Another precious message from Carrie. I love her beautiful words! Lots of love, light, hugs, and blessings.   &, Uma   Allow Your Eternal Self to Lead   You exist on two levels at all times.  The first level, that of the body, the mind and the personality, we will call the temporal self, the self that exists within time and which ends over time. The other self is the witness, the higher, spiritual self, the part of you that is deeply connected with all that is and that never dies.  We will call this the eternal self. We have spoken much about increasing your connection with your eternal self even as you live your temporal life, using meditation and contemplation as tools to quiet the mind so that you may reach the peace and wisdom of the eternal self. You will also have moments of grace, when you are suddenly swept up into the flow, the wondrous place where the daily activities of the temporal self are in accord with the heart and flow of the eternal self, and all is one.  And in these moments, you can feel and know that this is your goal, to live as much of life as possible in this oneness, the connection, when both sides of yourself are deeply content and connected. You do not achieve this connection by forming plans and goals in your temporal mind and then trying to force those goals onto your eternal self.  Instead, you achieve the state of oneness by reaching into the eternal self and discovering there the desired direction and then bringing the temporal self along into that flow.  In other words, allow your eternal self to lead.  You will find that the temporal self very much enjoys making large plans that exist in the future and then directing current activities toward those plans.  The eternal self, however, exists in the present and only there.  You may receive some visions and intuitive inklings of the future, but the eternal self is always making decisions in this moment related to activities that can be performed right now and that lead, eventually, to the desired place.  But clarity on that desired place may or may not be there for you.  You may need to proceed on faith alone. But as you do so, you will grow stronger and more knowledgeable with each adventure, each obstacle will build courage and perseverance.  Since the future is unclear, frustration and anger do not accompany this journey.  Instead, faith, determination and commitment do, as you climb the mountain in the blowing snow, hanging off the ledges, and finding each foothold and handhold just in time.  This is the way of the journey led by the eternal self. The path of the temporal self is long and dusty, following the trail others have laid down before you, trudging through hours of boredom carrying a very heavy burden, as you acquire and acquire, gathering around you so many possessions that you can hardly move.  It is a journey across a desert toward an oasis that never quite materializes. But there is a way that the temporal self can learn to support the eternal self.  There is a way that the inclination of the temporal self to set goals and achieve milestones, can be channeled to support your longer and higher goals, those that are not clearly seen.  And that way is through discipline and practice, the building of skills that will help you achieve your higher desires as they are made clearer to you. For example, if you have an inkling that you might live in another country, if your eternal self is pointing that direction, then give your temporal self the assignment to learn that language, even though it is not clear to you what purpose it may serve.  And of course, above all else, give yourself the assignment of making yourself as healthy as possible, for if you diminish your health and energy, you diminish your ability to perform tasks which may further your goals when you see them emerge. And so, this, then is an excellent way to live.  Establish daily disciplines, even if of short duration, that build skills and knowledge and that enhance your health.  Include in those disciplines the daily direct contact with your eternal self in quiet moments alone.  Invite this self to provide visions and feelings, guideposts for your life.  And then, as you live your daily life, when it is time to make important decisions, always return to the eternal self, inviting that side of you to answer the questions:  "How shall I approach this?" and "What shall I do now?"  Remember that the question is always What or How, never Why.  Just a simple question about how to speak to someone, what action to take in the moment, what disciplines to build.  And you will find that by following these instructions, listening always to the eternal self rather than your frazzled mind or overwrought emotions, that you will be led to action that furthers all parts of your life, that enriches you with love and relationships and that leads you to meaningful work. And as you spend more and more time in harmony, with both sides working together, you will also sometimes lift yourself up into the place of oneness, the place where there are no separate sides, no individual personalities, no conflicts and no desires, the place of oneness and harmony in which we are all one and all is love.  I will meet you there.   www.carriehart.com