The experiences we go through are those we have chosen based on our souls' needs. We chose to go through experiences which
help develop that part of our souls which we have identified as lacking or underdeveloped.
By going through the experience, we gain an insight and understanding of what it feels like to be in the situation, or to
live under those specific conditions. This helps us understand what others who have been through the experience felt. This is
the best way that God has chosen to help us learn and to develop.
By learning in this way we are able to appreciate and understand what others have been through. After going through it we are
able to understand the difficulties and challenges they have had to deal with.
When we understand their experience we will be able to love them more, and be less likely to judge or to condemn them for who
they are. When we understand what they have been through, we will accept them unconditionally because we will know what it
feels like to go through what they have been through.
Our soul is the part of our being which connects us to divinity; and its only objective is to guide us to our authentic
selves, which is our truest character and the closest we can be to godliness.
Our soul always yearns to develop and to grow. To do this, it seeks opportunities which will give it the experiences it needs
to grow. Often, the experiences we get are those which grow that part of it which we have identified as lacking or
underdeveloped.
As it does not have the ability to act, it uses the body and mind to get the experiences it needs.
The role of the mind is to think and to make decisions (or choices) and to create.
The role of the body is to experience. The body brings the experience through its power to feel and to act, thus producing
outcomes which allow it to experience different conditions and circumstances.
How can we benefit from this interaction?
How can we make this interaction between the soul, mind and body to work for us?
In the next sections you will understand what the three ideas mean. You will also learn how they interact with each other, as
well as what you need to do to take full advantage of this interaction to improve the quality of your life.
Roles and Functions of the Trilogy
The first thing to do is understand the connection between the mind, body and soul.
The soul, as part of the trilogy serves to connect us to the divine entity, which is characterized by goodness, love, and
kindness.
Our body, as the second part of the trilogy, is our earthly component, which makes it possible for us to interact with the
physical world, and to carry out the wishes of the soul.
The mind is the creative component of the trilogy. Its main function is to think. When it does this, it considers options,
and it makes choices, which are carried out by the body on its behalf.
Because of its power to think, it has the ability to conceive anything, and to create it by bringing it into the physical
realm of our consciousness.
Proof of this is that nothing was ever created that did not start in the mind. People often have the idea that the mind
conceives, and the body is what creates. But this is not true because the body's functionality is limited only to it physical
role, which is mobility and action.
The idea which gives rise to the illusion that the body has creative powers is the fact that we can use it to make physical
object, and to make an impact (or get results). But this is not creating. It is simply putting together what the mind has
already conceived according to the instructions and blueprint the mind has created.
The fact is you cannot create what you did not conceive. So, the mind, as the only component able to conceive, is the only
one that can have the ability to create anything.
When you understand the connection between the three, you need to understand how they interact with one another. Let us start
by explaining what emotions are and where they originate. After that we will talk about the interactions of the three
components, as well as the role emotions play in our souls' development.
Emotions and the Five Senses
The body uses its five senses to experience what the mind has created or brought into being (or corporal world).
The bodily senses are:
the sense of touch, which is through the skin;
the sense of taste, which is through the tongue;
the sense of hearing, which is through the ears;
the sense of sight, which is through the eyes; and
the sense of smell, which is through the nose.
In the process of experiencing life (or stimuli) using the five senses, the body transfers these sensations to the mind,
which translates them into something meaningful to it. The meaning it creates will often involve some interpretations about
what it means, and how it should be taken or understood.
This is when the mind decided whether it is something good or not. The label the person attaches to the sensation is usually
a function of his or her background, including prior learning and experience.
Emotions are feelings that are evoked by this labeling and interpretation. The emotions we feel will be consistent with the
way we chose to label the experience. If we interpret it as not good ('bad'), then we will tend to have a similar feeling
about it; and if we thought the experience was good, we will tend to also have a similar feeling about it.
As you can see in the above explanation, emotions develop by going through two parts of the trilogy. When the body is not
feeling well, the mind decides what to make of the experience. What it makes of the experiences get translated into its
emotional equivalent. This goes for both feeling which are labelled as 'good' and 'bad'.
This process of feeling and interpretation accounts for how we feel about everything we experience. It is the process by
which we decide whether we like something or not. It is also a process by which we decide whether we are happy or not; and
all other feelings we have in between.
