The Force- Rediscovering the Obvious

Comment: The book I have placed below had been published 1998 and has had its printing discontinued. I have currently placed part of the book here(I have just ommitted parts which are hard to format. I am still figuring out how to indent.) for you to read. Please leave comments on the content or whatever. For my other ideas, you could also checkout my other blog www.rickym2.blogspot.com.


THE FORCE : Rediscovering the Obvious
Philippine Copyright 1998

INTRODUCTION

In this time and age, different schools of thought have been mentioning a force or energy that functions within us - an often unseen energy which connects humans and creation as one.

An understanding of this force explains why certain things are done or chosen over others. How desires come about. How happiness is achieved. Why, for example, some people seem more approachable and pleasant. Why people fall in love. Why we feel a lack of meaning in life when we seem to have everything.

This book will attempt to explain in simple terms how this energy manifests itself in our lives and how we can use it in order to achieve our full potential. How for example, to reduce stress, how to attract friends.

This is a book that speaks on how life may be changed for the better. You and I have hopes, and by just practicing the simple exercises given, you may easily reach that goal in the privacy of your own bedroom. This is written not only for people with problems but also for those who are happy and who want to push the envelope of their capabilities and attempt to reach and do things they previously thought impossible.

This book is the result of my quest for the knowledge of life. I found out that life is not to be rationalized but felt. Within the book are numerous examples that I hope you, too, can relate with.

This book is the result of my quest for the knowledge of life. What I share with you has been arrived at intuitively, and is by no means complete or perfect. My adventures in life made me realize that life is not to be rationalized but felt. My experiences led me to perceive life and the world in a totally different way, and I noticed that this "world view" proved useful to a number of my friends in their quest for happiness and fulfillment in life.

I decided, then, to write this book in order to share what may be true. Keep whatever ideas you find useful and just file the rest. They may later prove to be true and useful for you later. And I hope, too, that the numerous examples within the book are everyday realities you can relate with.

Finally, in a gender-sensitive age, any author is expected to be such. However, in consideration of the case of flow in reading (and writing), the masculine gender is used. This does not mean, though, that I am insensitive to the gender issue, and I hope you will understand.



HOW TO READ THE BOOK

The book talks about life, about the things in life that we experience and attribute to something else. Since it relates to our experience, try to avoid being too rational while reading. It is best to read at a leisurely pace and with minimal distractions. Try not to worry or split hairs over issues or ideas which are actually quite simple. A number of people who have read this considered it a form of "reality check" where we are made to be aware of the obvious. You need not be an intellectual or a scholar to read this book. All you need here is an open mind. A mind open to new ideas, new thoughts for what is in the book is a new approach to life. It would be best to read the book sequentially so that you will be able to grasp the development of the theme properly.

This book is not written to be understood fully in just one reading. Several light readings would be best and it seems that different insights are realized every few readings. This is a book about life, about how it is, and the different events we take for granted. The only prerequisite here is awareness, openness, and common sense. The force is felt - not intellectualized, much less rationalized.

Due to the difference in approach to the subject, I would like you to forget about all the different things that you may have heard about the idea of the force/energy. In this book, I take a very different approach. All we need is an open and perceptive mind.

Throughout the book, you will notice that there are areas where you will see "typical" and "alternative/ideal" situations. When I say "typical situation", I do not intend to make a sweeping generalization of people but I want to show possible problems which people have. The "alternative/ideal situation", by no means the correct one, but an alternative which, hopefully, is to be explored.

I hope that through the definition of force - the energy that connects all of life together and a simple description of how it affects us - this book will show us how we can enjoy life more fully - by moving the force better.


WHAT IS THE FORCE?

Ever since Albert Einstein came up with the equation e=mc2, energy has been looked at in a different light. In addition to matter, energy has become a prime consideration in life. It is expressed in different states or "frequencies" - very much like that in television and radio where there are different channels and stations. Aside from the energy in our daily life which we are very well aware of, there are other frequencies which affect our life. Given their subtlety, though, they cannot be measured by current physical instruments. They are, however, recognized and felt by perceptive people.

As long as we are alive, this energy emanates from our physical bodies. Some people have an abundance of this energy, making it easily noticeable. Among them are those in positions of power and government; performers like actors, actresses, singers, models. When they are in a crowd, they "grab" your attention. This is not necessarily because they are good-looking, but because they have a certain presence. The energy they exude is just too strong to go unnoticed.

The idea of energy permeating substances and people is not far-fetched. It is not only possible but quite easily sensed. All it takes is for us to be a little more perceptive. What role does this force play in our lives? Why the big fuss over it? What is so great about it?

In order to be happy, our energy should be strong and harmonious. A strong energy body is necessary for proper self esteem and the drive in life. A harmonious energy body is needed for us to be patient and at peace with ourselves.

Energy may also be made to act at a distance. We are like a radio transceiver. Radios need strong energy in order to transmit and receive strong signals.

Our energy body's sending quality is masculine in aspect while the receiving quality is feminine. Notice that women are generally regarded as more perceptive than men, while men are regarded as more willful than women.

Having a good control of the masculine aspect of the force enables one to express himself well. Take the case of a good performer or actor. A performer whose stage presence is strong keeps his audience interested by establishing eye contact and feeding them with the energy they expect. An exceptional actor's movements are physically correct, and the proper emotions are conveyed strongly because the force comes from within.

On the other side of the coin is the feminine side of the force. Their intuition is often mistaken as mere body language, but upon closer examination, there are things which are left unexplained. Mothers, for instance, know if their children are sad. Single women know if their suitors are serious or not. A wife may sense if her husband is in love with another woman.

Male or female, one should be able to utilize both qualities of the force in order to be well-balanced. Some people who utilize such a balance to their advantage are the unscrupulous sales representatives and philanderers. They seem to know if a person is to be targeted or avoided. Using the feminine side of the force, they sense the vulnerability of the prey and know when and how to make their move. For some reason, they are so perceptive that they know what lines to say. And once the "prey" is convinced, they go for the kill, close the deal with precision, and do it so well that they succeed without much effort. The "prey" will know "he's been had" a few hours after the incident. These two groups of people are masters of the feminine and masculine aspects of the force although they may act normally for their gender. Although these examples are actually considered a misuse of the force, these make you understand the possibilities of achieving balance. On the one hand, if you lack or are weak on the masculine side you would be called a pushover. If, on the other hand, if you lack or are weak on the feminine side, you would be perceived as insensitive.

The force is used in everyday situations and is in fact heavily used by successful and influential people. Why are there some people we feel we can fool while there are others we just have to respect? Because the force is weak in the former and strong in the latter. Why are there people who seem to sense the direction of business development? Because they can sense the force. Why are some leaders more influential than others? Because they lead and motivate, and not necessarily rationalize. The list is endless, and these are not brought about by luck or by one's possession of superhuman powers - it is a result of the proper use of the force that permeates all things.

We all use the force in our own little way, though some use it better than others. We all have the potential and feel for the force in our life. Children, for instance, who want to go out with their friends at night have to sense their parents' mood before asking permission. Suitors always try to find out what his crush means when she seems aloof, while the woman wants to know if her suitor is serious or not.

The knowledge of the utilization of this force is not only normal, it is beneficial and advisable. As we grow older the force slowly weakens. We shall be less intuitive, less happy, less lively, more stressed, more confused, and more irritable. All these are due, wholly or partly, to a misuse of the energy within us. With a proper knowledge of the force, we should be able to alleviate if not reverse this deterioration of the force within us. Know the force and use it properly.



CLASSIFICATIONS OF THE FORCE

From the outside we seem to be like one coherent being with one kind of force. Yet there are actually different kinds of forces. A human being is like a company or a business entity. Although it acts as one on the outside, different parts within itself enable it to function as such. A company may have an accounting department, production department, and marketing department. In the same vein, a person has several parts of his being which must work in harmony to come up with one result. Each is different from the other. Each will have to be well-honed to function properly.

And just as there are different ways to classify people in a company (position, gender, status), there are different ways of classifying the different kinds of force, and these are in terms of frequency, accessibility and size.


By Frequency

The force has different frequencies or channels. When you listen to the radio, you switch bands or stations. When you watch TV, you switch channels. When you watch good performers on TV, they all seem to have a strong and harmonious energy level. The reality, though, is that they are very different because they have different frequencies. Their energy may be expressed in terms of sex appeal, rationality, or charisma. Still some may be so good that they may have combinations of two or more.

I pointed out that for the sake of balance, one must have both the masculine and feminine aspects. Yet it is highly favorable that one is able to comfortably express all the different frequencies available. For example, in a family reunion it would be nice to have strong charisma; in the office, rationality; and with the girl you are courting, good sex appeal.

A field of psychology classifies the person as having an id, ego, and super ego. Here we have the polarity of masculine and feminine (or strength and harmony), and frequency (instinct, rationality, and affection). We may have other frequencies, but these are the most common, and therefore readily understood.

INSTINCT controls our bodily needs. Our emotions, desire for sex, feelings of hunger, and the will to live occur in this area. Instinct in itself is not bad. It only makes itself bad when its energies are in conflict, and when the person involved has little or no control of this, such as when one is angry, frustrated or irritated.

When this energy is in harmony, though, we see beauty in it. This is typified by animals which function in this level. They don't have a level of rationality, affection, and yet we see no conflict. Animals hunt and eat when hungry. They eat to live, not live to eat. They generally do not hunt due to sadism but the necessity of survival. Here we see harmony, how nature corrects itself whenever disharmony occurs. It is true that problems arise due to man's failure to control or manage his instinct.

The next frequency that separates man from animal is his RATIONALity - It's what makes him think, talk, and premeditate things. This is also where he exercises his free will - where he is free to do as he pleases or where he chooses to override his instincts. When an animal is hungry, it will automatically try to find food; when it is sleepy it will sleep. Man, however, has the option to keep on working without eating, or endlessly watch TV at night. In and by itself, this is an expression of true freedom. Freedom, however, means having the responsibility to use it properly. The inability to manage this frequency results in disharmony, stress, confusion, worry, or mental anguish. An abundance of this kind of force makes a person intelligent.

AFFECTION connects us to the ultimate source of energy, and is a stepping stone towards unconditional love. When mastered, affection enables us to feel the unity of life and the profound unity with our creator. We should not only know it, we should feel it.

There are, however, some not so nice qualities of affection which we are to guard against. Too much sentimentality is one. A mother who can't let go of her child when he is of the marrying age, or when a wife can't forget her dead husband after he has been gone for 10 years are two examples. A person who is full of affection is charismatic.

As you see there are good and bad qualities in all of the frequencies. We have to have them all, but only their good sides. We have to master them all so that we will be able to properly relate with other people who do not function well in some of them.

As I said earlier, aside from these three, there may yet be other frequencies which exist. Some may actually seem new but are actually combinations of the three. There are other frequencies which may unfold once we gain mastery and control of the ones discussed. These frequencies are very profound since they occur as our consciousness comes closer to the Source from which all kinds of force originate. Once this happens, we may be able to feel an unexplainable yet profound sense of oneness, order, and justice.


By Accessibility

The force may be classified as to how easily it may be accessed. We have here the CONSCIOUS and the SUBCONSCIOUS. Simply put, the conscious part is that which we are aware of, and the subconscious part is the part we are not fully aware of (it may be the part of ourselves that we deny). Here we see the possible conflict of the conscious and subconscious due to a difference in outlook resulting in disharmony. The conscious, on the one hand, is attached to an illusion which it wants to believe in for the simple reason that it is "convenient". The subconscious, on the other hand, is attached to the reality of the event which it does not fully acknowledge.

Ideally, a split in our consciousness should not occur. Our conscious and subconscious should be one. But since man has free will and rationality, he has learned to neglect realities that occur in his life. He may have traumas and disappointments which he refuses to acknowledge because these remind him of painful experiences. He may refuse to face the truth that he is not actually as happy or successful as he may want to be. Other people may put limits on themselves.



By Size

A person may have several pools of forces within him as seen by the previous two classifications. Man may also be part of a pool of force which is bigger than he is, and which he shares with others. These big pockets of energies are not to be taken lightly. No matter how individualistic a person is, he must be able to relate to the other large forces around him. His relationship with them will decide whether he will be controlled by them or if he will control them.

In the field of economics, we know that aside from monitoring the money flowing within a country, we should also monitor the money flowing in and out of the country. We have imports and exports. Countries are independent, yet they strive to properly coexist with each another. The same happens to people. We should not only strive to fix the force within ourselves, but know how to transfer it from person to person. Man should learn to associate.

Large pockets of energies are organizations, associations, and companies that affect our daily lives. Notice that people within these organizations are bound by at least one similar trait. An ethnic group or a nation have certain ways of viewing things, a certain culture, and a certain set of traditions. They not only follow these traditions but consider it to be quite normal and expect other countries to think the same way they do. In the same manner, when you migrate to another country, you tend to assimilate the characteristics of that country.

People within a corporation with strong sense of culture tend to assimilate and convey that culture. If a corporation is very serious in their business approach, so goes their employees. Companies who tend to be very personable have employees who convey warmth and may be very approachable.

A school is also one large pocket of energy. Each school has its own "stamp" or identity. Perceptive people can, at times, tell which school a person came from simply on the basis of a few minutes of conversation.

Of course, one highly influential pocket of energy is the family. Families are so diverse and we take this for granted until we get married. Differences in opinion on raising a family affect us. So, too, does the difference in religion.

These large energy pockets should be sensed because these influence us without our knowing. When we are constantly in these energy centers, we begin to think and act like them. This is specially so if these energy pockets have been with us since our formative years in childhood. When all you see around you day in and day out is that large organization, you can't help but assume that what it does is the right way of doing things. For example, when you pick a school for your child, more often than not you pick the school you came from. Why? Because it is where you grew up in. You have not experienced any other school or any other method of learning. If you were confronted and asked which is the best school, wouldn't you say that your school is? Why wouldn't you, when at the age of six, you entered grade school! The only school your parents talk about is about that school.

For this reason, a number of people appreciate travelling. They meet other people. Their minds are opened. They see more options and are no longer pounded into believing a certain system based on blind loyalty. Think of yourself as working in one company and not having friends working in other companies. How can you accept the possibility of appreciating another company if you don't have the vaguest idea of what other possibilities exist?

Pressure from the force is what peer pressure is about. Pressure from people who do not mean well and even from people who mean well. Larger pools of force may change you very subtly and may be hard to resist. This is due to their size and approach.

When a lot of people say the same thing within a large group, we may believe it is actually true since we subconsciously believe that majority rules or the majority is always right. With an approach of love and well-meaning, a group may easily infiltrate a person's defenses since some people trust too easily.


