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Imagine a world.. not far from ours.. where after living a day in a body, souls leave at night to play among the stars. After a restful night, each returning to a different body, a different circumstance, a different life.
It turns out in this world that the bodies are genetically programmed with different gifts.. and different weaknesses. They have their own history, their own fate - independent of the souls that spend their days within. Most souls spent the day not far from the beaten path, which stretches far back in time. The life of the body has great inertia, and is not easily turned from its habitual and programmed course.
Even so, the souls in this world have learned a level of civility, if only out of self-interest. The soul of a banker thinking about repossessing the farm could live the life of the farmer tomorrow. A hurtful word might be still felt in the body even long after the word itself was forgotten. And souls seldom held onto or worried about past choices, the life’s situation was what it was when they awoke each dawn. To take those situations personally, as a new inhabitant, would be.. in poor taste. And generally there was something beautiful or unique to experience in each life, however hard.
Some souls, however, began to envision a larger and more challenging game. How might one.. in that one day... change the course of a life for better. To better live in harmony with its own nature, to uncover the genius that is buried within each life. Sometimes like a gardener, a soul might heal where the body had grown bent; other times a soul might envision a new path to walk, so compelling that it would change the course of the life forever. This was considered the height of skill amongst the souls.
Some expressions in our world, like talk of ‘making it through the next few months’ would make little sense to these folk. Months? A soul only needs to make it through another day.. and really is that the best you can do? Rather than ‘making it through’ that day... why not choose to live it and live it well with skill and energy. Or not.. to lose the opportunity forever to make something right in that life.
Now imagine that this world is only different from our own in one way. They know the truth.
It turns out in this world that the bodies are genetically programmed with different gifts.. and different weaknesses. They have their own history, their own fate - independent of the souls that spend their days within. Most souls spent the day not far from the beaten path, which stretches far back in time. The life of the body has great inertia, and is not easily turned from its habitual and programmed course.
Even so, the souls in this world have learned a level of civility, if only out of self-interest. The soul of a banker thinking about repossessing the farm could live the life of the farmer tomorrow. A hurtful word might be still felt in the body even long after the word itself was forgotten. And souls seldom held onto or worried about past choices, the life’s situation was what it was when they awoke each dawn. To take those situations personally, as a new inhabitant, would be.. in poor taste. And generally there was something beautiful or unique to experience in each life, however hard.
Some souls, however, began to envision a larger and more challenging game. How might one.. in that one day... change the course of a life for better. To better live in harmony with its own nature, to uncover the genius that is buried within each life. Sometimes like a gardener, a soul might heal where the body had grown bent; other times a soul might envision a new path to walk, so compelling that it would change the course of the life forever. This was considered the height of skill amongst the souls.
Some expressions in our world, like talk of ‘making it through the next few months’ would make little sense to these folk. Months? A soul only needs to make it through another day.. and really is that the best you can do? Rather than ‘making it through’ that day... why not choose to live it and live it well with skill and energy. Or not.. to lose the opportunity forever to make something right in that life.
Now imagine that this world is only different from our own in one way. They know the truth.
