The intent of this piece is to describe a soul nature that gracefully and powerfully moves adults, children, groups, and the world. Everyone, in their own way, is working towards this state. Each is a journey, not a destination. An essential understanding of all points is necessary. Striving for all points is necessary. Being all points is not.
Interacting with the world
- open, aware, peaceful, passionate yet not obstinate or single-minded
- thoughts & actions stray from the cruel, violent, nefarious, or aggressive, and move toward compassion and betterment for all
- community minded
- mole hills don’t seem like mountains; they seem like mole hills; and, what are truly mountains?
- given up righteous indignation, interpersonally and politically, however Just, as a way of being and thinking
Interacting with oneself
- playful and flexible with issues both surface and deep, yet not treated lightly when needed
- open to knowledge and ready to apply it yet also a healthy skeptic
- grounded, yet flexible, like the sapling. The tall tree topples in the strong wind.
- learned not to give yourself away. Dirty communication. Rescues. (see below)
- realized that nearly all your pain results from: getting what I don’t want, and not getting what I do want
- separation of self from other . . .you are distinct, you are yourself. The other comes after and with conscious consideration.
- clarity about your values: being present, yet seeing the horizon and points along it for yourself clearly. You have landmarks and guide stars which hold you from straying from your path.
Interacting with a turbulent other
- seeing both instead of or . . . having the needs of the other matter along with our own. Not limiting or combative.
- gentle nature – you are a peace maker and able to see more than what is presented; you don’t get sea sick when waves are high. When violence is witnessed, you see the violence beyond its loud mask to its quiet core. You yourself do not generate violence or aggression.
- “Those people are just like this . . .” ends responsibility, options, and empathy. You personalize instead of objectify.
Internal locus of control
- the law, suing, rewards, rules, so and so said, . . . you are beyond these as moving you
- “I can’t be ____{happy}____ unless . . . .” Recognition that whatever is after the ellipse is placed there by yourself, not others. Frustration, sadness, anger – these are entirely your own doing.
- difficulties arise, yet you see yourself as the responsible actor in improvements. When efforts don’t work, you still turn inward, even when you seek aid elsewhere for the cause or actions.
- your happiness no longer revolves around other people agreeing with you.
-“Lord, I asked you as nicely as I could to make me a better person. You just couldn’t be bothered, could you?!”
“They”
What everyone does or says is not very important to you anymore. Often, people reference, implicitly or explicitly the other as the REASON for their actions/thoughts. Your actions are yours, and your thoughts are yours. You stand solely present, yet influenced from the outside by your considered choice. Whether people agree with you or not hardly matters – you selectively feed from the environment, not the environment on you. Voting and polls and mentioning/gathering groups/posses of people is something you’ve outgrown as a mental space. Likewise, groupings such as gender, politics, passions/hobbies, money, affiliation with a clique/subgroup, etc. are held as a drop of information in a vast sea. “They” and “Us” are not useful concepts to you.
Foe feelings – making people wrong, yourself or others
Blame / Shame
“Yea, okay, that’s my bad, but what about them/him/her!?” “You/they are ____(judgment/evaluation)____.” Criticism, judgment – antithetical to peace and happiness. Like trying to say the peaceful sword, gun, or bomb. We just want people to agree with us. So harmless. Just see it my way. They are looking at us the same way. Want to be happy, and happiness is that people agree with you – see leather and feet story next page.
Drama / Trauma.
Thought = “I’ve been hurt, I want to be recognized for my pain, and I want someone else to do something about it.”
Eleanor Roosevelt said “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Walls around your heart and yourself are there as defensive postures, protecting you from pain. Less flexible and open. Terrors mount over time, not lessen, unless the walls become thicker to create a sense of guarded peace. Need a compassionate heart that recognizes that lashing outward or inward are not the only responses (and never desirable) to various forms of pain.
Personality differences / issues / concerns
These are no longer of any interest to you other than observation. Personality differences are not offered as excuses or reasons for interpersonal or working relationships. Personality conflicts are something that used to happen to you when you were learning about people, but are no longer holding you back from a soul nature on a different level. You realize that there are more universal ways of relating to people without a “they” or “foe” sentiment (such as untangled needs). Similarly, you maintain an open nature towards others, instead of the self-protection of subgroups, cliques, and exclusions.
Evaluation / feedback
Regardless of who, how, or when, evaluations and feedback are taken as of value – to be drunken in like tea, keeping the parts that offer nourishment, and letting the rest pass through you. An uncommon openness and acceptance of the tea is your nature, allowing it in, rather than fighting or denigrating/devaluing the cup or the tea itself. Open curiosity.
Judgment and Opinions
Draw a distinction between judgment and opinions. Without opinions, you’re a feather in the wind. You stand for nothing, so you’ll fall for anything. Judgment involves a person being Wrong in some manner, as opposed to an idea or strategy separate from them. Judgment also implies a penchant, however strong, to not consider openly another perspective, without getting caught up in being right or gaming the other person in a verbal sword duel. Rather than expressing one’s thoughts on a matter reasonably and with curiosity about the other position, the speaker believes the other person “should” take on their point of view. They are Wrong! The closer the position is tied to the ego, the more “should” sentiment is attached to it.
Your Feet
Your feet Long ago, a fellow was walking through the world with bare feet, and he got cut by sharp rocks, burned by hot sand, and pricked by sticks and thorns. He thought to himself, “The world is too hot and sharp! Aha! I’ll cover the entire world with leather. Then, wherever I walk, I’ll be okay!” He eventually realized that it wasn’t possible to create all this leather with all the animals he could ever find. Then, instead, he decided to wrap leather around his two feet, and he was able to walk anywhere. Get it? Dangerous next thought: “Okay, but I’ll wrap leather around just this one person/event.”
Power Ranger
People who are up to something (or truly want to be) . . . who wish to achieve greatness in their lives as an act of service . . . these people are tapping into a power that dissolves their own Rackets. Scuffles, indignation, enemy images, mood swings, . . . these fall away. These people want their ideas to range through their communities, and perhaps the world. They rise above the quagmire that traps the hearts and minds of those who aim for less.
Seeking this Soul Nature
Lights – when you turn on headlights in the fog, you get white back again, especially if the brights are on. Trying harder doesn’t work. This soul nature isn’t achieved by some recognition and then a sprint to acquire it. It is developed and nurtured. Consider the following as a mid-day mantra, or when you view your situation as trying and difficult. Everyday, in all your interactions and patterns of thoughts, you choose what kind of soul nature you’re developing, and consequently, will have.
Other pieces that delve into Soul Nature elements in more detail
The Four Agreements
The 10 Truth Skills You Need
Green Being
Spectrum of Consciousness
Letting Go of an Attachment
Desiderata
Hungry Ghost
8-Fold Path
Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters