S.O.U.L. Series
The Struggle Of Undertaking Life
All of The S.O.U.L. Series videos are found below. Here you will Find the Extra writings on each of the 11 parts of the S.O.U.L. Series.
S.A.V.E. Yourself (Self Analysis Via Examining Yourself) - The Purpose of Self Analysis is to learn about our thoughts, our actions and our trajectory. Why do I think this way on a subject? Why am I emotional (angry, sad, etc.) on a subject. What is holding me back? What value could be added to my life by simply subtracting certain actions? Is what I believe right and true? What is my relationship with myself and why? Remember, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. We can learn, grow, apologize or otherwise make things right.
"If you want to right your life, write your life." A little bit of distance between yourself and the thoughts can bring new perspective. That distance being the space between yourself and the page which you've written.
It's beginning to see yourself from an objective point of view. It's removing you from the equation to a reasonable extent. At least removing the ego. In order for me to grow i must release my ego from holding me back. You may think of you life as a boat. Ego is the anchor. Your mast is your focus and the winds of life are opportunities. The astute sailor uses the winds to his advantage, and you will too. Self reliance will change your life immeasurably.
Forgiveness - Forgiveness is an irreplaceable piece of the puzzle. In the dark night of the soul everything may seem whole. Wholly helpless, hopeless. In the darkness, everything appears as one. With open eyes in the daylight sun and you will see things as they really are.
No one is perfect, none without fault, none without sin. If you have felt that hopelessness, have hung your head with guilt then remember the power of forgiveness. In the Christian pray it is recited, "(God) Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." There is great power and potential in forgiveness, just as there is great power and potential in each and every person.
Forgiveness reduces the weight on your shoulders, that weight must be borne but some things are simply unnecessary to carry. We must be sincere when we seek forgiveness and when we forgive. Forgiving is for living.
So much of what limits us is intangible. Our minds shackled by sorrow, pain, pity, doubt, fear and falsehoods.
We must forgive ourselves to forgo mistakes made in the dark. We must walk forward in faith. We must reframe our lives where we are seeking truth and purpose to bring meaning into everything. The new day is here. Has the reformation arrived in your life? Invite in the life you've been seeking. Start doing the things and you start becoming the person you could be. Forgiveness may just be the best place for some of us to start.
Love of Learning: Learning is a prerequisite for realizing anything greater in life. Leaning on learning will help you realize what is working in your life and what isn't.
Learning turns our minds into the most powerful tool that we possess. Stronger in potential than any muscle. We are always learning, when we do not change something
we are learning to accept it. We must fuse wisdom and learning to make our journey out of the dark night of the soul. Proverbs says, "fear of God is the beginning of wisdom."
We must learn what life is about, what stories control us, our relationship with truth, how important self-responsibility is and where we want to go. Sometimes what we see is simply "Theory," just an inaccurate interpretation.
Learning does so much for any person. It brings passion to the individual. It brings value to yourself and to others. Most of life is not known to mankind. If we truly appreciated how much potential life holds we would pick up our shovels and dig into the mind. If we are to explore the universe we must explore the innerverse. Learning not just about the world, but about ourselves. What the world holds for you will be learned by cultivating learning. Many times in life, there are a few small habits that hold us back. Learn those bad habits, learn the weak link so that you may break the chains that bind you. Your story may have defined you but you first defined it. The power to redefine it is in your hands. The past just refined you into who you are now. In conclusion, cultivating a love of learning will cultivate a love of living.
Focus: Focus is the driving factor of our lives whether we realize it or not. What we focus on can divide our attention, rendering it nearly useless or worse. When properly
used it can multiply our productivity and our self esteem.
Ever moment of every day our mind is focusing on something. In the Dark Night of the Soul it may be focusing upon how dark it seems. All you can see and focus upon is the darkness, or so you think, because that's all you focus on. The truth is that your inability to see can heighten your other senses and abilities. These may be key to escaping the darkness.
Believe me, life is always trying to teach you. You must focus on the lessons that you need to learn. You must put aside the tests of life. When you learn the lessons, you will pass the tests. You must light the fire inside and pass along the torch to bring light to a world of darkness. Hope to the hopeless. Purpose to the purposeless. A vision to the blind.
Creativity is the power of the mind and what we create is limited by what we focus upon. Different people come to different conclusions though circumstances are the same. We may focus on lies or on truth. Focus upon what empowers us or leeches life force over time. Our lives are a culmination of acts premeditated by thoughts. Accept life for what it is so that it may become what it could be. Fully Optimized Concentration Upon Success F.O.C.U.S.
