Healing a bruised ego

 It’s just the ego. Take away the ego factor and nothing has changed. Life is normal as it used to be. Easier said than done.

I guess, all of us have experienced a bruised ego. The normal thing to do is to accept it, honor the feeling of the moment, lick your wound, and move on to eventual healing. What will make the difference, however, is how fast can you can move on and make your life as normal as it used to be.

In spirituality classes, the first thing that a guru teaches his students is at least taming (if not totally mastering) the ego. There are techniques and guides but when you find yourself in THE situation, all that you have learned (which you thought you have mastered) seemed to have gone away.

I am still in the process of mastering the ego (and mastering myself. It’s a constant challenge *sigh*). Hopefully, i will learn the lesson fast. I may not perfect it, but it’s also my hope that after each experience, there will emerge a better ME.

Perhaps, it must be the reason why the universe recently let me experience again the feeling of having a bruised ego to see how i fared this time. The result remains to be seen. If there is one positive development this time, I am now aware of what is happening…

I draw inspiration from the writings of, who else but Paulo Coelho. His book The Warrior of the Light has been a helpful companion in my life’s journey.

"The Warrior of the Light knows the value of persistence and of courage. Often, during combat, he receives blows that he was not expecting. And he realizes that, during war, his enemy is bound to win some of the battles. When this happens, he weeps bitter tears and rests in order to recover his energy a little. But he immediately resumes his battle for his dreams.

The longer her remains away, the more likely he is to feel weak, fearful, and intimidated. When a horseman falls off his horse, if he does not remount immediately, he will never have the courage to do so again."  (Warrior of the Light: A Manual by Paulo Coelho, page 99)

Does a Soulmate exist?

Do you believe in Soulmate? Are you part of the ultra-romantics or have you become cynical about this?

Another question: do you belong to the 94 percent who said that the first requirement in a spouse is being a soulmate?

Are you also part of the 87 percent who think they will find the person when they are ready?

(Source: Gallup poll sponsored by the National Marriage Project, Rutgers University. Poll of 1,003 ages 20 - 29 has a margin of error of + or - 4 percentage points. This was first posted at http://www.flatrock.org.nz)

I am half-way through reading Paulo Coelho’s Brida. (As i have written in a previous blog, He makes me think while reading his novels. I may not totally agree with the views echoed by his characters but heck, his books make me think and analyze. That’s why I love him! )

While having my afternoon reading, I reached the page where one of the characters, Wicca, explaining to Brida what Soulmate is all about… (Pls note that the book is non-fiction. it is based on the life of Brida as she strives to learn the ways of Wiccan witches)

She said: "The whole of man’s life on the face of the earth can be summed up by that search for his Soulmate. He may pretend to be running after wisdom, money, or power, but none of that matters. Whatever he achieves will be incomplete if he fails to find his Soulmate.

"With the exception of a few creatures who are descended from the angels– and who need solitude in order to encounter God– the rest of humanity will only achieve union with God if, at some point, at some moment in their life, they manage to commune with their Soulmate." (page 57)

Heavy stuff huh? Here’s my take: I used to believe in Soulmate. I guess, that’s the romantic side of me who believes in a fairy-tale happy-ever-after endings for everyone. May be the concept of Soulmate is true, after all… for the rest of those who think they have found theirs.

Me? I would like to align myself with those "few creatures who descended from the angels"… lol…

What’s your take?

A Fascination with Paulo Coelho

 I’m fascinated with Paulo Coelho.

And I am soooooo happy i discovered this book yesterday at Powerbooks!

I’ve read all his books (except of course those that have not yet been translated to English) and i’ve been wishing for years that Brida, one of his earlier novels in Portuguese, will have an English version.

(Apart from his books, I also have his biography "Confessions of a Pilgrim" by Spanish journalist Juan Arias)

At last, 18 years later (the novel was written in 1990), an english edition was released and has been made available in Powerbooks! Just had to grab one This is a perfect read for the long break…

Will rate it as soon as i’m done! I just hope that this book is worth the wait… Gotta start reading now

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Synopsis:

The spellbinding new novel from one of the world’s best-loved authors, Paulo Coelho, recounting the story of Brida, and her pursuit of wisdom. This is the story of Brida, a young Irish girl, and her quest for knowledge.

She has long been interested in various aspects of magic, but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom, who begin to teach her about the world. Her teachers sense that Brida has a gift, but cannot tell what that is.

Meanwhile, Brida pursues her course ever deeper into the mysteries of life, seeking to answer questions about who she is. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, and teaches her about overcoming her fears and trusting in the goodness of the world, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world, and how to pray to the moon.

She seeks her destiny, as she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch. This enthralling novel incorporates themes fans of Paulo will love. It is a tale of love, passion, mystery and spirituality.
 
(from Amazon.com)