It is said that in the beginning of time when chaos ruled the land, as vultures roamed the sky a lightening struck the hidden valley of death and formed the trident of eternal misery. Each tongue forged by forces of despair. The first – shame. Colored in neon green and baring the sign of limitless time. The second – guilt. Bathed in dark ruby red and followed by a drowning sensation of foul play. The last but not least – comparison. Yellow and intense, somewhat transparent, as if not even there. A silent killer baring the mark of sophistication and the sound of cunning eerie winds.

The devil, which has no existence of his own, is not a someone, or a something. The devil represents a certain type of choice. As everything in the realm of creation, the devil holds a deep form of teaching. A necessary friction which allows, ultimately, for growth and evolution. These three weapons the devil holds come with an interesting twist. You, out of your own free will, have to choose one of them. However, once chosen, they will eventually trigger one another. Comparison leads to guilt, guilt leads to shame, shame leads back to comparison. These energies are intertwined. Indulge in one, indulge in all.

It’s hard for us to accept that we’ve chosen one of these energies. It seems that we “find ourselves” in them. That they “happened” to us. Occurred as a response to something external. However, indulging in these forces is always a response to a wounded heart. An undercover pain that we have and is calling for attention. Nature doesn’t need these forces, a flower is never shamed, and a tree never compares itself to others. These are forces of evolution. Helping us learn more of the infinity of the human spirit. However, it is up to us, to truly choose and explore with courage.

When you put your hand, by mistake, into fire, you immediately respond by taking it out. Leaving your hand in just to study the effect of fire will cause permanent damage. Staying in shame, guilt or comparison is no way less harmful. However, it’s a bit more challenging than just taking your hand out…

The first question would be what’s underneath these feelings. What is the underlying need that attracts these energies in the first place? And the second, witnessing the interchange of one weapon into the other. Shame into guilt, guilt into comparison… this flow will not stop on its own accord. It is the way of darkness to act without permission, and so, once you have chosen to enter this flow, it is up to you to choose and act in order to leave it.

And so, when darkness came into light, the devil holding its trident with pride, the angelic force was invited to bring back balance and harmony into a now chaotic field of life, and thus the three forces of good came to be. In a clear day, under a shining rainbow a three leaf clover grew into the green lush meadow. Three leaves, each shaped as a perfect heart, each holding the fulfillment of spirit. The first, bathed in the golden sun, was gratitude. Shimmering, filled with life and eternity. The second – respect, a glowing white light of an angelic quality. And the third – understanding; bathed in blue and silver. The holy trinity of empowered choice.

Just as with the devil’s trident, these three forces are intertwined and lead into each other. Gratitude forms respect, respect brings about understanding. Understanding is the foundation of gratitude which in turn is the spiritual basis for love and evolution. A compassionate heart is an understanding one, an understanding spirit lives, respectfully, with the flowing current of gratitude. An endless cycle of birth and rebirth. But same as before, entering the cycle of light requires choice. Choice is an action, an affirmation of who you are choosing to be at every given moment. This choice is what turns fate into destiny.

Life is constant stream of choices. An opportunity to being an active participant in the architecture of creation. Life is not what you make of it… it is what you make of you. What forces are you willing to indulge. Where do you focus and thus what you attract. The forces of light, and their angelic presence are life’s response to darkness. Response, not reaction. They compliment, offer, invite. They are not meant to destroy or eliminate the need for the teachings or friction the forces of darkness have to offer. Gratitude is a response to shameful heart. It is the motion of expansion which leads a contracted motion of fear.

When feeling the motion of shame, you feel withdrawn, it’s an inwards motion. Collapsing into yourself, closing the doors and shutting your blinds. An external evocation sent you inwards. You almost feel like you’d like to disappear. Gratitude, however, is an outward motion. You pulsate from the inside out. Your circle of influence seems to be expanding. This outward moving motion seems to be all inclusive; your heart expands and your light is filling anything and everything that surrounds you. These two forces compliment each other. When in shame, pause. Start to expand, offer gratitude. What can feel grateful for, to myself, to the other, to this challenging situation. And without noticing, the energy will shift. Your heart will soon open and the lesson, if you so wish, will be learned.

Guilt has a downward motion. You feel like you want to burry yourself in it. You collapse into a black hole of despair. All seems dark and scary. How could I? Why did I?… From the center you start spiraling down. Your world seems small and uninviting. You want to run away and have no one to remind you that you are not alone. Loneliness feels so appealing. Respect allows you to raise your chin and look to the skies. It has an upward motion. An elevation. Your field of vision expands, grows. You recognize your surroundings and those in it. When you respect yourself and your own emotional body, you no longer fear to take your space within the divine plan. You know and recognize how crucial and important you are as a cohesive part to the wholeness of everything. When in guilt, pause. Look up, respect who you are and how you got here. Acknowledge your downfall. Nod with responsibility, but as you nod, keep lifting your head. Turn this force to one of growth. Learn, if you so with, and move forward. Choose a different path.

Comparison moves in and out, out and in. It does however stay on the surface. It doesn’t, if you’re willing to admit, touch your heart. For if it did, it would cease to exist. Comparison leads to guilt and shame. It is, a hidden power, existing and being fed by subtle thought patterns, limiting beliefs and societal programing. In our heart of hearts, our uniqueness is known to us, we enjoy admiring others and love to share our gifts. We compare as a defense mechanism. Which in time turns into a debilitating armor. As we compare we assign a price tag to ourselves and those around us. A number, we form a ranking system. Unaware that in doing so we limit ourselves and fall into the trap of shame and guilt. Comparison separates us. Leads us away from our hearts, away from freedom. As every action, every thought is now ranked, compared, evaluated. Others become a reflective mirror and an opposing force. We move in and out and are challenged constantly in finding our center.

To understand understanding, we need to go to the depth. Peel away the superficial layers of comparison and make a conscious choice to see deeper. To dive into another, and into ourselves. To concentrate, to focus and allow the fleeting thoughts to melt away. Understanding doesn’t happen in the mind, it’s not a thought form or a mental conclusion. Understanding is an experience of the heart. It overflows, it fills you up and brings about a profound sense of silence. In that silence freedom is born. The depth is soothing. It brings about transformation. It allows the superficiality of comparison to shift into a form of connection. The need to retract and divide into a willingness to come closer, to join in spirit.

Life it seems, is cyclical and flows in polarity. In and out, up and down, back and forth, left and right. Each force has it’s opposing power. Each challenge a way out. Breath in… breathe out. Shame into gratitude, guilt into respect and comparison into understanding. A natural flow which helps us grow, evolve and become.