The True Soul of the Human Spirit

We live in a world where kindness and compassion are seen as signs of weakness, and where competitiveness and opportunism are seen as signs of strengths. We have normalized cruelty; dehumanizing and the othering of others have now become the norm in our society.

All of this has eviscerated and sapped our souls of their true being, and kept us away from our true selves, the real us.

I stand to change that. To be the change I want to see in the world..

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I always wondered ...

Why don't we just seek and attempt to reconnect with our true selves and rekindle those broken and severed bonds with our true being? Wouldn't this be a most auspicious and effectual way of bringing peace and unity to our world?

The answer seemed, more in the murky, ambivalent, tricky territory than I had anticipated. Not a straightforward answer. Such an answer would've been so facile and simplistically naive, it would render itself impractical and inapplicable.

Though, it did hold water, as I began to search for wisdom on it deeper, I had a realization: When people are wounded, hurt or otherwise feel aggravated at having been treated unfairly or mistreated, the inherent notion and precept of kindness gets overridden by their proclivity to react, to lash out, and to try to express that at times pent-up, anger and agitation to those around them.

And while expressing one's feelings and being honest about how one feels in a certain moment regarding a situation, conflict, argument or whatnot, is crucial to resolving arising issues and finding common ground, the way it is executed can either lead to Peace or fear.

And thereby hangs a tail, if somebody doesn't feel heard, seen or appreciated, in order to deal with the intensifying maelstrom of insecurities going haywire and the concomitant mental anguish and emotional turmoil of doubt and irresolution, one feels compelled to seek shelter, and resort to the refuge of violence, or at least irritation, grudges and umbrageous anger, instead of seeking the wisdom of how to deal with such situations within their innate, inborn repository of wisdom.

The secret to Peace therefore seemed much more complicated than I had initially expected. But I was far from ready to give up. I just knew that, as Nikola Tesla put it, Peace can only come as a result of universal enlightenment. Indeed. And I knew that when one is hurt and seeks healing within the inner sanctuary of wisdom, one is sustained in the empowering belief that there is more to the picture than meets the eye. It is here that compassion can be found and kindness cultivated.

Compassion seemed nothing more and nothing less than the courage to ask oneself,

"What will be the impact of my next word or action on this person?"

It is said that hurt people hurt people. Indeed. We shall also never forget that each word we say can have a deep and huge impact on somebody's mood. One word can be a trigger for disaster in their life. One word can transform one's world. And this applies to both ways. One word of kindness can brighten one's life, and a word of hurt can nudge them over the edge.

Jay Shetty put it ever so eloquently when he said:

"So how do we dissect this paradox that exists in our lives, and it starts by us, each of us, pressing pause. Pressing reset, and then pressing play again. Taking a moment to become more conscious, taking a moment to become more aware, taking a moment to really reflect on the consequences, the implications, of a misplaced word, of an unnecessary argument that we all know we didn't need to have. Or to speak to someone just slightly differently; in a different tone, in a different voice, in a different empathy, with a different perspective. Just to really connect with people on a different level."

Indeed much can be said with no regard or consideration for the damage it eventuates, and the unspeakable hurt it causes. Practicing self-awareness and pausing in moments of ire, irritation, resentment or even vulnerability, reifies our inner sanctuary of wisdom, and empowers us to think about the consequences, the implications of a word said that we'd regret the next day, or a vacuous, pointless, and endless argument we all knew we didn't need to have. It is in here where the inner light of wisdom shines on the caliginous corners of our hearts, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms, reasons and notions beneath our anger, frustration or any negative emotions.

When we illuminate hurt, simply by pure and sincere honesty, we cultivate an inner sense of peace, where we can lay and seek shelter at times of tempestuous storms in our lives.

Bring fraternity and compassion. Empathy and grace. Forgiveness and understanding. Courtesy and acceptance of one another’s differences. Let us not only accept those differences but celebrate them, too, for they make us who we are: The beautiful and worthy quanta of energy we call “the soul”. See the good in others. Let us live life fully and wholeheartedly. To Live with a Capital L.

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And it's not only salutarily beneficent for the present, but the future too.. the far, distant future..

The short anecdotal sketch from above may help in depicting the crucial paramountcy of kindness to a person on an individual level, but, as fate would have it, it transpired that, there's more to the salutary benefits of kindness than just being liked or appealing to others, or being successful.

To wit, of all the manifold profound and meaningful lessons from the school of hard knocks that I was fortunate enough to be blessed with and exposed to at a young age, one lesson, especially when it pertains to the noble undertaking of leaving a better world than the one we found, rules them all:

The world doesn't want to be saved. It wants to be loved. That is how we save it.

If we are to indeed each bequeath an inspiring and honorable legacy for those who will succeed us, knowing full well that we'll be remembered accordingly, then, mayhap, undertaking to each be a person of unconditional, unwavering and fulsome dignity, integrity, mercy and gracious compassion is the way do achieve just that.

Let us bring peace to our souls and to those around us, and not just be peaceful, but be peace itself; manifesting itself in human form. Let us be kind to one another. Let us be their Peace, not their problem. Let us be each others' companions, and accompany each other in utter and pure grace, humility and full integrity.

As a friend of mine would say: “Enjoy the journey. There is no destination”. It turns out, it is indeed never about the destination, it seems more and more so; and not even about the journey, but rather more about the company.

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I always say, the secret to being kindness, lies in just letting everyone be .. just letting them be ..