MOVEMENT OF THE FORCE

SIMPLE EXPLANATION
Typical Movement
Use/Misuse of the Force

At birth we are bundles of joy. We are hyperactive and full of life. As time progresses our activities seem to lessen and we attribute this to old age and physical diseases. Actually, our less active lifestyle during our old age may not only be due to physical constraints but also to the force which is being depleted by life's dramas and conflicts at a slow but constant pace.

Initially, we used to do things automatically. We sleep when we are sleepy and we eat when we are hungry. As life goes on, this fluidity in life ceases and is replaced by programming. We do not sleep on time. We do not eat on time. When we do eat, we do not eat the proper foods or the proper amount. We disrupt our normal cycle. While animals at the forest do things automatically and maintain their health, we rational beings override our natural processes to our detriment.

There is a simple sequence of events which causes all this. At birth, we become aware of our surroundings. This world is new to us and exploration is the key word. We become aware of our surroundings with our five physical senses. We still do not rationalize our behavior. Everything we do is automatic: we cry when uncomfortable or hungry; when we need to urinate; or when our surroundings are too cold or too hot. We have no worries or problems. AWARENESS is the key word in this stage.

When the child reaches the age of three or four, he is sent to a pre-school that makes a difference and properly caters to a child's urge to be aware and explore. All the fancy colors and sounds given to a child are not for cuteness' sake. The different stimuli are given to expand his awareness so that he will learn to relate to the world properly and not live in his own world. At this age children should be allowed to explore.

Wherever our awareness is, that is where we direct our energy. If you observe extroverts, their energy seems to be all over the place. They can influence people not because of their loudness but because they are so aware of their surroundings. Introverts on the other hand usually have their energy close to their physical bodies.
The next stage is that of ATTENTION. After a while a child learns to put his awareness steadily on a certain object or idea. An inquisitive mind pushes him. He attempts to learn more about the object. He begins to develop favorites: school subjects, relatives, friends, and toys. At this time it is okay to have favorites.

When attention is given, the energy transfer is stronger towards the object or idea involved. This is why courtship is usually accompanied by a lot of attention. A strong transfer of energy to the female will convince her more of the suitor's intention than if less attention is given. This is also what audience contact is about. A public speaker looks at the audience because energy radiates strongly from the eyes. This is the reason why negotiations are done with strong eye contact.

Right after attention is ATTACHMENT. This stage may occur very quickly in adolescent years or quite slowly in younger children. A favorite suddenly becomes a need that must be fulfilled.

As attachments develop in life, more and more decisions have to be made. Prioritization will have to take place. Even with this in mind, there are times when we never really reach a firm decision. In attachment, energy begins to lose its dynamic quality. Instead of freely going from object to object, one gets stuck at a central theme. The self is captivated and soon it can not readily let go. The body and mind's correct automatic responses are overridden.

The problem with attachments is that sometimes they can not be fulfilled. Sometimes this is due to monetary constraints. For example, a child has been taking softdrinks everyday during mealtime. Later, the parents figure that the amount of softdrinks that the child is taking may be bad for his health. They then decide to stop the child from drinking softdrinks thus frustrating him.

An older child may not have enough money to purchase something that he may become attached to; a certain hobby like photography may be out of his league in the early part of his life. It may also happen that if he has the money, he may not have the time. For example, he may not have the time for other things, he being too busy with studying or doing household chores. If he has both time and money, he may sometimes be attached to two things and yet he will be forced to pick only one. A female may fall in love with two suitors while societal pressure dictates that she may have only one. At the same time, her parents may insist that she delay romance until she finishes her studies.

We usually believe that the source of our happiness is the object we are attached to. We believe that certain beverages make us happy; that certain desserts makes us happy; or a certain person's company makes us happy. Actually, the object does not make us happy. We are all born happy. Children are happy for as long as they are free to explore the world. Watch them as they play around the room. We start becoming unhappy when we begin to be attached and that attachment is not fulfilled. The point, though, is not to fulfill all attachments but to enjoy life with a minimum attachments. Watch children amuse themselves with different toys and experiences. Watch too, how they become sad when these are not given to them.

This stage then is a dangerous one for this is when unhappiness begins to set in due to an unfulfilled desire. This inner conflict of an unfulfilled desire forces us into the next stage - DISHARMONY.

In terms of force, disharmony occurs when at least two forces within a human being are in conflict, and these forces "fight it out" leaving the person in periods of irritation, stress, confusion, and the like.

A person functions like a corporation. Look at one and you see one entity. When you want to commend a product of the company you do not just commend the owner or the marketing staff, but the entire company. Take a close look at it: you see people trying to work harmoniously for one common goal. What the public does not see is that behind any advertisement on television is a company trying to reconcile its differences among its different employees and directors in order to reach one goal.

A person may not realize the disharmony in his body. This is because disharmony has crept into him very slowly to the extent that he no longer knows the meaning of tranquillity. Besides, not all disharmonies are on the conscious level. There are days when you are irritable or worried for no apparent reason. This is because your conscious does not want to entertain or acknowledge the problem at hand. For example, your shoulders or the muscle between your eyebrows may be tense for no reason. You cannot sleep peacefully. When you try to think why, you cannot find any reason. Man does not find this behavior dangerous because sometimes he even considers it a status symbol. He assumes that the more "stressed" he is, the more responsible he becomes.

The battle within us occurs heavily during the disharmony stage. If this can not be resolved the energies will fight each other until they wear themselves out. Lack of energy will then prevail and DEPLETION occurs and this is usually called burnout. This is when a problem no longer causes pain because we do not have sufficient energy to cause disharmony within ourselves.

Hopefully when the energy drops we get to learn from our mistakes and consider it as one of those bad experiences. Depletion is the last stage of the cycle. Ideally, we stop our attachment after feeling the pain we went through. During the start of the next cycle, we reacquire awareness and we can start from scratch. Hopefully we do not get as attached again. There are those, however, who repeat the same cycle over and over.

For a more detailed explanation, I shall show how the cycle works with each of the three frequencies of the force.

This is very easily seen on the INSTINCTIVE level. When we were children, we were given an awareness of ice cream. We became aware of the various flavors of ice cream and that it was very refreshing to take on a hot summer day. As time went by, we had favorite flavors like chocolate. As we grew older, our parents figured that the cause of our diminishing appetite for dinner was our eating ice cream between meals. Due to this, we were allowed to eat ice cream only on weekends. If you had been attached at this period, imagine the frustration and irritation you would feel. Different issues crop up in your system: you want to sneak a teaspoonful at night, you know you should not, yet you crave for it. Attachments on the instinctive level are usually called cravings. If they involve liquor or cigarettes, they are even called vices. They are quite easy to notice, but people usually succumb to them because they feel "good". Aside from that, they can be easily bought. Disharmony on this level will manifest as frustration, irritation, or even anger.

The next level is RATIONALity. In this level the cycle is not as obvious because many people consider it a way of life, especially of successful people. This is the cycle where mental stress may surface.

Investing in the stock market, for instance, can be stressful. You start playing with the more stable stocks but after awhile you may want to try the more "exciting" ones like oil. These stocks can double your money in a week. Awareness occurs when you have seen it happen in the previous years. This time you would want to give it a try, so you look for a pattern and you read the papers thoroughly. This is the attention stage. Then the stock starts its upward movement. Before you or your broker can notice, it has already gone up a sharp 30 percent on the first day. The decision as to whether you are going to buy or not will have to be made. You do so the next day. Money, your attachment, is now invested. After a few days of non-movement, you read in the papers that the oil well has been plugged. No oil has been found! You watch TV anxiously that day to see for yourself the movement. Buying and selling prices are back at the original price, which is, say 30 percent lower than your buying price. Your choices are to sell - it may get worse; hold - you feel like a fool selling with a 30 percent loss; or buy some more because the price is lower! Three issues are fighting within your rational mind, and you still worry about your diminished assets and cash flow. Disharmony here is manifested as worry, confusion, or mental stress. You soon have trouble sleeping, suffer ulcers, or have no urge to eat. Depletion here is seen as mental burnout. Once you are burnt out, your rational mind (which you were once very proud of) now wants to be left alone.

Lastly the AFFECTION level also has its part in the cycle. Awareness of the one that you love starts, and sometimes quickly turns into attention. Since a number of people believe that love is measured by persistence, what happens is that love may immediately jump into the attachment stage. That is why we have unconditional love or love with no attachments. In this way, you love and you set her free. If she comes back, fine. If not, she may not be the one for you. Disharmony in love happens for different reasons. Sometimes love is not reciprocated. Sometimes it is manipulative. In this case, the person involved feels the emotional anguish since his need for affection is not requited by the other side. When a person suffers emotional anguish, a depletion (which follows as emotional depression), occurs and the person may not want to be in love in the near future.

Usually the cycle does not occur in only one level, but in a combination of two or three levels in varying degrees. With every issue in life undergoing a cycle, we see how they can affect us. What we go through in life is one big cycle composed of numerous small cycles.

When we are born, our awareness is developed as we explore our life with our senses. As we grow older we begin to acquire tastes, likes and dislikes as attention sets in. Attachment follows not too long after as we follow society with its 'norms'. We become romantic, fall in love, indulge in vices. Disharmony follows since we find out that we can not have all our attachments because of time and/or financial constraints. As we grow tired with life and all its conflicts in the disharmony stage, we approach the depletion stage. Soon, with diminished energy, we are content staying at home in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

Take a look, too, at why sometimes adults and children do not get along. They view life from different stages. Adolescents, on the one hand, are in the attention and attachment stage, and perceive life as one big experience to be cherished or even conquered. They party, fall in love, and get into all sorts of activities. Adults, on the other hand have already experienced these and would want to impart to their children the value of not being too attached, not to fall in love too quickly, and not to fall into materialism. Children cannot understand their parent's lack of activity in life, and parents are wary of their children getting into all the experiences they can lay their hands on. Adults would want to explain the hazards but cannot seem to ably impart them, so sometimes, they play safe and just disallow such activities. Children at this point start to rebel.

Aside from the problems seen above, notice that we end up in a state of depletion. When we are depleted, we are in a very high state of vulnerability. Whether we hide it well or not, this vulnerability is easily exploited. Aside from the obvious vulnerability to sickness due to stress, we are also very vulnerable to people whose energy level is much higher than ours. They may be weaker, but when they confront us in large numbers, this vulnerability is heightened. We experience vulnerability due to peer pressure - pressure to conform to tradition and inability to be independent. This pressure may come from friends, advertisements, bosses, spouses, and even children. For those who claim that they are not easily influenced, the possibility is that they may grow insensitive and callous to people and events due to a defense mechanism developed to protect the vulnerable inner self. We see people with superiority complexes, which in some cases are attempts to mask an inferiority complex. We see possessive spouses mask their insecurities in a relationship. We even see the control freaks, who demand that things be done their way in order for them to prove to themselves that they still wield power. Should these people have an ample supply of energy, these defects may not surface.

Source of the Force

Once a person feels depleted of energy, he will subconsciously attempt to find ways of replenishment. Even the intelligent people will attempt to get energy through various means without consciously doing so. Normally since all people are connected to the force the energy source should be virtually limitless. Since man consciously does not perceive this force, he usually denies it and hence, loses his connection with it. Man later finds several other ways of connecting with the force through a means he can relate to.

One is through spirituality, a venue through which we can link up with the original source of energy. The problem with this source is that since man has learned to bathe himself with other kinds of energies, he does not know how to relate to this kind anymore. He prefers other kinds of energies like passion, lust, sentimentality, and anger.

Another way is through nature. Energy is abundant since plants and animals do not undergo attachment, disharmony, and depletion. They have no attachments and hence are more harmonious (energy-wise) than man. Their movements are instinctive, they do not premeditate their actions, and they do not get worried or confused. When animals are confronted with a problem, they either run away from it or confront it head on. If they encounter a predator, they run away from it or fight with it. If they win, fine, if they lose, they are dead, no more problem, end of story. Man, on the other hand, finds himself in situations where he will not be able to run away from his problem or confront his problem head on. When he wishes to earn more money because a baby is due, he ponders on whether he will work overtime, find a new job, or cut down on his expenses.

Life nowadays is no longer simple. Since nature has an abundant, harmonious supply of energy, man finds himself communing with it in his solitary moments. Nature, too, is such that it is quite rare for someone to dislike it. One does not have to be a boy scout in order to appreciate the energy which can be derived from nature. A stroll in the park or even in a garden may be sufficient. For the more affluent ones, a round of golf would be more than enough. For people who are not spiritual or who do not have time to commune with nature, there is another alternative, one that is usually taken by people who stay in the city for long periods of time.

People in the cities have a habit of getting energy from each other. Energy follows the saying "like attracts like", and because of this similar energies connect with one another. People with similar interests often group with each other. Friends have something in common. So do business groups. This is, in many instances, done unconsciously and sometimes people feel that they "click" and later find out that they have something in common. When you think of someone else, a link is established. When a boy appreciates a girl he links with her and an energy exchange occurs between the two.

Because of this possible energy transfer, people regularly give energy by appreciating or noticing each other. The transfer is easily done and readily available. The problem with this is that usually these people already have their own set of problems. When stressed people mingle with stressed people, what they feel as clean energy is actually disharmonious energy being transferred from one to another. Soon people begin to develop a "taste" for this disharmonious energy. They say "I love pressure", "I thrive on stress". This is because for a long time, they have not experienced clean energy, and the more they mingle with this diseased energy, the harder it will be to get to a clean source of energy. The reason for this hardness: since like attracts like, stressed people will now have a hard time to get calm, soothing energy.

To top it off, businesses have been able to notice this and take advantage of people thriving in conflict. Instead of harmony and change (twists and turns in the plot), storylines now have high degrees of conflict. People are so hyperactive that commercials and MTVs are beginning to match the short attention span of the viewing public by its quick pacing. We cannot really blame the advertisers or the businessmen. This is what the public wants.

Life's pace is beginning to be very fast. This is fine if everything is in harmony. Adults now find out that stress (an energy conflict within the self) in the office is commonplace. We find that children are influenced more and more by the place they live in. From innocent bystanders brought into this world, they are forced to join our confusing world.

A drop in the energy of adults is often manifested as mental or emotional burnout. But not so for children with a high energy level. A drop in their energy is usually seen in the lowering of self-esteem. This may be more dangerous because to get enough energy for himself he would normally seek attention, and this may mean succumbing to peer pressure.

