigger and better things for us to go after. The constant struggle to achieve external or material things which will give us satisfaction or to make us happy causes us to use up our limited supply of energy. When we realize that what we sought after is not really all that important we are often to old, to tired or to sick to change the way we are.

We need to recognize the source of energy that is within us. It has been with us our entire life and even if we are not ready to acknowledge it or we forget that it is there some of the time, it is still willing and able to help us.

There is no irreversible harm done in terms of our soul's growth, when we disregard its growth for a period of time. We may miss an opportunity to learn, miss getting some answers. As a result the soul's growth is slowed for a period of time. These opportunities to learn will all be presented again and again if we need the lesson.

When we ignore or neglect our souls needs it is not just the physical and material consequences we will have to deal with. We will struggle mentally and emotionally allot more and for longer than is necessary. In the long run we will have to learn how to deal with the changes in a our world and in ourselves.

We are not doomed to live with the current conditions of the world or with the conditions of our own lives for ever. It is possible to clear away the hurdles that are standing in the way of our growth, in both.

Non-productive behavior or irresponsible behavior in terms of the soul's growth can be released along with the negative mental reactions to our experiences. We do not have to carry the feelings of guilt that may arise when we realize that we have been behaving irresponsibly.

We can learn to release all past experiences that cause us distress. We can learn to let go of them and move on.

We will always be expected to take responsibility for the outcomes of our actions and to deal with the consequences of what we do, but we are not doomed to repeat the same mistakes or to suffer eternally because we or someone else may have made mistakes in the past.

Accepting that our purpose for being in this life-time is to provide opportunities for the soul to heal, grow and to move along its predestined path, makes our life simpler. The more closely aligned our soul's needs and our mind's choices are the less distress we feel and the greater our sense of peace and joy is.

The more each of us lives in harmony with our souls the faster the changes that will positively affect our environment and the entire planet, will happen.

If each of our mental decisions takes into account the soul's needs, life becomes simpler. Our attention can then be directed toward those activities that most closely meet our soul's needs. When we decide on a course of action with all of the necessary information considered, we are more likely to end up exactly where we intended to be.

After each behavior, and following each choice, feed back returns to us. Based on this feedback we decide if the outcome is need fulfilling or not. If the behavior meets a superficial emotional or physical need we tend to repeat it whether or not it has satisfied a soul need. If on the other hand we have learned what the experience was sent to teach us or if the soul's need has been met we move on even if we are not yet aware of our soul's existence.

The process of healing the soul is a series of freeing and enlightening experiences and exercises that build on one another. Like any new learning, at first our awareness is completely consumed by it. The new knowledge is ever present in our consciousness. As we become more accustomed to using these new skills and knowledge they are integrated into our nature and we practice them with ease and grace as we go along our path through life.

Catalogue Information

Canada • USA • UK • Europe Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of use | Author Login URL http://www.trafford.com © 1995-2007 Trafford Publishing, a division of Trafford Holdings Ltd.