Establishment of Purpose: There is great purpose in struggle and great struggle without purpose. Man is meant to struggle for a cause. There is no doubt about the unbreakable connection that there is between great men and their achievements. You are mistaken if you think they did not struggle in the attainments.
Instead of letting life grind them down to a useless dullness, they wisely sharpened their mind to become a tool of achievement. Their dedication, their discipline.
We cannot all be around greatness, but we can study the greats that came before us. Study their times, their stories, their writings, their lessons, achievements, failures
and habits. Study your own life, you own personal philosophy, stories, and habits. All you have to do is change your story to change your life. Words change worlds. Moods change men. Change how you see and feel about life.
Picture frames can be quite ugly, busted and worth replacing. No matter what picture you fit in the frame, nothing looks good. You may not need to change the picture, just the frame surrounding the picture. Give yourself time to grow. Get active physically. Even if it is just walking everyday. Grow yourself mentally. Read books, write and think. Converse with those who want to grow. Study the ancient philosophies and religions. We know less than we think we do. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Learn more about what you believe. Give thanks. Give Praise. Pray.
Emotional Regulation is important when anyone endeavors to change their present conditions. 1: We become, consciously or unconsciously, emotionally attached to our condition. We believe things are already good or that we cannot change it. 2: Emotional outbursts can quite often be destructive and counter our efforts to be greater.
Some may argue, well I am reacting naturally. Yes, and so is a baby when he cries. But, as he grows older we do expect him to cry less. We expect him to learn more,
to do more and to realize the growing potential within him.
So it is with Man, and particularly with those struggling, that they necessarily must regulate their emotions. In practicing this you will also find yourself controlling your mouth and using your words to build and see great qualities instilled in others.
Life seems to be a closed loop. Like the song says, "You get what you give." Life doesn't get any easier. To the extent that it does, you simply got smarter, stronger and wiser. You learn what to do, and when. You earn who you are everyday. It's not about what happens to you, its not about what you happen to do. It's about who you choose to be. To be revolutionary in your life you must regulate your emotions to be the focused, disciplined creator you need to be. You need not be perfect, you need not change how the world see and talks about you. You must change how you speak and see yourself inside your own mind. Emotional regulation is shifting from Reaction to Creation. Two words, same letters. Different lifestyles.
It's your honor to choose.
Knowing Is Half of Growing: Knowing is half of growing, the other half is going. The GPS can outline your trip. It cannot forsee all the obstacles that may occur. Life cannot say whether you will survive or thrive. You must strive to become more, to be better. Imperfection is a blessing. Think about it. If this was how good I were to be, what would be the purpose of the rest of my days? Everyday is worthful. Worth learning more, worth doing more, and worth helping others along the way.
One of the most amazing things that isn't appreciated enough; that our creator endowed us with the honor of freewill. Being free isn't always easy but it is worth it. It is worth it to push passed the past and move with purpose. Know your goal or purpose is one thing.
Knowing is half of growing. The other half is going. Knowing is not the purpose of knowledge. The purpose of knowledge is achievement. Knowledge is not the end, but the means to reach the desired outcome. L.U.C.K. Laboring under correct knowledge. Faith without works is dead. Life is not meant to be lived inside your head. Your dreams won't be lived on screens. Your being has a spiritual meaning. Let's build a life of meaning, let us know ourselves so that we may grow ourselves. Let us see life as it is so that we may construct what could be. "We suffer more in imagination than in reality." -Seneca. Suffering bears great fruit. It can be hard to break the shell and reveal the wisdom beneath the surface. Some people get a small taste and turn away. I assure you of one thing. You will suffer in this life. We are mortal. It gives life meaning. Reduce suffering by being moral. Reduce suffering by recognizing life's lessons in suffering. Let it change how you act, because knowing is half of growing.
Action Creates Traction: (A.C.T.) Movement builds momentum. It's hard to push a boulder up a hill. Its even harder to start pushing it when it stops. Even the best need rest, maybe that is why we plateau. So that weight we are pushing forward won't crush us. We keep pushing that boulder forward, but we are building our endurance, our discipline and our consistence. Life constantly tests us, trial by fire. Life wants us to grow. In order to do this we must go towards our goals.
They say idle hands are the Devil's playthings. Well, then goals save souls. Goals give us reasons to continue throughout our seasons of life. Goals and sacred honor give us meaning to push through the pain and the strife toward our vision of a better life. In the dark night of the soul, inaction can cost you the greatness that you could achieve. Action in the direction of your dreams could bring about things you couldn't believe.