Energy transfers are usually done quite subconsciously. One usually asks for energy by seeking appreciation. There are two ways of acquiring energy: the masculine or the active way and the feminine or the passive way. The most obvious is the passive way - the person practically asks for it by hinting that he needs it. In the masculine way, the person acts like he does not need it because he is strong, that he is someone to look up to. This way he is given energy not because he claims to need it, but because he is admired or appreciated.

Upon closer look, each is further divided and represented by one of the elements:

a. Masculine - Masculine -- Fire
b. Masculine - Feminine -- Air
c. Feminine - Masculine -- Earth
d. Feminine - Feminine -- Water

The water way is the most obvious, yet unrecognized. For example, a pretty woman always had a boyfriend since she was a teenager. If in her early twenties she happens to have none, she will feel the loss of appreciation, hence the loss of a primary energy source. To get energy, she starts asking herself, "why don't I have a suitor now? Am I already ugly?". If she tells you this, you reassure her that she is still good looking, and by doing so you give her energy. You wonder, "why did she think she is ugly?" If the woman concerned was not really pretty, she probably would not ask a question like that. Then you would wonder again, "maybe she likes me", until you find out from her best friend that it is not the case. All she needed was appreciation - or energy.
The earth way, another less obvious way of getting attention, is to act as if you do not care for it. A suitor will court a woman who will neither confirm nor deny her love for him. This causes the man to be more persistent in his demonstrations of love, and because of this a stronger energy source is created. I asked some people why they do this, and they said it is to test the guy's sincerity. When asked if the test actually worked, they could not be sure.

Other people do it differently. In the fire way, their egos are such that they would not want to be thought of as weak, and their way of getting energy is preceded by an attack. They bully you. They make you afraid of them. This way they earn your respect, appreciation, and, of course, transfer of energy. Sometimes they actually siphon the energy out of you. This is why when you are beside arrogant people you may feel weak. This superiority complex (arrogance) has actually been preceded by an inferiority complex (insecurity). This is the fire way of getting energy.

The air method is a little more confusing. They are confrontative but will not want to be labeled as such. A boss may approach you smilingly, and tell you that sorry he had made a mistake in negotiating for your salary package, that you seem to have gotten the better end of the deal. He follows this up by telling you that, hey, he'll get his money's worth. Statements like these will leave you unsure of what he meant. Is he mad? And was that good or bad for you?
More ways of acquiring energy are of course possible and they may be used singly or in combination with one another.

Different people acquire different tastes for food. The same applies for energy. Some people would like to be given instinct energy. They thrive on passion sex, and the like. Some of them thrive on even disharmonious energies - they enjoy irritation, or may even subconsciously enjoy it when their loved one gets mad at them. Some thrive on the rational energy. They gravitate towards people who love to think. Others like affectionate or sentimental people and feel close to them.

If you will notice, there are some people who like to shop when there are few people. Surprisingly, there are others who love to shop when there is a crowd. This could be possible because they draw energy off the crowd.

In extreme cases, people may kill for the attention. Some assassinations are done not for money but for the thrill of it. A number of mothers have been known to even kill their children to get sympathy from doctors and nurses at the hospital. There was one case when a certain woman's children all died before reaching the age of five. The neighbors thought that these deaths were due to a certain gene which the children had inherited. Doctors began to have their suspicions when her adopted child also died.

There are easy ways of getting energy and the easiest is from people. Getting energy from this source though, presents some problems. First, the quality of energy may be deteriorating (increasing in disharmony) and we continue to get each other's second class energy. Second, the other party's enegy may become too depleted. Third, the second party may give it in return for something. Salespersons give attention in order to close a sale. Some suitors may court in exchange for a one night stand. If the other party is not fully aware of what she is getting into, she may be in trouble.

Aside from this, the energy recipient will have to be careful of another hazard. As you get energy from a source, there is a very strong tendency to become like it. When a couple become husband and wife, they start becoming very similar to each other. Some seem to even begin to look and behave like one another. This is because they begin to share a lot of energy. When you share with someone's energy, you also share his bad traits. If you are constantly in association with a rowdy crowd, you will most likely be like them. This is why some people seemingly insist on relating only with people of similar social standing. Another problem is that if you are the weaker one and you get energy from the same person, you will be dominated because you are too dependent on him. Without being told to do a certain thing, you feel like you have to do something which you normally would not.

Previously I showed how your automatic responses to use the force are explained by a series of stages. When it comes to getting energy, the same sequence also applies.

AWARENESS is the initial stage where people are depleted of energy due to a misuse of the force. The first stage will make the person aware of a possible energy source.

ATTENTION is then triggered because the person will soon try to reproduce the feeling by constantly trying to redo the experience which brought happiness. Due to constant repetition this attention may go on to the next stage.

A person becomes ATTACHED when he becomes too rigid to explore other sources of force. He becomes tied down to this supply of energy since he notices that the more his attention is on this source, the more force he seems to get. What he does not realize is that the more attached he gets to this source, the less capable he is of getting it other sources.

DISHARMONY occurs when the source suddenly disappears or if it becomes inaccessible due to time or monetary constraints. Conflicting signals arise, a part of the consciousness says to try harder to get to the same source which you have been used to. Another part of yourself may say try finding another source.

DEPLETION will of course occur when prolonged disharmony continues.

An example of this is courtship. A young woman in her teens slowly becomes aware of romance. She notices that as more suitors court her, the happier she seems to be. She may then set her attention on a certain suitor. Sometimes, support (energy) from friends become replaced by the preferred suitor. Disharmony occurs when the suitor stops his daily schedule of calls and visits. The woman becomes confused. She wonders about what course of action to take. She considers waiting, or entertaining another suitor or playing hard-to-get. Even if this experience take only a week, the woman may feel severely depressed (depleted).



Alternative Movement

Use of the Force


Awareness. Of our surroundings and ourselves.

Attention. Awareness is prioritized to certain objects or ideas, we begin to have likes and dislikes.

Attachments. We have trouble disconnecting our attention from these objects or ideas.

Disharmony. Conflicting attachments "fight" each other within our consciousness.

Depletion. Conflicts within the consciousness diminish the energy needed by the person.
Notice how typical the sequences of events are in our daily lives. Notice too that the trouble begins when the attachment stage is entered. When you feel that you are already in this stage, proceed with caution. I am not saying that you should not enjoy life. Remember that attachments are not the source of happiness. They seem to be the source of happiness because once you are attached, you feel that experiences that deviate from these attachments bring pain. Change is what brings happiness, change is fluidity. Do things at the right place at the right time, be in harmony with all.

Life should be enjoyed, but it should be done with a minimum of attachment. You may feel that life may not be savored if we are not attached. That is not so. You may enjoy life in the awareness or the attention stage. In fact you may notice that a number of happy people are very unattached with money, their instincts, ideas (rationality), and affection.

Observe how teenagers or children explore the world. Watch them flit from experience to experience. A trauma is nothing more than an attachment to a bad experience. If you are not attached to it, there is no trauma. If you drink moderately but are not attached to drinking, you are considered just a social drinker.

A lot, if not all of the good businessmen are also unattached as far as their business ventures are concerned. If one of their current businesses begin to lose money, they promptly close it and start a new one. Good stock market players follow this very well too. If a stock in their portfolio is going to drop, they cut their loss before it becomes too great. Businessmen are taught not to fall in love too much with their businesses.

Imagine what would happen if the parents of a 30-year old person refuses to let him or her go and get married! All this done 'in the name of love'. People mourn for the dead because it means the loss of a loved one. Others see it merely as a transition to a better state. Who do you think is happier?

Unattachment is not apathy. It is not lack of love. Nor is it an obsession. When we have to let go, we should let go. Attachment is not only confined to material things, it can occur in any of the kinds of forces. They say that if we all have unconditional love the world would be a better place to live in. Don't you think that is unattachment? What keeps us from discovering this? God is not the only one who can give unconditional love. We can give it a try - in small steps. Selfishness, one of the problems of mankind, is also an attachment - an attachment to the self.

If you see a person in the spiritual path, you see him trying to make himself unattached. He unattaches himself from materiality, then his instincts. At this stage, he tries to live a very simple life. Then he tries to discipline his thoughts. He does not entertain worries, confusion, or the useless bickering of the mind. Later, he begins to be unattached in his affection. Several of these people live with a small number of people. But the most difficult to deal with is the attachment to the self. The idea that we are all one. The idea that we are not to be eternally better than anyone, but instead to help them in their access of the force so that they, too, may be like us or even better.

Again, unattachment means enjoying life without attachments. We can party on weekends, but work when it is time to work. We can enjoy material things, but we should not be its slave. We should control our emotions instead of letting our emotions control us. We should learn to enjoy life and its different forms of expressions without being attached to them.

A good example is dieting. We are told to watch our diet and not to be attached to food. Otherwise we will go crazy running around with a frothing mouth. But when our ideal weight is reached, of course we can enjoy our food. The fact is if you are unattached you will be able to enjoy life more. Don't you enjoy being with a friend who seems to have no dislikes? One willing to give almost anything a try?

Look at young children - they are full of energy. They run around experiencing life without being attached to anything. Sometimes you may even fail to give them new experiences. Then the problem starts. We convince them, for example, that this certain toy is very nice; that it should be with them all the time; that they should play with it all the time because mommy gave it. This is the start of attachment. Try taking it away from him and watch his reaction. In many instances, this is the onset of breeding a spoiled child. If the child did not lack in different things to do, he probably would not have been so attached to the toy. Allow your child then to experience new things. It need not be expensive: take him out for a walk in the park, or experience nature in a camp.

Unfortunately, a lot of us are not only in the attachment stage but also in the disharmonious and depletion stages. We are not only attached, we have also acquired a taste for disharmonious energy because we have grown accustomed to it. Try having your own quiet times. Or take a vacation and enjoy nature for a change. Do not try to entertain disharmonious moods such as frustration, worry, confusion. These may be considered normal but will degrade your quality of personal energy easily.

Aside from depletion due to disharmony, there is self-inflicted depletion as a result of guilt, pessimism, and lack of self-esteem. When you have done your best but somehow did not manage to have a good ending, do not feel bad. Go on with your life.

The use and misuse of the force is like the use and misuse of money. It may seem normal to overspend - purchasing things we do not need or are not useful. But this so-called "normality" is not healthy for us. How do good investors make money? How do they conserve their wealth? By placing their money in assets that grow. They do not place their money in activities that squander their wealth. They have foresight. They do not thrive in normalcy but in excellence.

So should we.


Source of the Force

Like in the usage of the force, the "enemy" of the "Source of the force" is attachment. We are open to all creation. We share the force. Since we can not readily see the force around us, we assume that we are alone, separate from others. Subconsciously we put up barriers and disconnect ourselves as a separate entity when in reality all of us are one. With constant attention from other people, we get used to the idea that we can only get energy readily from attention.

An attachment to one or several sources may hinder a proper energy relationship with other sources. Furthermore with the continuing deterioration of the condition of the force within other people, it is now easier to get disharmonious energy than strong harmonious energy. We should not learn to get energy only from a few sources, for in truth we are connected to all. The problem now is how to get strong and harmonious energy from other sources when there is a possibility of mistakenly getting disharmonious energy.
There is a simple and yet safe way to get strong, harmonious energy. You can get as much as you want because it is free and abundant. No fancy formula is needed to access this energy.

We all know of the saying "LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE". A person with harmonious energy will attract another person with the same quality of energy, This is "LIKE QUALITIES ATTRACT". For example, an irritable person will attract another, a worrier will attract another worrier, and an emotionally anguished person will attract the same. All you have to do, then, is to maintain your composure, your happiness, and you will attract the same. Another phrase is "LIKE FREQUENCIES ATTRACT". A person with strong instinct energy will attract those with strong instinct energy. A highly rational person will attract another highly rational person.

As long as we make proper use of our energy and stop disharmony from developing, we are fine. We will be attracting energy of similar quality. We should also, of course, entertain the idea that we are all connected so that we can properly share the energy. We should not build barriers between ourselves and others.

Since "like attracts like" and energy flows freely inside and outside our bodies, we can imagine that pools of energy will develop outside of us. We all have and even create disharmonious and harmonious pools of energy. These create the different pools of energy such as that which connects two people in love, an organization, a school or a family. That is why they are so alike - they share a certain pool of energy. This is also why there are big energy pools. We are in a way creating them. With this in mind we of course would want to relate with a strong and harmonious pool because not only does like attract like but you will also acquire the traits of the energy pool you are relating to.

Let us now focus ourselves on the strongest and most harmonious pool of energy - "the Source". This name is used not only because this is the ideal source of energy but also because this is the energy from which all creation came. This energy is also the energy which willingly connects itself to all of us. He knows the ultimate laws of the universe and he knows that we are all one.

Ideally, we need to get our energy from the Source. The Source gives us as much clean energy as we want and, if done properly, we get its fringe benefits. Once filled with energy from the Source we will be able to experience peace, tranquility, happiness, and relaxation. Since the Source connects us all together, we will also experience a profound sense of knowing, not by rationalization but because we are part of everything else. We are part of the Source and the Source is connected to everything else. This experience is perceived by some people as "enlightenment".

How do we connect? It is actually an easy process: just be one with it. Have you ever tried taking a vacation "to get away from it all", sitting in the middle of nature overlooking the trees and fields? Some of you will feel a profound sense of calmness and tranquility. Others will have an additional sense of movement as trees sway and animals roam the countryside. They have become one with nature. Parents frequently feel this oneness with children and close friends.

Do the same thing with the Source. Whatever or whoever you associate with, you will be similar to it in frequency, quality, or both. Instead of connecting with energy pockets that may be irritable stressed and confused, why not settle for one which is tranquil, peaceful, and dynamic? Connect to the Source.

The energy from the Source is very harmonious in nature and has a frequency even higher than that of affection. Since like attracts like, and it is a lot more harmonious than us, it takes quite an effort to access this. If, everyday, we attempt to become more harmonious and less attached, we shall be able to access this energy in little steps. When we are able to do so, it is in a way where we merge with it and acquire its attributes.

The easiest way to be able to access this energy is to accept and appreciate it. This idea is very simple. If your consciousness is at a certain idea or thing, you will begin to acquire the qualities of the idea or thing. YOU WILL BECOME WHAT YOU APPRECIATE. This principle is done by everybody everyday. For example, there are people we admire or simply appreciate. If we appreciate someone, we are actually trying to unify our energy field with his. If you notice kids, they tend to mimic whoever they can identify with. If they always watch violent films, they will soon be flailing their arms in the house. If your teenage daughter loves reading romantic novels, you might see her entertaining more and more suitors. This is equally true for many people who would want to associate themselves with good people - the energy rubs off on them.

