Spiritual self

Had two great conversations yesterday with different people and both ended up discussing how life robs us of our self identity. Maybe not robs as in stealing something right before your very eyes, but none the less taking something from you and changing it for the good of others. This is a process that starts early in life and once it begins it seems to never end.

There are so many facets in our existence that attempts to mold our moral code. That attempt however, often times ends up in manipulation and drives away the code it was trying to create. Morality, ethics, integrity, and character are all fibers of our being that carry huge weight. These intrinsic characteristics must be developed with outside influence, however the nurturing of this must continue growing and changing throughout our lives. When our moral code is created through manipulation, as it often is, it leaves us confused and depressed as we face situations in life that cast doubt on what we have learned. Before you know our moral code externally exist but inward it is placing us in the same packed place all others find themselves in with no hope of ever escaping. I hate to say this but since I believe it I feel that I must exert my integrity or quit writing. I believe many of our religions teach us superficial morality that does not hold up to the litmus test of life. To prove that point you see people, you may be one, that bounces from church to church trying to find something that makes sense, until you finally give up and leave religion all together. By the way the teaching of faith and morality should make sense, many churches do their best to complicate it because they themselves do not understand it enough to teach it. 

Each person in your sphere of influence has character flaws. Why? Because we say they do. We, as finite beings, have this innate ability to find something wrong with everyone. That should be a clue to what is wrong with us. In that early developmental process we learn that our emotions and feelings have merit while that of others does not. If someone else's child screams and cries it is poor parenting, if our child screams and cries there must be an explainable reason. That might be a silly example but it does drive home the point. We are conditioned to cast blame. That is not who we were born to be. 

God made us with love for love. There are people that have been able to shake free from the norms of society and find the true self that is hidden below the layers of junk. Once the demons of life are exorcised and the real you starts to emerge interesting things begin to happen. You will have few supporters in your search for self. It is a lonely journey but it will pick up momentum and the rewards will start piling up. Courage, self confidence, love of self, love of neighbor, humility, patience, and so many other positive attributes will creep into your soul without you even knowing it. Finding the person God created is a liberating life long jaunt.

Can we find who we are in this crazy, material world we live in? That is answer is a resounding yes. The search for spiritual self can actually be an exhilarating experience that will separate from the rest of the cookie cutter world that just fights tooth and nail to fit in when they should be using that energy to stand out. The question is where and how do you start. As simple as this sounds the start is simply to change your view of what you think you see. The world isn't bad, you just see it as bad. The world isn't hopeless, you just see it as such. Your life isn't terrible, you are just conditioned to believe that it is. Remember this as you embark on your search for life's meaning, positive in equates to positive out. It is impossible to have a positive life with negative thoughts. Stop waiting for the miracle to happen or God to miraculously send you something in the mail. Get up, make a decision that your life has value and get started.

peace and love
Dale