The results of our lives will be inextricably linked to thoughts that your actions spring forth from. The correct knowledge can create the blueprint, but the action will bring the visions to fruition. The link between your results and your life are there for you to study. Life is indifferent, it will give you what you plant in the garden of life. We can take action, learn from the results and improve. We can take action and resist the lessons which could cause our problems to persist. The truth is that we all hold the key to change in our hands, our head and our hearts. We must have the dignity and humility to see where we are wrong so that we may take action and create traction in the direction of our dreams. It will bring light to our lives and meaning to our struggles.
Leave It Better: The only wealth you keep is the wealth you have given away. -Marcus Aurelius
On our journey of self-creation, of self-mastery and the grand adventure we call life we will surely ask ourselves the question which I refer to as, "The Mystery." What is my
personal purpose? Why am I here? We are here to contribute to the world, to leave it better than we found it. To pay our debts when we agree to them because it is the right thing to do. To give more than you take, because it speaks about our character. It will bring wealth in relationships and materials, and it is the mindset that eliminates poverty. A sincere attitude of gratitude will transform not just your life, but those around you as well.
A forest of trees is much more beautiful than any stock of seeds could ever be. The seeds hold life, yes. The tree is the potential of that life expressed. Within this illustration
holds the deeper and more profound truth which I am expressing to you. The forest gives more than it takes. It gives to us and animals shelter, food, resources, beauty, and countless other things. All it takes are land, atmosphere, water, seeds, sun and time. All of these things are a natural occurrence here on Earth. We may model our lives and societies after the forest where the wonderful abundance of nature and ourselves is available to all. We may even model ourselves after the desert where even the winner receives next to nothing.
One thing to remember is that the seed must be planted, to keep growing, in the soil of truth. Planted in the soil of falsehood it will crush the seed from the outside, rendering it lifeless. Sow yourself in truth, even when it hurts. They tried to bury us, but didn't know we were seeds. -Dino Christianopoulos
Piece of Peace: Finding your piece of peace in the chaos of life can be difficult. It's find love when you feel lost, finding calm in the eye of the storm. It is establishing peace with your past. It's remembering that this life isn't meant to last. It's remembering life for what it is, eternal. But not for the external. The Internal. The Soul. Without it, we are but a corpse. It is what makes us whole. It is what we must repair if inside we feel a hole. Only tears can wash blood off the hands. Only true regret and reconciliation may make things right.
Ultimately, we aren't responsible for when we arrive in this life or when we go. We don't know from where we come or where we go. Think it through, speak your piece, do your part so that you may find your piece of peace before you depart. Peace is not established in truce, it is established in truth. Peace is not established in comfort, it's established in consciousness. Our consciousness tethers our soul to the this material plane and to whatever our Grand Old Designer may be. A pure form of consciousness, maybe?
In order to find your piece of peace, even in the darkest of nights, we must resolve the war within. To bring both the darkness and the light to the table so that one individual may be able to master both and solve the problems that result in war. The best war to win is the one that didn't begin, the 2nd best is the war within.
Every problem is and opportunity in disguise, fixing the problem can result in growth and greatness. Problems bestow upon us wisdom and the chance to learn and earn our growth. If everything is a problem, we've got a lot to grow. To find peace, work and search within.
Acceptance: Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune. -William James
Acceptance is incredibly powerful. Acceptance and wisdom fuse to make a powerful alliance, where one pushes the limits of what could be and how he could influence it while also accepting life as it is. Accepting life on its terms so that one may negotiate a better deal.
Some things to accept in life include the joy of winning, the disappointment of loss, the sanctity of life and the devastation of death. All that lives is sentenced to death.
We must accept that death is not well understood, but it also gives life meaning and a sense of freedom. We are all mortal. We all make mistakes. Because of death, we will not live on this plane forever. Remember this, give yourself some grace and accept the growth of life.
Accept that you cannot change your past, especially by wallowing in it. The only way you can change your history is by changing what it means to you. This is true power. Reframing your past through lessons you've learned in the present can radically transform your future. The past doesn't want to hold us hostage. It is indifferent, only ignorance may shackle us.
Acceptance is letting go, it is wisdom. It's knowing that we cannot control everything no matter how much we may want to. It is knowing that we cannot do everything even if we wanted to. Acceptance doubles down on what matters and leaves the rest in the hands of God. We do not control the rise and fall of the sun and moon, yet it happens. Nor do we control the climate and the weather. We can use our wisdom to build lives which will best hold the prospects of prosperity, peace and the pursuit of happiness. Accept life for what was and what is, let go and let God. Accept life for what it is so you may become what you could be.
They that love beyond the world cannot be seperated by it. Death cannot kill what never dies. -William Penn
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