***Are You Selling Your Soul?

You might not think you are selling your soul, but is this true?

What have you given up for money and possessions?

• Have you given up kindness to get ahead?

• Have you given up family time for a bigger TV?

• Have you given up fun for a new car?

• Have you given up hobbies for a promotion?

• Have you given up vacations for prestige?

• Have you given up helping others for a bigger house or a new car or a boat?

• Have you given up leisure time for more money?

• Have you given up yourself to get approval?

• Have you given up your creativity for the bottom line?

How much of your essence – your compassion, kindness, passion, joy, creativity, caring – have you given up for things, money and approval?

How much of your time to connect with yourself, loved ones and Spirit have you given up to get ahead or please/control others?

Are you selling yourself out - selling your soul?

I just finished the third book of 'The Giver Quartet' – 'The Messenger,' by Lois Lowry. This is a series of books that were written for adolescents and have been discovered by adults and made into a major movie.

The series is about two towns that are cults and totally controlled by 'Elders.' Babies with disabilities are put to death at birth and people are routinely killed for many other things. But one town is free, called "The Village." Here they lovingly welcome refugees, along with those with disabilities or injuries - who escape from the cult towns – until outsiders start to bring them things like slot machines for the healing of their disabilities. In order to purchase what they want, they have to trade a part of their essence.

For example, one man, a kind and loving teacher, had a large red birthmark on his face. He traded his kindness and honor for the removal of the birthmark. Others traded other parts of their essence until the town was no longer kind and loving and no longer welcomed refugees. As a result, the forest around The Village became vicious and attacked and killed anyone who came near it.

This is happening to us. Our toxic planet is slowing killing us because of so many people selling their souls for profit and material things. We have lost our connection with ourselves, with each other and with Spirit, which leaves us empty, alone and desperately lonely. We turn to various addictions to fill the emptiness caused by our self-abandonment and the resulting disconnection with others, only to suffer even further.

When will caring, gentleness, compassion, kindness and love become more important than profit? What has to happen for our world to understand that exte als will never fill the emptiness within?

My heart hurts daily at the depth of the sickness in our society – the disconnection sickness. Of course, it's become even worse with cell phones and other technological means of communication.

I encourage you to take an honest look at your own life. Do you feel alone, empty, lonely? Are you disconnected from yourself, from family and friends, from a spiritual source of love and comfort? How often do you turn to TV, food, alcohol, drugs, work, sex, video games, gambling, spending, shopping and so on to numb out the pain of your disconnection?

The happiest people on the planet are people who live in close family communities, sharing time, love and connection with each other. Yet few people in the 'civilized' world live this way.

How bad does it have to get for planetary change to occur?