But be careful with what you appreciate. If you appreciate or glorify a businessman, your material life may prosper but your personal life may suffer. If you appreciate a good person who has tossed materialism aside, you may soon be like that too. It is very hard to find someone who you would want to be like, someone who has all the right qualities. They usually come in two categories: the very successful in life, who bears all the stress and hardships that come with it; or the very happy, stress-free person with a not-so-successful life.

Ideally, of course, we would want to have our cake and eat it. Yet we find very few people we can look up to and fully "duplicate". However, they are also among those who live a very submissive, if not difficult, life - one that's full of suffering and pain. Once we become fixated on their suffering and pain, we will acquire that kind of life. Remember happy people hang out with happy people, problematic people hang out with problematic people.

So how do we manage to get energy from a pure source? A source which has happiness and at the same time proper materiality? We may do it by placing our awareness on the qualities of the pure energy source. Like attracts like, and therefore by being aware of its qualities, we attract it to our lives. The first quality is that of ABUNDANCE since it sustains everything. Second, if it created everything and is connected to everything it also KNOWS EVERYTHING. And since it created everything, it is ALL-POWERFUL.

By placing our awareness, and later our attention on the three qualities, we call the energy to come to us. We no longer feed on the second class energy around us - we get as much as we want straight from the Source. From this energy we may derive our "identity" from the quality of "abundance", "intuition" from the quality of "all knowingness" and "power" from the quality of "all powerful".

Of course, this is no easy task. We will always be tempted to focus our attention on easier things like our favorite basketball player, businessman, or even sibling. We now see two opposing poles where we can get our energy. First, from the Source where all things came from; and second from a person who was created from the Source. Naturally, there are pros and cons for each.

If we get our energy from the Source, we have a very big growth potential. We can be very calm, intuitive, and secure. And since the Source is infinite, we are able to get as much energy from it as we like. And as we get purer, we will have better and easier chances of getting even more energy.

However, energy from the Source may be quite hard to access. We are human beings and it is very hard for us to place ourselves initially into such a high state of happiness in order to access this form of energy. Should we be able to access this energy, we may not even know how to properly use it. For example, if we are already happy and stressless in life, we ask ourselves, "How do I use this to make money? Can I get a girlfriend with this new energy?" It is very unnerving since we feel we are the only ones happy with our new state and we cannot seem to share our happiness with others.

On the other hand, if we have a suitor who is very persistent in his courtship, we will most likely get a large amount of that energy from him. Ask yourself - if you are yearning for companionship, what would you rather do, get the energy from the Source, or be courted by a suitor and get the attention (energy) from him? The first impulse of course is to be courted! Why? Because usually energy from other sources are easily accessible. If you are not made of courtship material just go to a restaurant and tip heavily! You will then get the attention you want! When you are courted, you are not only given the energy, it is usually shoved to you. And the energy is easily usable. For example, if you are courted, you are in a good mood. You feel very excitable and active. But when you meditate and connect to the Source, you not only have a difficult time accessing it, but when you finally have it you don't know what to do with it! You don't know what to do with calmness, tranquility, etc. Despite this, why do I advise you to still connect to the Source?

Getting energy from a supply other than the Source is good in the sense that it should be done while trying to establish a proper link with the Source. But ultimately we should be getting our energy from the Source, and this is the ideal. In the meantime, though, that we cannot get energy from it, we try to do so from other sources. It is just like being a jobless person. While he is out of a job, it may be okay for him to receive money from friends. But he should always look at the long term situation. He should, while getting money from friends, attempt to find a job. It of course is easier to get money than actually work for it. But in the long term it would be better if he has a job. If a person is highly stressed and his gastric juices are rolling in his stomach, he may learn to be relaxed so that he can arrest the problem at its root. The problem with this is, it takes quite a while to relax, especially if that person has been tense for the past ten years. And while he is learning to be relaxed his gastric juices are there eroding his stomach lining. While relaxation attacks the problem at the root, we may not be able to immediately fix the problem at hand. It may be better if we take an antacid during the period of learning to relax.
In terms of money, getting energy from the Source is like being able to acquire your own money. Getting money from second hand sources is begging for money. But why rely on others when you can get it yourself? When you get money from others, there may be strings attached. When you get energy from the Source there are no strings attached.

Always remember that there are many places to get energy, to get a high, to get temporary happiness. But it is best if you connect yourself to the Source.


DETAILED EXPLANATION
Cycles

Life is dynamic. It is full of cycles. We have short cycles such as our breathing wherein one cycle is inhalation and the other exhalation. On a bigger scale, we have day and night.

Business, too, has its cycles. In the stock market alone, we notice that fluctuations of prices do not always follow predictable paths. In forecasting the prices of stocks, major players use either the method of Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis, or both. In Fundamental Analysis, the analyst takes into account the economic environment at the time: GNP, exchange rates, inflation rates, and the like. In Technical Analysis the analyst doesn't need to study the previous factors. All he has to study is the graph of the price movement of the stock and the number of shares traded in relation to time. Based on these givens, a forecast is reached. A branch of Technical Analysis is Time Cycles, where the idea is that prices of stocks move up and down in cycles. Surprisingly trades and transfers of large amounts of money have been done using this method.

Just like prices, our life is a series of ups and downs. Prices are not always stable. They fluctuate. Our lives are not always static but dynamic. The force is never really contained but follows a certain cycle or rhythm. For example, waking and sleeping is a cycle. Imagine if there was no cycle in life. If a person comes up to you and says that he doesn't intend to sleep, he opts to be awake the whole time. Doesn't that sound silly? Even the military does not do that.

No matter how little a rest phase is, it must be taken. Even weightlifters know this. Weight trainers allow the body to rest and rebuild. This is why when you begin weight training you are taught to train in a way that allows your body to take its rest. Other advanced trainers may train everyday but still follow a cycle. They train their upper and lower bodies alternatingly. This way each part still has its proper rest period.

Earlier I divided the "Movement of the Force" into two sections, "Use of the force" and "Source of the force". The former is the active phase while the latter is the rest phase. The two phases are strongly intertwined. You can not have one without the other. Remaining too long in the active phase will lead to burnout, while doing so in the rest phase leads to boredom. One must use the movement of the force. Notice that in the films of the east, the Buddhists in the temple meditate for their rest phase and study kung fu for their active phase. A separation for both phases is just too uncomfortable. Staying too long in the active phase will let you use too much of your energy without replenishment. It will also make you too prone to attachment, disharmony and depression. This phase will make your life colorful and lively, but may make you slowly enter into suffering and misery.

Always be aware of your cycle. Make sure that you do not go to extremes of one side of the cycle. Being too active will cause you to go to the extreme of the rest phase in order to make up. Try to live a life of repression and you may soon live a life of indulgence.

On the active side, watch out when you begin to go through the attachment and disharmony stages. When this happens it may mean that the end of the "usage" phase is near. In the rest phase, when you feel that you have recovered enough energy and are already bored, you should start making good use of your energy. As in waking and sleeping, a person can only work so much without sleep, and a person can only sleep so much.

Do not stay too long in the rest side of the cycle. While we must maintain our relationship with the Source of energy, staying there and not using it will alienate us from people. People who persist in staying connected to the Source for long periods are very tranquil and peaceful, but may be perceived as being "emotionally flat". They do not seem to behave "normally" anymore. They do not seem to be able to relate to society. On the other hand, those staying too long in the usage of the force may know the ways of the world but may have an inner emptiness which they would want to fill.

Each person has a different length of the cycle. They just know how to rest and complete a cycle in one year, acting like a workaholic for the peak season of his business and taking it easy during lean seasons and vacation leaves. Others may want to make all the money they can before forty and then retire early thus making the length of their cycle almost as long as one lifetime. Others start off believing that life is really a dog-eat-dog world and expect to stay on the active phase forever. If you are very intense in one phase, chances are you will end up on the extreme end of the other phase. You may end up living a very simple life for a length of time after the burnout.

Although you are in a certain side (such as the active side), it does not mean that there are no small rest periods within it. During the daytime, for example, you may have little breaks or even little naps during waking moments. And look at the stock market within a bull run, there are several dips.

Present within a cycle, too, are other minor cycles. Just like in a set, there are supersets that are composed of smaller sets, and subsets that make up a set. In a person's life you have a cycle of activity and rest (which is one whole day): activity during the day and rest during the night. A larger version is activity during one's early years and rest during the latter years. On a much smaller scale, you have breathing where inhaling is the active phase and exhaling is the rest phase.

Subdivision into Four Phases

I am now going to explain the movement of the force in a more detailed manner. I will discuss the four phases.



Uses Sources
Pre-requisite IDENTITY RELAXATION
Main EXPRESSION UNION



THE FOUR PHASES

The "uses" has 2 phases (parts) - IDENTITY, EXPRESSION, while the "sources" also has 2 phases - RELAXATION, UNION.

Earlier I showed only how the force functions internally within a man's character. Now I will show how it functions internally and externally (how force affects other people).

The IDENTITY phase precedes the EXPRESSION phase. One cannot use energy unless there is a proper foundation. Before a person starts communicating properly in a new group, be it with friends or officemates, he must first feel around and make his presence known. It is only when he is secure within the group will he be more open and expressive. The identity phase is the part where man lays down his foundation. This, like his ego, is his sense of individuality and his self-esteem. It is the demarcation line or subtle air space that is considered his. When he joins a new company, or when he is in his cubicle, he makes sure that he does not intrude on other people's air space. He is careful not to be too noisy nor too demanding. Once he feels at home, he may begin to converse, crack jokes, or even feel free to visit his other office mates in their cubicles.

A man's house is his castle. Anyone who comes into his house may be told to leave since it is his property. The primary area of this phase is the self and his immediate extensions like his home. Dealings in this area are supposed to be done with authority. The primary function of this phase is to define the boundaries of one's self.

After a person has achieved security with his identity he proceeds to EXPRESS himself, and he does so more openly - by making friends, inviting office mates for a meal, and even roaming in public territories with confidence. He is no longer insecure of his individuality and self-esteem. He expands his sphere of influence. He begins to expand his free will and he uses his energy to socialize, make friends, and exercise his authority over his subordinates. The force here is extended - he conducts meetings, gives talks, and uses his power of influence. This is why we have what we call eye contact - the transfer of force when we want to let the other person know about our intentions (whether good or bad). The expression phase also deals with diversification, choices, risks, the exercise of free will. Some workers are concerned primarily with their necessities and afraid of taking risks. People who are strong in the expression phase are willing to take risks and are able to enjoy the diversities of life.

The primary area of this phase is all of the creations of the self, people, or things that are supposed to be submissive to the individual. These include extensions of himself - children, subordinates, and businesses. Individuals within this phase are to be given guidance because soon they may match the evolution of the person involved. One is like a child who is guided in his early years, but may later match the development of the parents. The primary function of this phase is to express one's self through diversification.

The RELAXATION phase precedes the UNION phase. Before a marriage we have friendship. We would want to test things. The relaxation phase is where harmony is present and conflicting forces are told not to alienate themselves from each other. Instead they are told to be very friendly with each other while maintaining their respective identities. In friendship, each one respects the other's individuality. Each one is free to do as he pleases. Internally this is when irritations, confusions and worries are told to lie low. Forgiveness, understanding, and patience are the keys.

The area of responsibility here is other creations of the Source - those which he does not have any direct influence on: business associates, former classmates, and friends. Dealings with these people are supposed to be friendly because they have their own lives to live, and therefore their individuality must be respected. The primary function of this phase is to prepare the individual for a link with an energy source through harmony.

In the UNION phase, identity begins to diminish as it joins with the other party. We see this in couples who are in love. They not only begin to act alike but in some cases begin to look alike. Look at their eyes - they seem to tell a similar story. Union may be with or without romantic love. It may be parental. It may come in the form of peer pressure. Or it may come from the influence of politicians and group leaders. Internally this is where one's faults, which are previously unacknowledged, are now accepted. It is a union of a fragmented personality into one coherent being, a union with the Source.

The area of responsibility here is the force that created you - the Source. Not the father or mother, but the actual life force. A force which you should ultimately follow. The primary function of this phase is to get energy through the unification of an energy supply.

The Four Phases in a Cycle

We now come to what may probably be the most difficult part of this book. I advise you to read the next part carefully and just get the general gist before continuing. If you find this part easy, then you should have no problem with the rest of the book. If not, just continue with the rest and remember to pass by this section once in awhile. The important thing is to avoid too much rationalizing.

Earlier we have seen that the movement of the force oscillates between the "source of the force" (where the force rests and recoups its strength) and the "use of the force" (where the force is dissipated).



FOUR PHASES IN A CYCLE

The Active part is divided in two: EXPRESSION being the main active phase and IDENTITY its prerequisite. The Passive part is divided in two: UNION being the main passive phase, and RELAXATION its prerequisite.

We have also understood that this oscillation is in actuality a cycle that goes on forever.

The active component is when the force is used and splits itself into different components. This splitting is due to its urge to be active, to do something. When its energy is exhausted, it will revert to the passive phase. Entrance into the passive component will allow the energy to increase in harmony and to once again be one. This oneness will strengthen once more the energy in order to propel it back to the active component.

In human or personal terms man will try to be active in order to relieve himself of boredom. He will express himself. He will have likes, dislikes, and hobbies. He may even continue to do this until he reaches a point of madness, stress, confusion, and irritation. When he can no longer bear with this he lays low and rests by entering the passive component. He will rest, forget his problems, sleep. When he gets bored he rises again and enters the active component.

The major phase of the active component is expression. This is when the force actually diversifies. Before the diversification though, a build up of the force into a stable form is done in the prerequisite identity phase. The identity phase gives an identity or individuality into the force that was previously one with the Source. Before you split the force, it has to be relatively separate from the Source. For example, before you split white light into a rainbow, your white light must be focused into a tight beam. The identity phase establishes this tightness. In the passive component we have the main phase (the union phase) where the actual split forces become one. A prerequisite of relaxation will have to occur in order to put the forces in harmony before they are actually joined as one, just as in a business merger where the different parties will have to negotiate on the conditions of the new company such as new policies, who will be retained, terminated, and other details.

In the IDENTITY phase the consciousness is born/reborn and a person considers himself as an entity separate from the Source. At first, a person has no sense of rationalization and only has awareness. He then begins to be aware of who he is and what his territorial limits are. He knows that he has a physical body, and he has his own instinct, rational, and affection energy bodies. He also becomes aware of his air space and his immediate sphere of influence.

For example, when a child is born, he first becomes aware of his crib and the different sounds, smells, and sights. He becomes aware of all his surroundings with his physical senses. In older people, this identity manifests as pride and self worth.