The Human Soul
The last piece not accounted for in the above explanation is the soul. The soul is the ingenious and wisest (divine) part of
the trilogy. It is susceptible to any influence, as it is characterized by purity and authenticity. The objective of the soul
is to guide and teach. It serves as our conscience to let us know when we are moving away from the path of goodness (or
godliness).
However, it does not have the power to control our thoughts or what the body does. This is the reason we are able to ignore
it and act in ways that are contrary to its dictates. This is when we allow ourselves to follow our minds and submit to the
selfish needs and destructive habits and ways of bodies.
The soul is the human part or medium which links us (body and mind) to the divine presences. It is the part which reminds us
that we are much more than just bodies occupying space on the universe, but an important component of the system because of
our connection to divinity; each and every one of us.
Emotions and the Human Soul
Emotions are the only language the soul understands. So, they form the final link between our thoughts (mind) and feelings
(feelings). As the purest, uncontaminated and virtuous part of the triad, the soul alerts us to thoughts and behaviours that
are not in line with goodness (or virtuousness).
In this way we are able to differentiate between 'goodness' and 'evil', 'love' and 'hatred', kindness and cruelty,
malevolence and benevolence, compassion and maliciousness, sympathy and apathy, gentleness and harshness, 'helpfulness' and
'sabotage' or 'filibustering'.
Human Intuition
Intuition is not a part of the human dimensions, but an outcome of the interaction between the mind and soul. It provides
evidence of the important connection between our minds and the forces of the universe.
Through this connection we have the ability to receive flashes of insights and wisdom from the spirit world. The information
we get is usually in response to some of our appeals and petitions.
Often, these flashes of insight come to us when we least expect, and can potentially make a huge difference in helping us
solve some or other problems we have been grappling with. Sometimes they give guidance about actions we need to take which
may help us on our way toward achieving personal goals and other important targets.
Spirit
Spirit is what everything in the universe is made of. It is the essence of our being, and that of the Creator in scriptures
and other places. Everything is spirit. It is the oneness, singularity and unity which is inseparable from everything that
exist, whether visible or not.
After everything is said and done, we all revert back to our original state, which is the spirit that we are, and that we all
came from.
This is the dimension of the universe which is always the same. It never changes because it the essence of our being and
everything which is animate and inanimate.
Development of the Soul
Understanding the roles and relationships among the three parts of the human composition is the first step in appreciating
the fact of the growth and maturity of your soul. When you know what the soul needs to grow, you will want to be exposed to
conditions and circumstances which help it to develop.
When we go through experiences, especially emotionally painful ones, we are given the opportunity to develop that particular
aspect of our souls, which we have identified as lacking, and therefore, needing to be developed.
As I said earlier, the experiences we go through in life serve to help us grow by developing the knowledge and insights we
need to understand issues we did not understand before. Because of the experiences, we are able to appreciate more and to
love better.
When we love we are able to view situations and people without judgment or condemnation, even if we do not agree with them
about what they say or what they do.
The soul develops by going through various experiences in many life times. People choose in what form, at what time and place
they want to come to before they decide to return to Earth. In deciding on the above, they also choose the types of
experiences they would like to have while they are here on earth.
So, this means the reason we go through many of the painful experiences is to develop the part of our souls which is lacking
in some respects.
Another reason we choose the experiences we are going to have in life through our thoughts and actions. As our thoughts
invariably influence the choices we make and the actions we take, we inevitably produce certain outcomes we will need to deal
with.
Often the types of experiences we get are what we need for the development of those aspects of our souls that need
development.
We learn the most important lessons from those experiences where we feel the greatest pain. The more painful the experience,
the deeper and more profound the learning we get.
Nothing makes a man more humble and placid than an enduring emotionally painful. Nothing is more illuminating and
enlightening than an agonizing and excruciating experience. These types of experiences help us to restore our connection with
our authentic selves, by forcing us to seek divine help and support.
With some exceptions, when people are in a state of need because of suffering and hardship over a period, they tend to
espouse qualities of virtue, and wisdom. On their deathbeds, or when they think their lives may be over, they also tend to
demonstrating deep insights and an advanced development by imparting profound wisdom to those close to them.
Plato has been quotes as having said "No one ever has ever died a non-believer".
This bears testimony to the power of emotional pain in facilitating learning and growth.
This, however, does not mean we must be masochistic by putting ourselves through pain and misery in order to learn the
lessons we think we need like the Buddha did.
