marichiko

I agree that the human soul is truth, but it is a truth which many people have great difficulty attempting to define. Your point about defining ourselves by the reactions of others around us is one that is well made. If my lover rejects me, that does not mean I should define myself as unloveable. The boss's bad day does not define my spirit. On a more mundane level, however, if I find that people constantly make the same criticism of me, say, "You always let people take advantage of you," just as an example, I would say that this consistent feedback is something we should consider as we try to shape our behavior to lead more fulfilling lives than we did in the past. But I don't think that is your real point here.

I think it takes a real effort toward consistent awareness to fully live within one's own soul. It is all too easy to fall back into the pattern of reacting, rather than being. I have moments, even hours when I feel that I live from my soul, and then someone does something which hurts or upsets me, and I'm back to reacting again. Its a journey, not a destination.