Heart and Soul

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body"....(C. S. Lewis). I listen carefully as people tell me their stories. Some men have recently disclosed that they thought that love is an act not a feeling. That is so pragmatic and concrete, which is often how men process things. We can act in loving ways of course toward others, but giving love to someone does not mean that you are in love with them. Being in love is a deeper soul connection that defies lists and reasoning. Certainly, loving behavior is essential in the journey of connecting more to one's heart. Once connected to your heart though....the living pulse of your soul, love....just flows effortlessly from who you are. Love becomes reflected in your very essence. Young children love that way. No matter how they're treated, neglected or such...they still display such love toward those around them. Through time however, those children grow into adults with scars and shields which protect them from giving and receiving love. The journey is to heal so that love can flow freely once more through your heart and soul. Such beauty can come from those wounds of the past. Some souls have a softer journey and have less wounds to contend with. Those souls are refreshing in that their innocence is evident in how they cannot begin to relate to a trail in life filled with incredible hardships. Their trail is paved and has few hills or distractions. On their path, the skies may always be blue and the sun is shining. For the rest of us however, our trails were not so easy. Ours required rock climbing, braving the elements and staying on a trail that may have been treacherous at times. The difficult trails tested us to our very limits and those who prevail, end up stronger than ever imagined. Difficult trails are life's way of teaching us the most. It's always our freedom of choice however, what we choose to do with those lessons. I cannot repeat that sentiment enough. Now, given that we are souls with bodies, then we use our bodies and all of our senses as a way of interpreting our feelings and experiences. Often times though, people are not sure about what they are feeling which creates all kinds of confusion. People also are often not sure what they are projecting onto others, which creates even more confusion. It's kinda like internet service, picking up on multiple signals but not being sure what's yours and what belongs to others. That is why insight and awareness are the key to unraveling the mystery of oneself and getting back to one's heart center. The heart is the pulse of your life force, so to create harmonic relationships on all fronts, one must align with the divine within. Bottom line, you have to find yourself worthy and as unique and priceless as a Stradivarius. Like a rare and unique instrument, knowing how to fine tune your senses, so that only the most beautiful notes and songs emanate from your soul. Then, when you laugh, speak, make love, work or play.....your heart radiates such warmth, honesty, integrity and thus beauty. "Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart"...(Kahlil Gibran). In a world that tries to sell everyone on the idea that one must chase the dream of riches, fame, approval, fitting in and everything external....one must go against the tide to look within, for all of the answers are there, waiting to be discovered. "The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard but must be felt with the heart"....(Helen Keller).