A strong and harmonious identity phase would manifest itself through a person who is independent, has good initiative, and is secure. Weak identity phase would in turn be reflected in one who is dependent, insecure, and lacks self-worth. A disharmonious identity phase would be seen in people who show "strength" in identity in order to mask weakness, or those who show a superiority complex to hide an inferiority complex.

Soon the child's self-confidence has built itself up, shows its independence, and would want to play or express himself. This is because the energy taken from the rest side of the cycle has not yet exhausted itself. In the identity phase, energy normally doesn't weaken, and this is because there are still little or no energy conflicts. Hence we do not have attachment and disharmony.

The next phase is that of EXPRESSION. After the person is secure with his identity, he chooses to use the force within. At this point he is very restless, and has a very strong urge to play or express himself. The original energy that came from the union phase has gone through the identity phase in the form of awareness. In this phase the energy is transmuted into different kinds of force similar to a prism's effect on white light. We therefore see the transformation of a person into his different facets, talents, and personality. His identity now is not due to his "separation" from the Source, but to his actual difference.

As the person approaches the end of the phase we see attention, attachment, disharmony and possibly depletion. Choices are now to be made. This is so because the Source is already on the other side and the entity formed "bolted" and chose to have its own identity. In his urge to express himself, he has forgotten his relationship with the Source. His consciousness, which used to be in perfect harmony, is now fragmented into several parts that may be at odds with each other. This is when disharmony sets in. Soon, the person may not even be aware of all the parts. This is what happens with the conscious and subconscious. The person that once acted in perfect unison will now overextend himself and be too fragmented to function properly.

The conscious and subconscious of the individual will begin to fragment or exhibit a higher split due to the illusions the person may impose on himself. These include illusions of grandeur, denial of actual bad situations such as sickness. His instinct, rational, and affectionate components may also be in conflict. He may not be able to reconcile a love which, within his affection component, is allowed by his rational mind. With advertisements and all the other factors which cause his awareness to form into attention then attachment, the person's programmed subconscious begins to increase in size as the conscious component lessens. This makes him more susceptible to further persuasion. A person will begin to move automatically, not due to the correct answers of the Source but to the programming that he previously imbibed. He also begins to separate himself from others, connecting his personal force only with his family and friends.

Initially we are all connected. We are all one harmoniously pulsating energy form. But due to distrust and bad experiences with other people, we relate our personal force only to those we are close to. We begin to be possessive of those we are close to, and apathetic and uncaring to those we are not.

Internally, this is when the free will of a person begins to express itself and be exploratory. Children begin to ask many questions. Rationality comes into play. People begin to have several wants which they begin to prioritize. Bad experiences at school or childhood may be denied and buried in the subconscious furthering the split between the conscious and subconscious. The human mind starts being very diverse, and soon, very complex and burdensome.

Outwardly, some may start being creative and express the force within them through media forms like art, singing and dancing. Children approach this stage when they start being exploratory. They want to simply roam around. Later they may want to dismantle their toys or other things in the house. Teenagers want to try out new things and be risky. Homemakers express themselves with their cooking or house decoration. Businessmen, on the other hand express themselves with new products and services at the office.

A strong and harmonious expression phase would show expressiveness, creativity, playfulness, and diversity. A weak expressive phase would be a withdrawn character, repressed individual, and a person who does not enjoy life and its different facets. A disharmonious expression phase would show in a person who has gotten himself into the midst of everything which life has to offer but is having trouble getting out due to his attachments.

Being exhausted and close to the peak of conflicting energies, the person who may now probably be in his thirties or forties will start lying low. By this time he relaxes, not always out of choice but possibly out of necessity.

After getting too many problems and finally resolving to fix these the person will enter the RELAXATION phase. Here the utilized force (which propelled the identity and expressiveness forward) will lie low in order for the problems and issues to lessen. Conflicting forces will lessen and be reconciled so that a state of harmony develops. The previously compartmentalized, and possibly fragmented consciousness of the person will now lie low and for the meantime stop fighting with each other. Sometimes this is done because the person has learned to stop 'fighting' his inner turmoil and conflicts. Sometimes this is because of the low energy left from the disharmony that one is forced to lie low.

Internally this stage is usually seen in middle aged people. They begin to realize the need for rest. They find out the meaning of forgiveness, non-attachment, release, and patience. They learn that life is not only experienced and lived by logic and strength but also by reflection.
Externally this phase is also seen through a person's relationship with others. A person passing through this phase will realize that harmony is of utmost importance in his living area. He finds out that in order to instill change, he does not only have to actively push for his ideas, he must also know how to listen and reflect on the conditions of his home and office before he brings about change. He begins to believe that one needs harmony and cooperation in order to get things done. Sometimes, though, people in this stage become too passive. They say yes to everybody in positions of power in order to play it safe and not to disturb the peace.

A strong and harmonious relaxation phase would show as someone who knows when to be passive, harmonious, and relaxed without sacrificing his identity. He should not allow himself to be treated like a doormat and trampled upon in the name of harmony and passiveness. He is therefore soft but firm. A weak relaxation phase would show as someone with several issues constantly cluttering his consciousness. He does not know how to properly let go, forgive and forget previous problems. A disharmonious relaxation phase could show up as someone who appears to be very civil and proper, but inside him are all the frustration and irritation towards the world.

As adults go through the relaxation phase, they subconsciously find out that energy-wise, harmony is not enough. They must join other people and associations with similar interests in order to enhance themselves. They begin to feel a need to function as one with the environment.

The last stage is UNION. Here the different aspects of the person's consciousness that has fragmented heavily in the expression phase will attempt to reunite. In the relaxation phase the different aspects stop fighting but do not join. In the union phase, these aspects attempt to join with each other. The subconscious, which existence was previously denied but later acknowledged in the relaxation phase, now starts to join with the conscious. Ideally, it is also in this phase when an attempt to join the Source is to be made once the different aspects of the person's personality are in relative union.

This phase is seen internally, but when it occurs the effect may be very profound. During this phase all the different forces within a person's consciousness will attempt not only to relate together but also to rejoin. A person who would never want to see his bad side will now be confronted with it. He will no longer be able to deny his weaknesses - he will confront them, accept them, and resolve to change. It is only when the truth is confronted can proper and lasting change be done to one's self. We see people reading books on positive thinking trying to have a prosperity consciousness with no tangible results. Sometimes it is due to deep-seated fear of acquiring too much wealth since he may believe that "the love of money is the root of all evil". The ego in this phase is beaten up. As they say, "first you have to lose it, then you find it". Man must let go and reconcile all the different aspects within him. Only then can he attempt to reconnect with the Source.

This is seen more obviously in external situations where a person forms both harmonious relationships (like those in the previous phase) and alliances (based on either friendship or business) with different organizations. Ideally the primary union is with the Source, but too many people join themselves with other people, organizations, or societies who they feel they can relate with.

There are two basic principles of union: "like frequencies and qualities attract" and "opposite polarities" attract. In frequencies for example, a man who is strong in the instinct energy level will have a tendency to have friends who are strong in that level. A man who is very rational will associate with those who have similar interests. In terms of quality, a man who is highly irritable will have irritable friends and acquaintances. The attraction of opposite polarities happens when two people in the same kind of frequency have opposite polarities. For example, a rational man who loves to talk will get along with a rational man who loves to listen. The initiator of the force is the masculine while the receiver of the force is the feminine. Like will always attract like even though it is done by consciousness alone. Thinking of someone or something is already done in the energy plane. If you still feel that you attract people or situations which are just not like you, check your subconscious. It is also part of you though you are not aware of it. You are attracting people with the same traits you have.

People in their old age turn to institutions to get their energy. They feel a need for camaraderie. If in the previous stage they wanted to go and conquer the world alone, they now feel the need to be affiliated with an organization with similar goals. In this stage the statement "you reap what you sow" is followed. You definitely are going to get what you send to other people. Since the force is activated not only by a physical action but also by an intention, things that you thought you were exempted from will come your way. Little irritations, enviousness, and the like will all start coming back. You will notice that more and more people you meet act like you. You will start being dependent on organizations for ideas of wholeness at this point.

A strong and harmonious union phase would show up as a person who gets along not only with other people but with someone who properly utilizes team effort. A weak union phase would show up as a person who is afraid to join organizations for fear of losing his identity. A disharmonious union phase is seen in someone who confuses his identity with that of an organization, one who believes that it was his decision when in truth he was just led by the crowd mentality.

After a cycle is completed the person ideally has renewed energy and is eager to start again. He could have a "second life" by doing things in the next cycle the things he had been unable to accomplish during the first.

You may say that people can have all the phases within them at a time. Yes they can, but usually one phase is more accentuated than the rest. The force is dynamic - it is always moving and will never be at rest. Businessmen know this. In the computer industry, if you take your time for one year, it may mean the obsolescence of your products. Consumers have spending cycles. There are fashions, trends, and other things which businessmen have to face. Buying is not always done on a rational level.

If day and night were considered as one cycle, then day would be the active part and night would be the passive one. Shortly after waking would be the identity phase since you are still getting your bearings without yet making any conscious decisions. The expression phase would be when you are at school or in the office confronting many issues and doing a lot of rationalization. The relaxation phase would be when you go home, lie low and try to forget your worries. And sleep would be your union phase - this is when the Source will attempt to link with your conscious mind.

Each phase has its good and bad points, although in a person's perception some phases seem to be more troublesome than the others. This is because they are currently in that phase. In capitalist countries stress is a problem in the expression phase. This is because capitalist countries are associated with freedom of expression and thus have a large number of people in their expression phase. In non-capitalist countries where union is more predominant than expression, stress would not be much of a problem.

A person who is stressed will want relaxation, while a person who is too relaxed will want expression. This is the cycle. One should go with the flow - nothing in this world is permanent. If you are observant, too, you will notice that a number of organizations are all telling us to change our way of living, start loving one another and be more harmonious. A number of people are now getting into a life of peacefulness, not just running after the money. This shows us that the large cycle is now probably entering the relaxation stage. We are now beginning to value relaxation and union instead of expression and identity.

One should improve the cycles existing within the self. He should first be aware of the cycle and master the phases where each is strong and harmonious. Second, when the phase is ripe for transition into the next, the individual concerned should be able to do this without much hesitation. Unfortunately, there are many occurrences in life that would hamper both the development of each phase and the movement from phase to phase.

There is a relationship of these four phases to the five stages (awareness, attention, attachment, disharmony, depletion). Within each side, are the five stages. In the active side of the force, the awareness stage occurs in the identity phase. The attention stage occurs in the expression phase. When the person becomes aware of his environment or himself he will want to prioritize things into areas of his life which he may want to experiment on. Attachment is when he begins to be ripe in the expression phase. He is nearing the borders of the expression phase. Disharmony and depletion is when he has overdone himself and needs to enter into the passive side of the force.

On the passive side, a person becomes aware of the different options of getting energy. This occurs in the relaxation phase when he tries to feel his way around. The attention stage is entered when he has found his source and attempts to unify with it. He is now in the union stage. Just like in the active side attachment, disharmony and depletion occur when he begins to overdo himself, when he does not properly accept the other sources which he can get.

Life is truly dynamic. One is never really at rest. We oscillate forever between the two extremes of action and rest. To try to stop yourself from oscillation means an attachment to one state. Go with the flow. Conditions change. Life goes on. Whoever knows how to dance with the force experiences happiness.



Ideal Situation

Earlier we have seen the cycle consisting of four phases. For an ideal situation to occur, a person will have to pass through all four phases with ease. This means that the cycle of action and rest should be followed as a dynamic interplay. One should also be able to have strength and harmony in each phase. As in day and night, one should have quality time during the day and proper sleep during the night. With all these qualities intact, people should be able to live life fully.

The UNION phase must be intact if the individual's identity is to be properly respected. This is because the working energy of the individual is taken in this phase. If the individual gets second class energy, he will have qualities that are like the ones he associates with. Care, then, must be taken to relate properly with the Source. The other energies around must, however, be respected and associated with for an anchor into reality. Remember the Source first, all other energies second. You are what you unite with; you are what you respect.

In the IDENTITY phase, one should have proper self-esteem. Self-confidence is necessary in order to function properly. A person's individuality must be strong enough so that following people is not due to peer pressure but a result of a proper assessments. Although he must be self-confident, he must also be very realistic with himself and his current life situation. He must be able to accept his deficiencies as well as the things he can not change. In the same way he must also know and fix the deficiencies that he can change. The conscious and subconscious must be one and he must not be abnormally defensive with his life issues. Some people are able to develop a superiority complex in order to hide an inner inferiority complex that even they may not be aware of.

A person must know one's realistic limitations and capabilities. When people get into positive thinking, they sometimes do not succeed as well as others. One reason for this is that their subconscious still can not accept the possibility of success. One must have proper self-esteem and be realistic with the self at all times. He should not feel that he always has to prove himself. He should not be defensive. He should be secure with his position in life. Having a strong identity is not bad. It is not necessarily selfish. Selfishness is when the identity has been heightened while your sense of union with the Source has been discarded. A person with a highly developed identity phase is sometimes considered stubborn or bull-headed. But this is actually because he knows what is his. He may be helpful in negotiations and similar activities.

EXPRESSION is a phase that brings out the diversity and color in an individual. With a good expression phase, an individual is fun to be with. He who always has something new to talk about. He may even be a party animal. A person who is very good at this phase may even push himself to the limit and get into all sorts of activities without being attached. Although it is possible, it is not exactly typical. People are usually "sane and corny" or "exciting, but have a bad influence". The masters of this phase may have their cake and eat it, too. He may be the party animal or socialite yet able to maintain the respect of his family and relatives. Just beware of attachment, disharmony, and depletion which may follow should this phase turn bad.

Those excelling in this phase come in a wide variety, and good performers, actors, actresses and singers are among them. Those involved in the arts are also considered to be strong in this phase because the energy from the Source or from other secondary sources like nature are filtered through their system and manifested into paintings, sculpture, and the like. Conversationalists who are very versatile may also be considered good in this phase.

The best people in this phase are not only able to transmute and convert this energy well into different art forms or physical attributes with strength but are also able to change from one attribute to another with utmost ease. For example, a good actor will act with intensity and keep you riveted to your seat. A better actor will be able to play a role in which he will have to emote numerous emotions in one sitting, like playing the role of a character with multiple personalities. And when the actor goes home to his family, he can easily cast away the personalities he used for the show. Artists with this facility are the ones that can start their work no matter what mood they are in. These artists also have a variety of acting styles.

