I’m delighted that you’ve picked this up! Thank you.

What this book attempts to do is to present a framework within which may lie a way for us to reclaim our authenticity and influential power in life. And, re-armed with these terrific assets, perhaps our essential ability to be happy and to succeed.

When I first started writing this, it was an attempt at finding lucidity in the midst of confusion. This was my way of striving to pull myself out of a sea of darkness that had seemingly swallowed up virtually every ray of light in my life. Nothing seemed to be working, despite all of my good intentions. I was drowning, and I was sad.

It was in the midst of this despair that I began to feel a pull ‘inwards’, deeper into myself than I had ever been drawn before. This journey was driven by a vague sense that that was the only place from which real change could manifest, and a deepening realization that it was about the only realm in this world that one could be in effective ‘control’ of.

As I reflected, and scribbled down more notes, things soon started to crystallize. Strands of seemingly disparate notions and snippets of borrowed wisdom culled from earlier decades of discussions, lectures attended and from fairly copious readings in science, religion, business philosophy and spirituality, all magically started to draw together, to galvanize the whole exploratory effort, to take shape, and finally, to make unified, and pragmatic sense.

In the process, for instance, one of the key things that I began to more fully appreciate was just how the mind naturally comes from fear, and, given this natural tendency of the mind, the goal-posts to happiness must always shift. Even if we do arrive at the original goal, it is never truly quite sufficient once we’ve actually arrived! The result being therefore that when we come from the mind, we effectively place the attainment of happiness at risk!

I began to feel, as I progressed, that a crucial re-setting of sorts, of my own ‘internal compass’, was necessary. And way overdue! In the course of these writings, interspersed with some delicious pauses gratefully savoured along the way, I permitted myself to deeply reflect upon some of these less tangible notions, and the ‘pathway’ that then emerged quite literally lit up and began to totally transform the very fabric of my life. A transformation that is still very much ‘in progress’ for me, and the journey is so much sweeter already!

The resultant insight may happily be summarized as follows: that the passageway to our authenticity, influence and success in life needs to begin with our strictly individual quest for the ‘internal alignment’ of our energy. This is the easily overlooked yet absolutely critical starting point of our outward journey in life. Whenever this Inner Alignment is actually fully achieved, and in all areas of our lives, it leads irrepressibly to our highest state of authentic being. And this is the state of being that unfailingly renders us most powerfully influential when we purposefully interact and align outwardly with Others, without whose energies we could never be sustainably successful. And the great news is that it all begins with something inherently ‘controllable’, ie our own inner alignment, which is nothing more than a refreshing, self-aware choice we consistently make!

Ultimately, this book is a wake-up call to service-oriented action, and for all of us to move to a different rhythm in our lives ... it is about making a brave choice ... to move to our very deepest personal rhythm ... of who we truly are.

Unlike other ‘mind-led’ approaches, however, the framework presented herein is subtle, and requires a contrarian view on the use of the mind. Much ‘un-learning’ of customary notions relating to the positioning of the ‘exalted’ mind, rela- tive to the soul, may well be required too, as we allow the Soul to reclaim leadership in direction-setting for us.

Close friends have insisted this set of notes must be shared with others. Hence this book which is now in your worthy hands. I know how very much it has helped, and has clearly and happily worked, for me personally ... and I do believe it will for you, too!

Who is this book for?

We may find our mind-led lives failing to yield a lasting sense of fulfillment and happiness. 

As we age, we may detect a growing sense of not having lived our truest lives, of not having expressed sustainably from the core of our being, from our souls, the very deepest source of our individual authenticity ... leaving us quietly despondent, with an inner dissatisfaction on both frontiers of the mind and of the soul.

We may take delightful, yet all-too-brief sojourns into the realm of spiritual healing, attending seminars, practising meditation, etc etc, only to find when we do return to our hurried lives, that nothing has really changed sustainably for us.

For sustainability in such deepest change, however, we may need a more ‘tangible’ framework that could help us re-set our internal directional compass. One that helps us re-claim our authenticity, and thereby, our personal power in life.

This is what I hope to help provide through the device of this book, where it could be casually reflected upon, (taking a ‘pause’, or a well-deserved ‘time out’ from the hurried pace of our lives), and absorbed by the general reader, (taking in the beauty of the artworks in the process), and for possible integration, (at least of the portions that might resonate with any particular reader), into their daily lives.

The framework presented within this book straddles soul, mind and body, and it is hoped that it may also help demonstrate how they might harmonise, optimally and pragmatically, as we go about our daily lives, seeking both success and lasting happiness. 

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

The body as energy

Our beacons of energy expenditure

The two fundamental motives of our energy expenditures: Giving vs Taking

Does a universal preference for the direction of our energy expenditure exist?

The mechanics of material manifestation: An energy perspective

Attaining the first level of wisdom: Inner alignment of our energy radiation

Attaining the second (deeper) level of wisdom: But which one leads?

Just what is this magical place we call the ‘Soul’?

Leveraging our soul’s directional dynamic: Life is Giving is Love

The leap of faith: Let Go, and Let God

A service-centric life examined: Our highest calling?

The three magical Catalysts: Joy, Grace & Gratitude

Going beyond: Unleashing the power of ‘Outward Alignment’ through authentic leadership & influence

Putting all of this into Action

A Powerful Way to Start our Day