Ram Dass taught us “You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success, none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here”.

Not let them be who they wanna be, not let them be who they need to be, not let them be who the world needs them to be, and definitely not let them be who you want them to be; just .. let .. them .. be.

Letting go is the heart of radical acceptance. When we let others just be, while always exercising our kindness, we begin to understand the truth of our being. It cleanses our soul from the entanglements of judgment, and frees us to show unconditional love towards all. It is one's ultimate way to inner peace. Anchoring one in the calming refuge of Peace, in a sea of tumultuous discords, senseless arguments, and bedeviling grudges. It is within this choice of mature action, that we find the power within us that no one can take away: The power of letting go.

The secret to Peace and harmony will reveal itself the moment we quiet our discriminating minds, silence our egos, and listen to the wise whispers of our hearts, and souls. The truth, as Ram Dass put it, waits for eyes unclouded by longing. And when one doesn't have any preferences, or relinquishes their models of how others ought to be, or are supposed to behave, then one can find peace.

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Remember, in a world where you can be anything: Be Kind.

I once read somewhere: "I like people who begin by blurting out something overly personal. I like people who aren't afraid to walk around with a stain on their shirt. I like people who ugly laugh at their own jokes. I like people who give compliments to strangers in the grocery store and make friends when they're washing their hands in the bathroom. I like people who get passionate about ideas and excited about others' success stories. I like people who live a little outside of the box, who march to the beat of their own drum, and who make it a mission to help those around them."

... Another deeply moving piece of writing went:

"As the world fights to figure everything out, I'll be holding doors for strangers, letting people cut in front of me in traffic, saying good morning, keeping babies entertained in grocery lines, stopping to talk to someone who is lonely, tipping generously, waving at police, sharing food, giving children a thumbs-up, being patient with sales clerks, smiling at passersby, and buying a stranger a cup of coffee.

WHY? Because I will not stand to live in a world where love is invisible.

Join me in showing kindness, understanding, and judging less.

Be kind to a stranger, give grace to friends who are having a bad day, be forgiving with yourself.

If you can't find kindness, BE kindness."

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We like to think we know what other people are going through, but the truth is: We have no idea.

We don't know what others are going through. So, let us not judge. One may have just lost a loved one, or they're tending to somebody who's ailing badly, or they are afflicted with a medical condition, or have just had a lousy day.. There are countless reasons why one may behave the way they do. The challenge before us, thus, is, to learn how to recognize when somebody is acting in a certain way not because of us, but others. When we acknowledge that people are going through so many battles, we empower ourselves to practice compassionate acceptance.

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This is all leaves us with..

.. what truly matters. Every time we touch another soul with kindness, we have committed an act of proportionless profundity.

I once read,"Your problem is that you equate your purpose with goal-based achievement. The Universe isn't interested in your achievements... just your heart. When you choose to act out of kindness, compassion and love, you are already aligned with your true purpose. No need to look any further!"

Indeed! One of the ways we have normalized dehumanizing and the othering of others is judgment, not just of others, but of ourselves. We have come to be enchanted by the illusion that our worth is somehow contingent upon our title, rank, wealth and net worth, position in society, degree of appeal to others, what others think about us .. but all of those things are artificial constructs of the human imagination.

The things that truly matter in life are concealed out of sight -and thus, out of mind- by our perverse and wantonly compulsive fixation on our achievements. But it is in the relationships you have, the choices you take, the decisions you make, the people you meet, the number of souls you've chosen to touch with an open heart; that's what's going to define you. All else, as Jim Carrey eloquently analogized them, are just smoke and mirrors, distracting but not truly compelling.

One of my all-time statements by Ram Dass is when he reminded us of the following:

"Together we are all on a journey called life. We are all a little broken and a little shattered inside. Each one of us is aspiring to make it to the end. None is deprived of pain here and we have all suffered in our own ways. I think our journey is all about healing ourselves and healing each other in our own special ways. Let's just help each other put all those pieces back together and make it to the end more beautifully. Let us help each other survive."

How beautiful a world we'd create only if we chose to show up in the world with an intention, not to avenge suffering, but reduce it, alleviate it, prevent it when possible, and take away the misery of those with whom our life paths cross. We are all filled with insecurities. We are all afraid. We are all just wounded children in adults bodies. We all need love, affection, care and to feel appreciated and valued. To feel worthy, is our ultimate and most existential desire. It goes out beyond all else, all other perceptions, desires and notions. It is what we truly yearn for.

And if not for that, the fact that kindness is the most valuable currency there is and will return to you loads more ROI than you could ever conceive of, surely is enough of a cogently compelling reason to choose kindness over any other demeanor, behavior or choice.

Remember, the world doesn't want to be saved. It wants to be loved. That is how we save it.

So, let us join together and express our gratitude, appreciation and lovingkindness to one another. For at the end of the day, we are all just walking each other home.

"As we move through this beautiful and troubled world, may we vow to be a beacon of peace, a fearless carrier of respect and lovingkindness for all life, a teller of truth, a voice for justice, a protector of those who are vulnerable or targeted. May the power of wisdom, integrity and compassion be our guide." -Jack Kornfield

May the light of wisdom be our guide, illuminating our path wherever it may lead,

May we be worthy of our existence,

May we have the courage to be kindness,

May we redeem ourselves through an indomitable becoming of lovingkindness.

May the Peace be with us all. ☮️

Namaste 🙏

Shalom

Selam

Peace