Since like attracts like, one should always be careful about his actions, thoughts, and feelings. Good and bad things do not have to be physically done in order for them to come back. As long as they are thought of, they are done by us and may come back. An even stricter way of looking at it is to see that even if the subconscious was the one that got irritated, that same irritation released by the subconscious attracts similar irritations. This is a very strict law, but one that can be cured if we are always aware of our conscious and subconscious thoughts. They should be disciplined in the sense that they do not pollute the living area with bad vibes. They should not be disciplined in the sense that they should be able to express themselves in whatever harmonious manner they please as long as attachment is held to a minimum. One can not say that a condition is for a person because he is one's enemy and that you are exempt from the same condition. Since all are one, we give ourselves whatever mental expectations and conditions we give other people. For example, we are very strict with employees or subordinates. That same strictness we have shall manifest in the sense that the superiors we attract are those that are also strict towards us. People in tune with the force know that they should do good, not because of faith or conscience but because they can feel and know that it is just reasonable to expect that any form of energy they give away will come back to them. They do not need to study manners, ethics, or any dogma in order to behave. They behave not out of fear, but because they feel what they should do since they are highly in tune with the law and the force. A person connected to the force need not be motivated or trained. He does things because he is one with the force that coincides with the universe in order that all things are worked out in harmony. Nature does not function a certain way due to the logic of the animals or the plants, though they seem to behave in a way that is harmonious. Only when nature's balance is upset does nature seems to misbehave.

Aside from the previous phases, RELAXATION or HARMONY has to be placed in a proper perspective within the cycle. This is what calms the "madness" which may occur in the previous cycle. We learn patience, calmness, tranquility, and harmony. Again, this phase should be strong in both the conscious and subconscious. Relaxation and harmony may be done on the conscious energy body while being neglected in the subconscious part. When one forgives and forgets it is done totally. No repression should be left in the subconscious, otherwise it may resurface at the most unusual times. Relaxation must be balanced with the other phases, or else you may become a doormat for many people. Clarity of thought here is brought about not by strength of thinking but by identifying the conflicting issues in one's life and coming up with a reconciliation. People strong in this phase know very well how to go with the flow since their perception of the force is so keen. They may not be good at initiating things (like the ones good in the expression phase) but certainly know how to move with the flow once it is there. Their intuition is usually also very high.

The UNION phase must always be intact; this is because many our problems are caused by the degeneration of this phase. Our tendency is to establish union with people instead of having a proper relationship with the Source. In relating properly with the Source, one begins to function in a way that is similar to the Source. One may initially gain wisdom in the form of insights and may later get the Source's raw energy for proper building of one's identity. Later one may move into the expression phase then into the relaxation/harmony phase. One with a good union phase knows many things, not due to rationality or physical observation, but by the idea that one should be in union with the object. Once you are one with it, you will know things about it without having to rationalize about the object. The object and the subject become one!

This is quite frequent with people who are in love. With persons who truly love the world, they should not have any problem gaining knowledge about other things. They may rest their awareness of their family, relative, business, or of life itself. Internally they may be able to reconcile the different issues and traumas within their lives and join their conscious and subconscious. They are highly aware of their subconscious because it is now within arm's reach. With these individuals, their intuition begins to be so high that they know things at so conscious a level that insights and intuition are no big deal for them. Flashes of intuition are no longer flashes since the conscious and subconscious are now truly one. After that they even become one with the Source making them access more knowledge and energy. Finally, since everything is a creation of the Source conscious, subconscious, the Source and all of creation are as one.

For individuals strong in the union phase deciding what is right and wrong is not the result of painstaking debates on ethics. It is not even taken from what elders have said. Their sense of justice stems from the sense of the laws of nature they feel within themselves. They do not offer assistance because they feel pity for the person. Assistance is given since the person just senses that the beneficiary is part of the Source and therefore also part of him. True oneness with the Source occurs at this level. And wisdom and knowledge comes from the Source. The Source has its laws and the person is aware of them.

All of the above phases must be strong and harmonious in order for the situation to be ideal. Furthermore, a proper movement through them must to be done in order for a proper movement through the cycle.

When should we move on to the next phase? Remember that the two main phases are expression and union. There will be an oscillation between these two major phases, with the prerequisite phases there to help in the conversion. In the union phase, the maximum point is when there is already a loss of identity such that a person may start rebelling for no apparent reason. This is due to the urge to express one's self. If he is allowed to jump into the expression phase, he may not be ready. His identity will have to be developed first or else he will keep complaining about life. With a good identity phase and good self-esteem, a teenager, for instance, can properly function in the world.

In the expression phase, the maximum point is when there is much confusion and irritation. The point of madness is reached when your mind seems to snap. If a jump into the union phase is made, the individual may lose his sense of identity too quickly and not learn from his experiences. This is because the relaxation phase is also a phase where you learn from your mistakes by looking back on them. It is also a phase of release and forgiving. A jump into the union phase may mean an individual turning his back on reality or even suicide.

Union is entered into in order to anchor the individual to the Source. When we are full of energy, we attempt to rebuild our identity. The next cycle starts and, hopefully, life will be a bit more enjoyable. Usually, though, as one gains an identity, it is in a way a separation from the Source. Because of this not all previous memory is transferred to the identity phase in the next cycle. This is similar to a day cycle where you notice that you have forgotten the problems of the previous day.

A better analogy is dreaming. We all dream. When we wake up, sometimes we still remember our dream. But when fully awake, we don't seem to remember our dream even if we are sure that we had dreamt that night.

Retain the relationship with the Source at all times, remember the law of the force, remember your origin. Know the law because you have a relationship with it, not because you were told to do so.

With the unification of all the four phases within a person, we find a person who is balanced with the male and female energy. Identity and expression phases are predominantly male while relaxation and union phases are predominantly female. The individual exhibits a strong will while being very receptive. He knows how to effect change but knows when to go with the flow if needed. Businesses now are beginning to realize that a good manager is one who has both qualities in him. He can be a team player (union) and yet, when alone, can easily handle situations (identity) although his environment is not conducive to his development. He knows realistically the current situation (feminine) in his personal and business life and is able to express himself and fix the situation (male) with the least amount of effort.

An individual will be in control of himself and his environment because he is aware of his inner conflicts, and defense mechanisms. He will insist that his conscious and subconscious is one. He will therefore be a realist since he will have no illusions about his capabilities. He will have no mood swings. He becomes a master of his emotions and not vice versa. This does not mean that he will be boring, for the mastery of the emotions will also reveal his ability to create at will different attitudes and emotions that are appropriate for any occasion.

With the proper utilization of these forces additional qualities may be enhanced or even developed. Intuition (female quality) may be greatly enhanced to a very high extent. Charisma (male quality) will enable him to get along with just about anybody from different social strata and even with different ideologies. He will command respect not due to fear but due to his amiability and friendliness. When you are in his presence you will not only feel comfortable but even energized since he has an excess of good clean energy. The force in these examples, if pushed to the limit, may be received (intuition) or sent (charisma) over long distances. Nothing is impossible.


Typical Situation

Within Phases
Relaxation/Harmony Phase

When seen from the external point of view this phase is when man begins to lie low on his rationality or activity and coasts along in life. After man's expression phase has reached its peak, he begins to mellow and treasure harmony and tranquility over excitement. He learns to get along with people, not to be too hard on himself, not to be too ambitious.

A man must learn to relax, be at peace. Usually, however, the first thing a man learns to relax is his physical body. He still gets irritated, confused, and emotionally anguished. Resting the physical body is a good start. It is something that we can actually monitor. The peacefulness of the other energy bodies are harder to monitor because we can only see their manifestations. We cannot measure them as readily as the physical body. For example we can measure stress and tension through manifestations such as insomnia and the inability to eat. Before these take place, however we are already in a period of stress. It may then be too late.

This is the start of the feminine part of the force. Internally this phase handles areas of receptivity, intuition, and awareness of the subconscious. In this stage, man begins to be aware of the splintered condition of his consciousness which has occurred in the previous phase. Instead of being attached to only one part of the self - the part which he would want to believe - begins to realize the real self including all the traumas and denials kept inside.

There are several splits seen in life which are to be reconciled. First the character has compartmentalized into instinct, rational, and affection. A number of teenagers find difficulty in knowing whether they are to follow their heart or mind in a relationship. Most of us have stiff characteristics that make us functional only in certain situations. We can only relate with people like us. We cannot relate with other people. It is like putting an artist in the same table as bankers, or putting a computer nerd with a bunch of socialites. We should flow, get along with everybody and have a good time without being a hypocrite. Enjoy life! In martial arts and fighting, the one who just exchanges blows without taking into consideration the style of the opponent may be in for a beating. It is the same in business, and it is the justification for market surveys. While we have to be perceptive with other people, we should also be perceptive about ourselves.

Aside from the split in the classification of frequency, we have a split in the classification of accessibility. As seen previously, our consciousness has split into two parts, the conscious and the subconscious.

The conscious is what we are aware of and the subconscious is what we deny. With the large number of experiences man goes through, he chooses to ignore or deny a number of them. He has been programmed to think that some of the experiences should not be entertained because they have brought traumas. Whatever the cause, the split between the conscious and subconscious widens. He may deny them, but soon they may haunt him in dreams or when they surface once in a while in the conscious mind. People nowadays have a problem with love. Sometimes the heart says yes, at times the mind says no. Sometimes it's the other way around. The different forces within us are at conflict.

No one wants painful memories. Some people, though, recall an event and laugh at it since it is a thing of the past. Others, though, have a hard time letting go of the memory not necessarily because of the pain it brings but because they are too attached it. We should acknowledge the painful situations that occurred. At the same time, we should be able to tell ourselves that it has no more power over us. Other people have a different approach - they deceive themselves and say that the painful situation never occurred. Since a part of us believes that it occurred and another part says that it does not, disharmony sets in and our consciousness splits. Our conscious part conveniently forgets the trauma, and the subconscious part just sits there constantly knocking at the door of the conscious aspect. We should be humble, acknowledge the trauma, accept reality, and refuse to live in a fantasy world where we believe we are above all. If our teachers picked on us when we were young, we should acknowledge the occurrence. If we believe that it never happened, we may develop resentment towards authority figures later in life. If our subconscious does a 'good' job, we may even be resentful without knowing it. Here we can see that we must learn to be unattached. FORGIVENESS is the key. Once we forgive, we can accept the painful situation that had previously occurred.

The next reason for the split is due to the person living in a state of illusion. Since people are generally living in a state of weak energy level, they seek appreciation from others in order to recover their energy. They would want to believe they are successful, good-looking, and rich. Some would even want to believe that they are happy and that their personal life is okay when their life is actually a mess. Because of this, their conscious self believes in the illusion, but underneath all this is a very unhappy and insecure inner self. A number of highly stressed individuals actually do not believe they are stressed. These people will say that it is their choice since they still have a lot of work to do. You will see some of them easily get startled at the smallest noise or disturbance at the office. The probable reason why a number of optimistic people aren't that successful is that they just aren't realistic - they are prone to becoming dreamers. HUMILITY is the key word.

A number of pessimistic people have a different problem - they limit themselves. Here the subconscious would want to express itself, but the consciousness of the individual would not allow it. The reality is that they can accomplish more than what they actually believe they do. This mode of thinking may be due to a bad incident early in life. A near drowning incident could make a child very insecure in the water. It is also possible that their family or friends were never supportive of some of their interests. For example, a son wants to be a painter when he grows up, but the parents want him to be a doctor. Inner conflicts during or after schooling may occur. Another is authority figures could have made them feel very guilty of certain issues. A number of parents expect to be taken care of when they grow old. In some cultures, parents emphasize loyalty and love by demanding their children's involvement in their business. Frustration will occur when the conscious wants to develop its individuality by going out to the world. At the same time the subconscious is in conflict with it by guilt. Lastly, society may unknowingly limit an individual.

We have heard that the mind's actual potential is vastly larger than what is currently being used. Since older people rely more and more on their logic to decide on day to day activities, we often begin to lose our ability to intuit.

All of these splits are due to a conflict. The differences with other conflicts are that the human is aware only of the conscious side and vaguely, if at all, aware of the subconscious.

Sometimes you see people who seem to be contradictory yet you cannot seem to put your finger on it. They seem to be extroverts yet somehow you sense that they are hiding something. You also have this inner feeling that they themselves are not aware of their inner feelings. This is usually due to a high conscious and subconscious split. You consciously feel that you do not have a problem, but your eyebrows are tense. You feel worried, but do not know why. This is because even though the conscious is not worried, the subconscious is working overtime addressing the different issues that are being denied.

In the previous examples, I just explained how the subconscious can be programmed by pleasant and unpleasant experiences in life.

Aside from the programmed subconscious we have other "information" which may make its way to the conscious. Some of these are signals that originate from the Source, others originate from people whom you may perceive through your intuition.

At times the subconscious communicates with the conscious. Sometimes they come out as urges. Other times the subconscious gives a hint as to its messages since the conscious side chooses to ignore it. Some come out as flashes of intuition.

Ideas that come out of the subconscious may or may not be correct. An urge to buy a product may be due to an actual need or to advertising. A student taking a certain job due to a hunch may take it based on good intuition or parental pressure.

Associations are also used by the subconscious in giving hints. The reason hints are used by the subconscious is that the conscious usually refuses to believe that information through use of the force is possible. The subconscious therefore does not give the information as is, but masks it so that the conscious may accept or deny the given information. For example if the subconscious wants to give a hint about a backbiting friend, it may make you dream of snakes. Consciously we remember it but not know its meaning. It is remembered since it is just a hint, but the conscious can actually deny its importance and its meaning. Upon close examination, however, we may associate snakes with enemies. By this we consciously know that an enemy may exist. How does the subconscious know so much? The force connects us all. No man is an island. We are all like radio transceivers with all our subconscious aspects relating with each other without the conscious realizing it. This is why we are abnormally attracted or repelled by certain people.

The reverse may also happen - we could make a conscious effort to reach the subconscious in order to remove its bad programming. That is why we have affirmations - we want our programmed subconscious to conform to the conscious. For example, on the outside, we show the world we are happy. Inside us we are insecure and lonely. We consciously affirm that we are okay, we are happy. We give ourselves a 'pep talk' so that our pessimistic or traumatized subconscious can change.

Man must learn to connect to the Source. He must not be controlled by his programmed subconscious because it may be wrong. Programming has occurred since childbirth. Our natural processes and functions from the ultimate source have been partially overridden. People or institutions have willingly or unwillingly done this programming with either good or bad motives. As we grow older and become aware of our programming, we may be able to acknowledge and fix some of them. Others are left ignored with the false notion that they may not cause any harm. As we grow older, we use our free will and logical processes to such an extent that sometimes wrong decisions will again override our correct, inherent good nature. If we can control our logic and programmed subconscious and listen to the Source within, we shall be in harmony and live happily.

