It is both a great pleasure and honor to contribute this 25-Year Anniversary article to Soulful Living, the pioneering self-help portal founded by its visionary founder. Happy Anniversary!
This is actually my fifth article here; the first one was published in the very beginning, in the year 2000! Today, I would like to take you on a little but hopefully exciting excursion, exploring what it means to be soulful in the truest sense of the word and how this understanding can help us be happy and healthy in a holistic way.
To keep things also a bit light and fun, as it befits this auspicious anniversary issue, I will “pepper” this contribution with “philosophical aphorisms,” or “pair vivid metaphors with blunt assertions,” add “argumentative quotes,” and mix in a few “short, punchy lines (as per some reviews) from my latest book or Substack posts (in bold italic).
Many, if not most, of you will likely agree that we live in both complex and challenging times. One could even call them dramatic, or sometimes, outright traumatic. Worldwide, we can now witness or experience the very deep divisions that are evident in our societies, within families, among friends.
Nobody seems to agree with anybody on anything anymore! As a result, there is so much anger, so many hurt feelings, and sadly, a great number of ruptured relationships with even important people, people that were actually meant to be a part of our life journey. By deciding not to love our loved ones we mostly punish ourselves. That is a soulful truth, whether we like to acknowledge it or not.
Here we will not investigate the many causes of our troubles or who is to blame for what. But recognize this both contemporary and historical fact: Those who divide and rule us are laughing when we are arguing among ourselves. Don’t fall for it, or stop participating.
In my writings I’ve always acknowledged the importance of activists trying to improve the state of the world, in no matter how big or small ways. Yet I also pointed out that we need to be or become a Happy Activist, for many reasons. For example, the power of anger only goes so far as it is not sustainable. And it is always corrosive, even if justified. To be sad or mad is obviously bad for our health and happiness.
Angry solutions or actions are inherently not particularly intelligent anyway and can actually do some very serious harm, both short and long-term, individually and collectively. We really need to choose our battles in life very carefully. Or, soulfully. And likewise for what we believe…
Holding grudges or worse only locks us into people, places and energies we may not wish or shouldn’t want to keep experiencing. We have to seriously ask ourselves if that is really what we want. Do I want to hate this or that soul and therefore energetically connect and mingle, in the truest sense of the word? Sometimes for a long time to come? Because that is exactly what happens! (I’ve outlined the hows and whys in Yes I Am Happy Now!)
So many of us are seriously in need of healing! On all levels. To get started, we need to realize that no matter what, things are always better than it looks. In both the big and small picture, the world is still a wonderful place despite a few trying to spoil it for the many. Experience and enjoy its beauty and wonders. To the best of your abilities. Every day. All the time. It will help us heal ourselves and eventually, the world.
Strangely, we so often seem to argue over opinions, thoughts and beliefs that were not even ours to begin with. Therefore, are our arguments and fights over this or that really worth ruining our health and happiness?
Free and therefore happy spirits don’t feel the need to condemn others for their beliefs, knowing that some of theirs may be wrong too. Giving ourselves and others more of a break is always a smart choice in life. And clearly, it’s also the healthy and happy way!
We may think that we know it all, better or best, but do we really? Arguably, not very many of our widely held beliefs are actually true, if any. Please note that when we are talking about beliefs, we are not just talking about philosophical, spiritual or religious ones, but secular and scientific beliefs as well: Believe it or not, but most fundamental parts of “Machine Man” science, in my book, Beyond Machine Man: Who we really are and why Transhumanism is just an empty promise! (2021), are actually all about believing, not knowing.
How can we tell if our beliefs are right or wrong? It is actually quite easy: Beliefs that are aligned with truths usually bring happiness, and vice versa.
~ Beyond Machine Man
And what would be a soulful way to heal ourselves and our relationships? Imagine to never ever hate anybody or anything but always focus on everybody and everything you love. What would life be like? How could such a mindset change my world? Or yours? And ultimately, ours? The idea may sound overly optimistic at first, yet it really is possible and works! Try it.
Be Soul Full. A Full Soul. A whole or enlightened soul.
What does that mean, you may wonder? The beginning of enlightenment is making the deep personal experience that we are not our physical bodies but an eternal spiritual spark or soul.
~ Beyond Machine Man
Longtime readers who have read my previous articles or any of my books know that I keep emphasizing that we are the soul (or spark of spirit) rather than having one. Because that is of utmost importance. But don’t believe anything on faith; look at all the evidence presented, then explore and experience it for yourself! There are many ways to do that, too many to cover here. Yet as always and with everything, it starts with having a most sincere desire.
Being enlightened as to who we really are and to live accordingly will bring about a great many and most amazing benefits. Both for us as individuals and for society as a whole!
Once we fully realize again who we really are, we will automatically experience more of our true inherent positive feelings and less negative emotions.
~ Beyond Machine Man
It will also make it easier to implement the idea expressed above: Living a life always focused on everybody and everything we love. Thereby experiencing and enjoying lots of love, peace and happiness. And, being or becoming healthy too.
Tune in and stay tuned in. It will make things better, in many ways!
It really is spirit over mind, and mind over body.
~ Beyond Machine Man
Let me conclude this article with a little suggestion (Number 8 of 365) from my daily series And The Happy Rabbit Says…
Mentally spell and focus on: LOVE while inhaling, PEACE while exhaling! (3 × 3 min.)
