Deepak Chopra MD…knowing yourself matters… Quoting from this website…
“The motivation to find a better way existed thousands of years ago under much harsher conditions for the average person, but it hasn’t been extinguished by gaining more creature comforts. the journey to wisdom also happens to be fascinating, because it involves exploring your own consciousness, finding connections to the soul, tapping into the source of cosmic intelligence, and mastering many skills in awareness that are unknown to those who feel satisfied with life on the surface.”
The never ending mad dash for “creature comforts” makes no one the wiser. Living on the surface of life in a cosmetic sort of existence leaves a big hole in your heart and never feeds the soul. I found this out late in life at age 64 when researching and writing my book, including reaching out to loved ones and friends while digging deeper into my own consciousness. Dancing through life pretending to have wisdom and acting normal produced only more confusion and pain. Being in denial is another clever way to escape from a more profound awareness of self and others… There was never peace of mind until learning about the innate gift and connections to the human soul. My own journey of self discovery and healing sent me on a path of transformation that has provided a sense of living a vastly improved quality of life through the practice of mindfulness and living in the moment.
For most of my childhood and adult life, I was searching for the meaning of spirituality. In my Catholic upbringing it was easy for me to miss the whole point by believing that somehow spirituality resided in church. I kept looking for the missing link. Where was God anyway? When I finally discovered how we humans innately thrive when we are able to make the right choices while knowing the wrong acts that damage our souls. Warriors are trained to kill. We are awarded medals and honored for our bravery on the battle field. The highly structured military life and camaraderie keeps the warrior focused on the mission without thought of whether killing is right or wrong. Once a soldier returns home to a culture of spiritual and soulful living, the experience in war backfires big time. Some combat veterans feel they have lost their souls and have a huge challenge in gaining back a moral compass during readjustment to civilian life. Thoughts of battle buddies killed and carnage along with collateral damage of civilians, especially children, haunt soldiers when they return home. Medications and alcohol make matters worse in the search for peace of mind. Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War by Rita Nakashima Brock, one of my favorite reads, helped me understand how war can damage the soul. The book also supports the value of human connectedness and mindfulness as the best way to synchronize your moral compass in life after war.
Awareness is really the key to knowing yourself. Digging deeper can be scary at first. For those who suffered trauma in war or in other life changing events, revisiting the past can be painful. But wisdom and peace of mind is entirely possible once the journey of healing begins… Staying engaged by helping others and making a difference is the optimum long term treatment. I share these thoughts and ideas as a layperson who experienced a traumatic childhood. I eventually found my heart and soul later in life, but not too late to be certain… Peace of mind is in hand but a work in progress fueled by sharing my story and helping others become more aware of moral injury and PTSD.
Steve Sparks
Author
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story Click to order my book or download Kindle version…