The other is the part that is our link to the Source - this may also be considered the subconscious, but this is not the programmed subconscious. This is the part of the force that joins us to all other things. This is the storehouse of knowledge and wisdom, not because of its ability to be logical but because of its capacity to be vastly aware. We gain flashes of insights, ideas. A number of inventors and scientists are like this. If you look at the works of Einstein, you will be boggled at how he could think of the theory that Time may slow down as you approach the speed of light. Maybe he just connected to the Source?

The last split is in the classification of size. While we should get along with the other groups of forces like institutions, companies, or groups, we tend to distance ourselves. While we should avoid crowd mentality, we should still know how to get along with other people. If you are weak, you may be a victim of bad influence. If you are strong, you will know when to resist their influence. But if you are really strong, you will get along with people andl know how to influence them to change for the better. Care, though, must be taken that you know when they are ready enough to do so. Unfortunately a lot of people will have to be burned before they change for the better. Only then will he truly appreciate change. It may be that, or it may be that you were wrong in the first place.

This phase is about relaxation, harmony, and even awareness. Awareness of yourself in relationship with others and awareness of the different harmonious and conflicting issues within you.

The enemy of this phase is selfishness - the attachment to the idea of self. Sometimes man will not sense his connection with the Source or even his relationship with his fellow man. He believes that power and money makes the world go round. The more selfish he gets, the more his link to the Source deteriorates and the more he gets into trouble. We may see them rich and behave as if life is fine. But deep inside you may sense an emptiness that can not be explained. Who is he fooling? The less energy he gets from the Source, the weaker he gets. The weaker he gets, the more respect and attention he needs from you. If you do not give it to him, watch him get into a fit of depression. Sometimes you find people trying to buy friends with their money and power.

Other people are not selfish, but have such a strong tendency to push their weight around. And they say do it in the name of love. That is because they feel that they know what's good for you. Creations of the Source are to be treated with respect. At a certain age, they are to be considered independent. If the do-gooder claims that the person of age is not independent enough, it could have been his fault that the person was not taught early enough.

A number of people are simply not allowed to make mistakes and to learn from them. Is it because the parent pities the child? Or is it because the parents feel that it will not speak well of their parenting? Once, while at a client's house, I asked a very frank question (I was newly married). This client is a very nice woman and, I figured, a very nice mother. I asked her, "When parents want a child to excel, is it because of the child's future, or the parent's pride?" She said that it was for the parents' pride. This answer of course need not necessarily be a general one. But it definitely revealed another reason why sometimes leaders, parents, or employers want their followers to excel. If a person is not allowed to make mistakes for himself, he may grow up to having a weak identity phase and later, an even a weaker expression phase.

Due to a belief in the scarcity of the force or money some people have a subconscious tendency to keep themselves in power. Instead of cooperating in harmony, he believes he should be the one in control. Had they learned to relate to the Source, they would not be control freaks.

Instead of man considering the whole world as his family he has learned to carve out a small niche where he and his family and/or close friends can exchange energies among themselves. Should he feel that this group of friends will disappear, he will find ways to keep them by his side - all in the name of love and need. Right now some people believe that the more they need a person, the more they are in love. We cannot blame man. As he grows up, he encounters traumas and again, making him distrustful of his fellow man. Now he chooses his friends, sticks with his family. In a proper relationship with the Source, he shall never be alone. With a proper identity phase, he shall never be hurt and can bounce back easily. A secure identity will enable him to befriend anyone, neither is he insecure about losing his identity should he love and trust too much.

This phase also teaches harmony and reflection. Man should be aware of what his conscious and subconscious are doing. He is responsible for his physical actions and what his energy bodies do. That is because like attracts like. Since like attracts like then his disharmonious energies will attract similar energies. Irritable people then tend to attract each other, worried and confused people group together. Sentimental people meet each other. Sometimes people get away from a bad relationship only to repeat the pattern. It is all in the energy. Remember like qualities attract like qualities, and unlike poles attract. Disharmonious people attract disharmonious people; loving people attract loving people. As for the poles, leaders will attract followers while energy givers attract energy receivers. Do not feel that you are at an advantage if you are an energy receiver just because you will attract an energy giver. The energy givers may take advantage and manipulate you since they have what you need.

This is true not only in terms of the conscious but also the subconscious. Sometimes seemingly lovable people attract irritable people. This may be because somewhere in their subconscious they are deeply irritable over a previous experience that they cannot forget. That is why it is very important to know one's self fully.

Sometimes a disharmony within one's self is not a result of selfishness. It may be the result of an unfulfilled expectation. Let's say, your friend was not able to pay a simple loan. Even if the amount of money is minimal, people usually get annoyed with this occurrence. While a part of them has seen the reality of the person, the other part still wants to hang on to the illusion of what he wants to believe in the person. A lot of hurts between friends are due to unfulfilled expectations one has of the other.

People must learn to accept reality. Sometimes people are better than expected, and sometimes worse. We must also learn to accept the reality of our own situation.


Union Phase

This phase is responsible for getting energy through the process of union. Ideally we should not build walls and separate ourselves from others. We are all one. However due to man's different traumatic experiences we tend to get energy from a selected number of sources only. We get attached to these sources until we forget how to access energy from other sources. Unfortunately these are not always beneficial to us. Sometimes if the current source senses that we are dependent on him, he may begin to ask unreasonably for something in return.

"Garbage in-garbage out" is a phrase used by computer programmers. This simply means that entering faulty data into the computer gives you faulty results. Sad to say this is quite prevalent in the union phase. Instead of achieving union with the Source, it is all too easy to achieve union with second class energy that is just waiting to be taken.

Sometimes a mediocre union phase is easily influenced by other people - a very subtle kind because it does not directly go against the free will of the person since the other party initially establishes union before influencing. The person, therefore, will believe that all the while it had been his choice. Sometimes it is his choice along with his desires, wants, and preferences. The question is how did he get those preferences. Sometimes this is due to the systematic manipulation of man's desires and tastes. Let me show you how changes may be made towards a person's tastes by first establishing union.

A reason for this union is due to PROXIMITY. After birth children are frequently inside the house. The quality of the energy in the house will have a lasting effect on the child as he is growing up. If the parents fight or bicker constantly, the child will imbibe this energy even though he is still not conscious of his environment. Even if he is in another room, the disharmonious energy of father and mother may be enough to make him grow disoriented. Nowadays a number of mothers are concerned about their mental and emotional condition during pregnancy. This is because the baby is fully within the mother's physical body and very dependent on the quality of the mother's energies during this period.

Children will grow up subconsciously remembering their childhood years: the fights, the love, the tension, and all the other emotional states of the people around him. During these delicate periods, children are easily programmed by different people and associations through guilt and fear. They grow up without exactly knowing how they have been previously programmed. The child will frequently be given attention by the parents. Due to this the child may end up lessening his relationship with the Source and in turn strengthen his relationship with his parents. If this lasts too long, the child may be too dependent on his parents as he grows old. Some parents enjoy it when their children are dependent on them - they figure it is a sign of love. And they feel that there is never a problem of too much love. As the child grows up, the parent may say that the child is still too dependent, therefore why make him independent? We now have a chicken and egg problem. If we do not let go of the child, he will never learn to be dependent, and if we let go he will fail in life.

Another reason for union is due to the VOLUME of energy. Proximity is due to nearness to the energy giver while volume is due either to the amount of energy being transmitted or the number of energy transmitters.

When you hear of people saying the same thing over and over, you begin to accept it as the truth. No one else is saying otherwise. And in your "world" that idea is the law. Remember, when you were young and everyone you talked to said there was a Santa Claus? Even the ones you trusted - your parents and your other siblings - said that Santa Claus existed. Because of this, Santa became very real to you.

If majority of your relatives went to the same school you go to, you develop a deep sense of loyalty for that school. You develop, too, the sense of comfort and belonging. As you grow up, get married and have kids, you tend to bring them to the same school. Why? Because you have imbibed the energy of your surroundings and, by sheer weight of the volume of the energy, you can't help but also be loyal. You also end up seeing things from one perspective - the opinion of your school. You don't know how the other side performs until you are out of your system and in a neutral area.

Advertisements do the same thing. By their sheer number, advertisements lead us to subconsciously believe that everyone is buying the product, except you. I once visited a house where they served me a certain beverage. Later I found out that the family, which certainly wasn't that well off, would not even take that beverage for themselves. They could have easily just served other substitutes but instead served the one which is advertised on TV most often.

This is what pressure is about, be it from friends, parents or officemates. A person who wishes for the transformation of someone first exerts pressure. If the other person resists, common "friends" are "asked" to apply pressure on him. Afraid of losing his second class sources of energy, the other succumbs. We don't complain about this pressure because we feel that we are following the masses. We feel that if we are wrong, so are they. And if we "pay" for our mistake, it is okay since we are in good company.

In a bigger perspective, take note of the different countries and their approaches to life. Initially you feel it as tradition. This so-called tradition, however, can bring profound differences in life. Differences that we may agree to because we consider it normal. In some areas strong discrimination between sexes or the races exist. If you lived in any of these areas as the "unfortunate" sex or race, you have pressure to adjust to what the public dictates. People supposedly like you conform to the situation because they feel it is the "law".

Aside from advertisement, volume can be used by groups of people in terms of praise and recognition. A person will appreciate this since the attention is accompanied by an outpouring of energy. Appreciation is often used as a method of motivating people for both good and not so good purposes.

Labeling is another example. People sometimes do not see ideas or products as they are. They are always associating things with other things. People and organizations will have good labels for actions which are advantageous to them while attaching bad labels for actions which are disadvantageous to them. An idea may be a lie to others but not for them. An action may be, for others, a rebellion, but a sign of independence for them. Gaining additional facilities from the force is evil for others, but a gift of God for them. People, therefore do not look at the essence-they look at the labels.

Another form of force in union is through INTENSITY. In contrast to volume which is done through the number of people participating, intensity is done through the strength of a seemingly small group of people or by one person. This is done in courtship, negotiations, and even salesmanship. Intensity is usually done with proper timing so that the target may be caught off guard. The target may be given attention when he needs them most. This technique is done in courtship.

These ways of influence are not exactly done against the will but by convincing the subconscious that the person's intentions are good. Or by convincing the subconscious that the person will withhold his supply of second class energy from the target. The reason why this method of influence is quite hard to catch is because the target may actually and consciously agree.

Yet the strongest way of influencing is probably by forcing a union in the name of LOVE.

For example, a couple with good intentions get married because they love each other. But a couple with bad intentions get married not because of love but because of money, for instance. An example of having a good conscious and a bad subconscious is when someone marries another because he honestly believes that he loves the person. But when the career fails or when the money is gone, one leaves the other for the reason that he or she has fallen out of love.

The fact is that one fell in love with money and not the person. You can see in this example the non-reconciliation of conscious and subconscious.

The above case is quite dangerous. Sometimes, a person gets married thinking that with security and hope, he will not have to work for the rest of his life. At times, a person gets married to show the world that he got a good catch. What a trophy!

Who are they kidding? How will this relationship last? For the person who got married for reasons of security, what will happen when the spouse starts doing things which you can not live with? How will you separate with him if you feel that you do not know how to earn a living? Then you will forever try to tell everybody - including yourself - that you still love him and want him to change. Sometimes, though, people do not change easily. In fact, sometimes they will not change at all to your expectations! The sad thing is that some things cannot actually be changed in our lifetime. For the husband who got married to show off his wife, he shall now be dependent on second hand energy from his peers. His reputation is always closely guarded and he may manage to fool everyone but himself. He knows very well that the marriage was all for show.

When influence is done in the name of love, the target is at a very difficult position because love is basically a union. This is where the identity "dissolves" so that it forms a revised version of the identity during the next phase. This is why two people in love fight. They seem to be insecure with their identity, and there is a higher degree of dependence on one another. And the one who is used to this type of influence will most likely be the one to call the shots because he knows how to function in such a situation. When this is done in the foundational years of a child, the target becomes very susceptible, and this is because we have proximity, volume, intensity and love all rolled into one. The child is defenseless and everything is done in the name of love. Values and beliefs are inculcated heavily, fortified with the addition of guilt. If the child grows up never knowing how to connect to the Source, he will be a puppet on a string, forever looking to seeing the energy giver. Of course, this is a worst case scenario, but it happens.

Actually, influence is quite obvious. It is quite easily seen. The reason why it gets away with itself is because we make ourselves vulnerable to it. We do this because we have certain EXPECTATIONS over someone or an organization. This expectation can be divided into two: 'trust' and 'putting people on pedestals'.

TRUST is also a union, not necessarily out of love but because you are relatively closer to people you unite with. When you trust, you have already placed a bias within your mind as to what the person really is. That a person concerned fits your criteria of an ideal man is an attachment to an ideal. When you trust you are biased, and when you do not trust you are also biased. Do not assume that a person is trustworthy or not until he has proven himself one way or the other. Do not assume anything of a person for that matter. Problems with close friends are usually very hard to forgive. This is usually because the friend has acted in a way which the other can not comprehend because the offender did not live up to the expectations of the one offended. If the offended party accepts the offender for what he is, forgiveness will come simply and there would be no problem. For example, if a friend does not repay a loan, you may forgive him, but you may think twice if he asks for a loan again.

A lot of influence through trust comes hand in hand with LABELING. This is when a party influences another by using the power of 'good' or 'bad words' to motivate. For example, a leader will consider himself independent and resourceful when he does things out of the ordinary. When his follower does the same thing and respectfully questions the leader the action is now called 'rebellion'. But nobody wants to called a rebel. Whether the action is reasonable or not, this is a term used by people in power to keep others under their control. They come up with a word which will signify that the other person is no longer part of the group. Other words which may be used similarly are "unloyal" and "disobedient". Everyone wants to be considered loyal, even to the point of being dependent and submissive to society. If one is connected properly to the Source, he will no longer be dependent on these second hand energies. He will see things clearly, and notice the influence being done in the name of love.

Life now becomes a bribery, not of money but of energy. A bribery which is now sometimes considered motivation (another convenient term for the system). Machiavelli said that it is better to be feared than to be loved. Nowadays manipulation seems to be a step ahead. And those who practice it seem to live with the idea that "it is better to be feared and loved". Love is given in order establish union with the follower, to confuse his identity, and fear is instilled in order to repress whatever is left of it.

