Secrets of Spiritual Happiness
Secret #6 -- Know Your Weakest and Strongest Links
By Sharon Janis
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Secrets of Spiritual Happiness
Secret #6 -- Know Your Weakest and Strongest Links
By Sharon Janis
Play this chapter in realplayer audio
You have been told that, even like a chain, you are as weak as your weakest link. This is but half the truth. You are also as strong as your strongest link.
-- Kahlil Gibran
It's the dichotomy of humanity. On one hand, we human beings can be so good. We are great and divine beings, capable of shining our love, compassion, and wisdom upon the land. As a species, we tend to cheer rescues, mourn losses, and generally like the idea of helping those in need, whether we always actually do it or not.
When moved to care, we care with such enthusiasm. When moved to express, we are so creative. When moved to love, we are so selfless. Yet, at the same time, humanity still has so many animalistic tendencies. You and I contain the potential for wreaking all kinds of havoc upon ourselves, others, and the whole planet.
As a species and as individuals, we are both our strongest links and our weakest links, mixed together in a flavorful, bittersweet cup of human nature.
Our strongest links may be clear and caring, brilliant, funny, happy, loving, and a master of exceptional timing - revealing all the best qualities that we admire and would wish to experience in ourselves and in others. On the other hand, our weakest links can be somewhat petty, judgmental, moody, greedy, controlling, self-serving, fearful, or angry.
Think about your own self. Every one of us carries different varieties and percentages of purity and impurity, good and bad, weak and strong. Each of us is designed with a different recipe and combination of ingredients, including genetics, environment, and many unknown special sauces. We also have individualized taste buds through which we experience the world and either smack our lips with satisfaction, or grimace in distaste.
The conflicting pulls between our higher and lower natures can keep us from experiencing spiritual happiness. In some cases, our stronger self may be feeling guilty for what the weaker self does. At other times, our weaker self may forget what the stronger self knows, and be unhappy due to the dissatisfaction of forgetting our greater nature. The degree of polar oscillations between "pure, good, strong self" and "impure, bad, weak self" varies from person to person. Contemplate yours. Watch your thoughts, speech, and actions. Study yourself. Honor and respect yourself enough to really get to know all the aspects that make up you.
Think about moments when you were going with the flow - being naturally and effortlessly wise, loving, good, kind, skillful, funny, and perhaps even brilliant. These represent the strong links in the chain of who you are. Now think of times when you may have felt jealous, petty, angry, spoiled, or defeated. These are your weaker links.
One helpful application of contemplating our weakest and strongest links is to learn not to take important actions when we're in the weakest link. If something has upset you and your mind is racing, your blood is rushing, your emotions are throbbing, and you find yourself thinking weak, inferior-minded thoughts, consider that this may not be the best time to make that important phone call, to contact a person with whom you're upset, or to go into your boss's office to ask for a raise. Otherwise, you may get some version of, "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!"
An awareness of our multi-faceted nature can help us to experience greater spiritual happiness, because it opens the door to integrating the various aspects of ourselves into a more holistic level of self-awareness. To support this integration, we can strive to remain aware of our strongest links, not only when we're feeling strong, but also when we're feeling weak. We can be aware of our weakest links when we're weak and also when we're strong.
Use your intention and remembrance to draw strength from your strongest link when you're feeling weak, and to give guidance and blessings to your weakest link when you're feeling strong.
Being aware of our multi-faceted natures also gives an opportunity to integrate many dichotomies within ourselves, so we can speak and act with clear intentions. For example, sometimes our strongest link will want us to do something wonderful, but our weakest link may self-sabotage our efforts with tactics such as procrastination, shyness, or self-doubt. Understanding our strongest and weakest links is the first step toward healing and uplifting them.
Even though many of our internal dramas and struggles take place below the threshold of our usual awareness - in what psychologists refer to as the subconscious mind - we nevertheless do hold the key to overcoming the weaker self's tendencies. This key exists in the power of our intention. Intention is a major key in shaping our lives from the inside out.
Just by intending to expand the best of what exists in you, that very choice will help create more opportunities for expanding and increasing what is best in you. You can live like an artist - painting the landscapes of your life, and uplifting both your weakest links and strongest links into a realm of spiritual awareness, spiritual faith, and spiritual happiness. You'll be your own best friend, the maestro of your life song.
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