The best learning and most enduring and powerful learning for the soul is one which comes unexpectedly, shaking us, taking us
to edge of our comfort zone, and threatening our interests, security and wellbeing; and sometimes survival or livelihood.
When such events happen, they pull us out of our comfort zones, whirl us around, showing no respect or mercy, and with no
regard for our position, rank or status.
Although such is an experience none of us would like to have, the fact is, we will go through such or similar experience a
few time in our lives. Each of the experiences serves to remind us that we are still human, and need to refocus and pay
attention to the dictates of our souls, which we may have forgotten. The feeling we get from the experience is so powerful we
cannot ignore; and if we try, we are doing it to our own peril. This is because it will never go away until we have mustered
the courage to confront it, and deal with it in an objective manner.
The only way to deal with it is to acknowledge it, and accept that it was a necessary and beneficial experience because it
helped us in some way, either by teaching us something, or by bringing certain positive changes in our life.
Usually, after all has passed, some people will tell us, they are glad they had the experience. They will tell us with great
pride how happy they are for having experienced the challenges they had.
They will extol the benefits of the pain and suffering they had, and tell us how the experience helped them learn important
lessons about life, and about themselves.
They will go as far as saying they owe part or the whole of whatever success they achieved to the experience; and without it,
they would not be where they are.
Also, if you were to ask anyone who is considered successful in his area of endeavor, they would tell you how they struggled,
toiled and sweltered to get where they are. This bears testimony to the fact that experiences with a strong emotional
contents provide a more effective and meaningful opportunity to learn than those which do not come with such emotional pain.
As I have said in a previous section, emotions are the medium by which the soul connects us to divinity (or the divine
world).
However, the opposite is also true that emotions, when allowed to get out of control, can alienate us from our authentic
selves, and cause us to act in ways which do not serve our best interests.
The five natural emotions which connect us are fear, envy, anger, love, and grief. Part of our souls' agenda is to help us
master our thoughts, emotions and actions so they are always aligned and in harmony with our authentic selves (souls), which
is the only connection we have with divinity.
To learn more about the five natural emotions, and how we can use them positively, read "Thought and Emotions in Our
Spiritual Journey", by the same author, and also found at Ezine Articles.
To discover the truth of life, Siddhartha Gautama decided to retreat into the wilderness where through sacrifice he subjected
himself to severe pain and suffering in order to experience life under those conditions. After several years of suffering he
emerged with new insights which earned him the name 'The Awakened One'.
The Buddha learned all these insights by living an ascetic life. During this period he deprived himself of all things he
considered earthly indulgences. He even deprived himself of food to a point where he became weak and so emaciated he clearly
needed help. His learning and insights formed the basis of his preaching, and what is today the doctrine of the Buddhist
faith.
When you understand the importance of personal experiences in helping you develop and grow you will also appreciate the
impact they make in the growth and maturity of your soul.
By understanding these, you will not only be able to view your experiences as important and indispensable to becoming whole,
but you will view everything you go through without judgment or condemnation because you will know that it is happening for a
good reason and serves a worthy purpose.
So, the next time you go through something unpleasant, reframe it to reflect this acceptance and understanding. Know that the
experience is exactly what your soul needs right at that moment in order to grow and to be complete.
To do this you must focus your thoughts on what you feel and try to understand exactly what lessons the experience is trying
to teach you. Soon you will find that whatever it is the experience is trying to teach you is something you need to learn or
to overcome in order to reach the next level of growth.
Often, the lessons which come in this way signify the tipping point of a long and arduous struggle which has to that point
yielded no visible results or shown enough progress.
The author is a human development specialist. His main interest is in helping people learn the skills to live a happy and
successful lives. He does this by teaching them to set goals, and provide them with strategies they can apply to reach and
them.
He believes it is important to know and understand the laws of nature so one can use them to their benefit by working with
them, instead of against them.
His other interests are in finding more creative ways to help people achieve the success they want and to be happy.
In addition to personal development and growth, he is involved in running a consultancy business, which provides a wide range
of services geared toward helping companies benefit from their human resources functions.
Also, his portfolio of services offered through his business and by himself and his team includes helping ordinary people
overcome their day-to-day challenges and to achieve their personal goals.
For more information, visit the websites:
http://www.zero2prosperity.co.za
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sebetlela_M
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8853470
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