Drilling For Coherence In Real Time
Invictus
and then, comes the period in our life when … [conclusion] Brisbane, 2018 Thoughts of the long, arduous and emotional trek Myarh and I have been sharing bring to mind the plethora of absolutely inspiring stories of survival of the spirit and, therefore, of the body against terrible odds, as reported in the media. And, possibly, because, at the time of writing, November 2018, the Invictus Games [an adaptive sports competition for wounded soldiers] are being hosted in Sydney, opened by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Latin word ‘invictus’, undefeated, comes to mind. Undefeated, in my mind, as opposed to unconquered.In regards to the Invictus Games, the skilful tinting of the I from INVICTUS and the AM from the word GAMES pressed on each medal very cleverly creates the
motto I Am. A very visual, very powerful affirmation, indeed.
That said, the inscribed motto links to the lines of Invictus, William Ernest Henley’s poem, and to the notion that gender-neutral language temporarily set aside, we are the masters of our fate and the captains of our soul. Serious question asked with all respect within the context of this mind-meander: if, indeed, we are the masters of our fate, why are so many millions of people of all ages who are unhappy, depressed, suicidal, chronically unwell? Conversely, why are there survivors of horrific wounds and debilitating trauma such as have affected the competitors of the Invictus Games, while others have died by the millions? While someone, as you read these lines, is dying from a fishbone or popcorn stuck in their throat? Surely, no one in charge of their destiny would willingly engineer any dramatic turn of events for themselves or for their loved ones! In truth, unless we consistently strive to think and act from our soul-based, authentic self, on what basis can we state that ‘we’ are the controllers of our life and, ultimately, of our destiny? In any case, who is this ‘I’? Who is this ‘we’? Doubters may ask: how could we, mere humans, control single-handedly any aspect of our destiny when we are struggling to understand and manage our ego, our nervous system and our bodily functions? Again, isn’t our physical body ‘only’ human? I like to think that, the best we can do, once awake and aware, is to actively co-create aspects of our destiny by choosing our emotions and our responses one moment at a time – or at least die trying, as the expression goes. In the meantime, the best par for the course is to yearn to experience self-transcendence, to get out of our own way and the least we can do is by adopting the thought William E. Henley expressed in the second line of his poem, Invictus: I thank whatever gods may be for my … unconquerable soul. Interestingly, in kundalini yoga, Sat Nam, the mantra that states that our true identity is beyond the limitations of human appreciation, is a close equivalent to this ‘I Am’ which, coincidently is featured on the cover intended for the third book of The Stepping Stones series. For me, I Am signifies: I Am safe under Soul’s wing – I Am enough – I Am worthy – I am the co-creator of the character of the persona I have been assigned in this lifetime.
You are very welcome to use, free of charge, any article authored by C.C. Saint-Clair or any section thereof, provided:
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Heartfelt thanks to Jayne Doah for the cover designs she has donated to the Stepping Stones series.
Drilling For Coherence
In Real Time
Invictus
and then, comes the period in our life when … [conclusion] Brisbane, 2018 Thoughts of the long, arduous and emotional trek Myarh and I have been sharing bring to mind the plethora of absolutely inspiring stories of survival of the spirit and, therefore, of the body against terrible odds, as reported in the media. And, possibly, because, at the time of writing, November 2018, the Invictus Games [an adaptive sports competition for wounded soldiers] are being hosted in Sydney, opened by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Latin word ‘invictus’, undefeated, comes to mind. Undefeated, in my mind, as opposed to unconquered.In regards to the Invictus Games, the skilful tinting of the I from
INVICTUS and the AM from the word GAMES pressed on each
medal very cleverly creates the motto I Am. A very visual, very
powerful affirmation, indeed.
That said, the inscribed motto links to the lines of Invictus, William Ernest Henley’s poem, and to the notion that gender-neutral language temporarily set aside, we are the masters of our fate and the captains of our soul. Serious question asked with all respect within the context of this mind-meander: if, indeed, we are the masters of our fate, why are so many millions of people of all ages who are unhappy, depressed, suicidal, chronically unwell? Conversely, why are there survivors of horrific wounds and debilitating trauma such as have affected the competitors of the Invictus Games, while others have died by the millions? While someone, as you read these lines, is dying from a fishbone or popcorn stuck in their throat? Surely, no one in charge of their destiny would willingly engineer any dramatic turn of events for themselves or for their loved ones! In truth, unless we consistently strive to think and act from our soul-based, authentic self, on what basis can we state that ‘we’ are the controllers of our life and, ultimately, of our destiny? In any case, who is this ‘I’? Who is this ‘we’? Doubters may ask: how could we, mere humans, control single- handedly any aspect of our destiny when we are struggling to understand and manage our ego, our nervous system and our bodily functions? Again, isn’t our physical body ‘only’ human? I like to think that, the best we can do, once awake and aware, is to actively co-create aspects of our destiny by choosing our emotions and our responses one moment at a time – or at least die trying, as the expression goes. In the meantime, the best par for the course is to yearn to experience self-transcendence, to get out of our own way and the least we can do is by adopting the thought William E. Henley expressed in the second line of his poem, Invictus: I thank whatever gods may be for my … unconquerable soul. Interestingly, in kundalini yoga, Sat Nam, the mantra that states that our true identity is beyond the limitations of human appreciation, is a close equivalent to this ‘I Am’ which, coincidently is featured on the cover intended for the third book of The Stepping Stones series. For me, I Am signifies: I Am safe under Soul’s wing – I Am enough – I Am worthy – I am the co-creator of the character of the persona I have been assigned in this lifetime.
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