Similar to TRUST is the practice of PUTTING PEOPLE ON PEDESTALS, or thinking too highly of people. We attach ourselves to what we currently believe a person to be. When we have expectations of people and these are broken, we go through a period of great stress. This is because of two conflicting forces. A part of us wants to be in union with them because we cling to their untarnished image. Another part wants to repel them because of the bad event that had just transpired. For instance, an injustice is done to your friend. You complain all day, even all year long, about the incident. Why? Because you can not let go. Instead of deciding on a course of action - which is to decide what image he now has of his friend - he complains all year long. As if complaining will alleviate the problem! Life goes on. Decide on the action to take and get on with your life.

Sometimes, people share a lot of second hand energy from a leader-follower relationship. Leaders get energy from followers through adoration resulting from love, or fear from their followers. Followers get energy from leaders when the leaders attempt to motivate or persuade them to do certain things.

When a follower enjoys his status of being a follower too much, he will remain a follower and never exceed the leader. This sometimes happens to favorite children who enjoy the energy that their parents givea little too much. They continually get second hand energy and never learn to be independent. Parents of these children enjoy this and take it as a sign of love. A high-energy dependence on the part of the follower on the leader may now occur. The leader is in a very good position to impose his authority. This is especially true if a majority, if not all, of the energy of the child is taken from the parent.

For example, a country imports oil from only one country. You can imagine the hold of the exporting country. Sometimes businesses will get several suppliers just so that the supplier will not feel he has a monopoly of the business. In case the supplier gets nasty, the buyer can easily find ready alternatives.

In courtship, if the woman gets used to the attention being given, watch her squirm when the attention she feels she should be getting is absent. This does not necessarily mean that she loves the guy, it may just mean that she needs the attention. The guy is hoping that his energy investment will pay off, while the woman is hoping that she does not fall for the guy too soon. Sometimes people like being miserable, they are given sympathy and attention by others. Do not get used to this. When your friends get sick of you they may just drop you. Getting used to energy being given to you on a silver platter without learning to get it from the Source is quite similar to asking for money when you can actually learn to earn a living.

Sometimes man will say, 'I can do anything I want, and since I can choose what I want, I have free will'. But notice how his wants and desires have been developed. He has been influenced by his environment. Sometimes, men will deny this and say that they are above this kind of influence. Soon a large number of people will move like puppets on a string. They are controlled in the home, in the office, by the government, by their faith. And for what, so that some of these groups may get money, if not energy through our appreciation and respect for them. Man will then become like plants where money and energy will be harvested from us on a regular basis.

When someone gets sick of union due to any of the above reasons, he may go through the following stages. First the person, upon realizing his condition, will feel irritated or even angry at the situation. This is because many people, subconsciously or consciously, feel that when one is angry or irritated, one is strong. They may physically lash back, they may be verbally abusive or, if they are very civil, control themselves physically. The problem with this civility is that the disharmonious forces within the person irritated are still present. When this happens, other people will feel ill at ease with the person. A person who has trusted the world so much and is now mad at the world has energy like this. He may be good looking, but for some reason, you are repelled by him. This feeling will be confirmed only when he starts talking and discusses how bad life is to him. I can not overemphasize that thoughts are things. Whether manifested as gestures or not they have an effect on how people perceive us. This defense mechanism of irritation will usually happen if the person actually feels the influence of the person trying to establish a union.

Try thinking of old friends who have betrayed you. If they meant anything to you, you usually will become irritated. If they didn't mean much, you usually say, "who cares".

Stronger people will not really get that irritated but will usually not mind the person establishing a union. However they will not be friendly either. This is like a woman who is very composed with herself and is courted by a person she is sure she will not fall in love with. Usually, she will not be irritated - she may just avoid him. With other women who are very secure with their identity, they will not even avoid their suitors but may even continue their friendship with them. This is because they are so sure that they will not fall. This strength of personality may be available to a person if he knows how to resist unions with second class energy and those who have a very strong sense of identity.

As earlier stated "like attracts like", meaning people with a similar approach to life shall get along with each other. People fond of using their instinct get along with each other. Those fond of rationalizing will talk with each other. Affectionate people will bond with each other. Unlike poles attract. The poles are masculine and feminine, the masculine being the initiator and the feminine being the one to follow through. A person who loves to initiate rational conversations will get along with a person who loves to listen. A person who loves to court will get along with a person who loves to be courted. Union then is when the forces flow properly between two persons or entities, whether these are business organizations or associations.
In its simplest analogy a person is like an atom. In chemistry, bonding is done when an atom is unbalanced, when the polarity is not zero. This is when the valence is either negative or positive. When an atom is unbalanced it shall seek another atom which is also unbalanced but with an opposing polarity. For example, sodium has a valence of positive one, while chlorine has a valence of negative one. Together they form sodium chloride which is table salt. As salt, the new configuration is considered to be stable.

Like an atom, a person is usually unbalanced and will seek his complement. Due to societal pressure, this complement is rationalized. Hence, a number of relationships do not work out as well. A number of other relationships seemingly work due to civility, but underneath you feel uncomfortable. A hidden tension exists between the two parties. Sometimes relationships are not rationalized and instead are done by feel. The problem here is that due to previous programming of love stories in books and television people do not also find their actual complement. Man must learn to trust the messages from the Source while exercising his rationality. He must also learn to lessen, if not eliminate, the previous programming which is increasingly affecting his life.

Sometimes a frequency of the man is compatible with the woman. But on another frequency they are incompatible. For example, on the instinct area they may be compatible and both may be strong in that respect. The man may have the masculine aspect while the female may have the feminine aspect. But what happens if both of them have a very strong masculine rational frequency? In that frequency they will be highly incompatible. This is why relationships need compromises.

Sometimes people are annoyed with each other at first sight. This is because their subconsciouses may be incompatible. Treat your subconscious like something which can be seen. The subconscious of other people are likely to take notice of it.

Finding a complement is indeed very hard. Keeping it is another problem. Oscillation is very constant within man. Man changes very slowly but quite steadily. For example, as some males grow older they may begin to mellow. His masculine outlook on life will become more and more feminine as time goes by. His female partner hopefully will match his change by becoming more and more masculine as she grows by becoming more independent. If, in another case, the female becomes more independent while the male does not become more feminine we find trouble. Rationally we may hear the husband complaining that the wife is no longer as submissive as before, she talks back and speaks her mind. The wife will say that she feels nothing wrong with that and that there is nothing wrong with independence. A subconscious threat to the man's masculinity may cause frequent fights. In short, when you finally learn to get along with the other in a relationship, you may realize that your partner has changed. Have you tried shooting a moving target?

Courtship - this event usually takes place during high school or college. Aside from the obvious pressures one gets from peers to find a partner, pressures from the suitor are ever present in this adventure. The suitor of course is the initial energy giver. Subconsciously the persistence of the suitor is to make the target accustomed to receiving attention. That is of course the force. When attention is stopped, the force is of course diminished and the target may experience something that is similar to withdrawal symptoms. The target may want the force back, but this does not mean that she loves the suitor. It just means that she wants the force. Do not get used to getting the force. When the day comes that you are not as desirable, what then? You might end up answering someone you would have never dreamed of. Just because you were depressed (had little energy) you ended up answering the only one who was willing to give you attention.

Love due to need is conditional love. No matter how typical or normal it may seem it still has a condition: to fulfill a need, whatever it may be. Unconditional love need not be reciprocated. A need for reciprocation is a need - a need for energy, and for attention or self-assurance of a source of energy.

Love is then a proper transfer of energy with another person through union. When two people are in love a transfer of energy occurs to balance off each other's polarities.

There are different kinds of love. One way of classifying it is by frequency. When love occurs on the instinctive level, it may be called sexuality. When it occurs in the rational level, it is proper communication of ideas. When it occurs in the affection level, it is known as affection or sentimentality.

Unfortunately man only expects love to occur in any of the three levels. As an approach to the Source is made, other levels of experience are opened up and felt. Love is sometimes perceived to be beyond normal human emotions. This is why very caring people are sometimes thought of as apathetic. They are not necessarily unloving, it is just that they love on a different plane. It may also be that they are unattached, that they give unconditional love, a love with no conditions and even no attachment. A love which knows no boundaries. A love that allows you to do what you want to with yourself, but will always accept you back when you are in need of help. A love that is seemingly cold but emphasizes the true meaning of free will.

A lot of people will say that it is very hard to even think of love without attachment. Have you ever wondered why sometimes public servants enjoy their work so much? And why some of them go through life without ever getting married? When you are truly a servant of the public, you choose love for humanity over romantic love. We see a minimal if at all any attachment from this person to us. For example, teaching is generally regarded as a calling. Here in the Philippines, people generally teach not for the money, but the fulfillment. Teachers feel fulfilled when they are able to impart something they know to the students. Do these teachers cry when you graduate from school? Do they grow attached to you and say "stay for another year?" As you can see, they are unattached, but yet they are just as caring and as human as you and I.

When two people fight within a relationship, it does not mean that one is right and the other is wrong. Sometimes the fight is actually due to preferences. People may undergo quarrels over movies to watch, furniture to buy for the house, or what jobs to take etc. Sometimes even very trivial things bring about quarrels: whether to squeeze the toothpaste tube in the center or the middle. Another is whether to sleep with the lights on or off.

Victory for a couple who maintains a relationship is not the length of the relationship, but whether they have made the right decision to enter into it or not. In the end, it is the happiness of the two that really matter. Open up yourself and truly discover whether you would want to keep it or not. Is it for love, security, reputation, or what?

Sometimes people initiate a union, consciously or subconsciously, in order to gain control; in order to gain money or power. Sometimes union is initiated in order to get energy, not to give. Sometimes, though, they get energy quite directly because the person they get it from is just too willing to give. The idealistic person feels that because he is giving, he is helping. People sometimes misuse energy as other people misuse money. They misuse it on emotions such as irritation, hatred. They grow dependent on the giver and never learn to get it from the Source itself.

Another giver who is not exactly such a "philantrophist" ends up giving because he simply has too much of it. These are the children. Here in the Philippines we enjoy children a lot. When my wife and I decided to postpone having children, people had so many comments to give. Children in the family, they said, keep a marriage together, children make the parents happy, so forth and so on. Sometimes I begin to believe that children do not owe us as much as we owe them if everything we heard about them is true. Why, then, is it that when they rebel we say that they have no "utang na loob"("debt of gratitude")? Shouldn't we owe them instead? Children have a lot of energy simply because when young, they do not have as much problems as us. They do not experience much societal pressure yet, no problems about earning money. When I attended two non-life insurance seminars I got shocked when the speakers told the audience what they believed to be sources of income during our old age: business, assets, money, and somewhere along the line, children. And I thought that was exaggerated. But here in a serious seminar, 'children' were spoken of as part of a retirement plan. Not only do some of us get energy from them, we also get money. We do not call it money, though. We call it security. In relationships, sometimes dependence can not be helped. I find it unfair, however, when people who have the say in a relationship will sometimes hint that the other side has more to gain, and that the other is the prime beneficiary.

The alternative is of course union with the Source. Unlike other energy givers, the Source is unlimited in its energy and "welcomes" anyone who would want to get. Furthermore he will not demand anything from you, he will not also be possessive or attached to you. You can come and go as you please. Of course since the rule of like attracts like applies, we must be looking forward to be like the Source. This is a hard task if one is to consider that even the subconscious should look forward to being like it. For example, it is already hard to be civil towards your enemy in a public gathering. You are told not to entertain nasty thoughts about your enemy. How does that strike you. Of course you may say "I don't love him, but I don't hate him either". Really now? Try relaxing and watch your mind complain. Watch your mind rationalize why he is bad and you are good. The Source is from where we came from and is connected to all mankind. If you were to connect properly to it you should be able to see yourself connecting properly to all mankind regardless of your good or bad relationship with others.

In terms of relationships, connecting to the Source will provide you with a very different outlook in life. A strong connection to the Source will make your polarity close to zero (having both masculine and feminine - the true meaning of androgenity). Your disposition towards life shall be gentle yet firm. This will cause you not to need partners too much since you will feel too secure with yourself.

As your identity becomes secure you should be able to go to the expression phase, change your polarity at will, get along with people at will. It may even become second nature to you! This will be easy since you have both masculine and feminine aspects at your command.Those with boyfriends and girlfriends may start becoming closer to you than their own girlfriends and boyfriends, to the amazement of everybody else. This is because while everybody has a relatively rigid energy pattern, you have a very fluid and flowing pattern due to your completeness. Although not always used with the best of intentions a number of men and women learned to do this with more good looking members of the opposite sex. And they weren't even connecting with the Source. This is not hypocrisy, which is when you are doing something which you are not. You are complete and comfortable with all personalities. If you manage to do this, and if you are perceptive of the force, you may also find out one astonishing thing: that you enjoy your relationships with these friends and acquaintances even more than the relationships of people that are considered committed.

Once you are connected to the Source another profound thing happens: you seem to know right and wrong without anybody having to tell you. You do not rationalize, or feel guilty, you do things not because of fear. Everything just seems to be inherent. You feel like sharing because you actually feel a oneness between you and the other person. And this is not because the person is your friend, but because you sense that every single person you meet is in some way "related" to you.

With mankind's very weak relationship with the Source, this sense of connectedness is heavily diminished. Man then resorts to other ways of getting at the law. Instead of direct knowing, others attempt to figure out the ultimate law by rationalization. Different groups come up and say they know the law that has been handed down from so and so. Since words are sometimes inadequate to describe the law, we commit errors as we try to interpret it.

Since some consider the ultimate law to be very profound, its interpretation then becomes too simplistic. Those who believe they know better sometimes strip off essential components of the law and unknowingly add on other things. With some people, believing that they are right is enough to make them go around condemning other people for their beliefs. Some of these people affiliated themselves with what they believe is the law because they have been born with that law. Ever since they were growing up, that is the only law they know. Thus they have become loyal as a result of influence by proximity, volume, intensity, and love. And yet they claim that they have the answer. The funny thing is a large number of these people say essentially the same thing, arguing with what could be considered the extensions of the essence of the ultimate law. Some have lost the essence of it all, to live in harmony.

Do not get lost in the frills - remember the essence of the ultimate law and everything will fall into place. With everyone subconsciously itching to find the ultimate law some groups have attempted to bridge the gap and claim that they hold the key, that they know the answer. If they do not claim it, they imply it, neither affirming nor denying the fact that they can be mistaken in the 'truth' which they hold. This gives a tremendous temptation toward power tripping which, if coupled with the message of love, can be very devastating.

What then do we do? What then is the truth? Assuming that likes attract like, we can attract the truth into our lives by just asking for it. This truth - the knowledge of the workings of the force - should be accepted, by being one with it, feeling it, and fully knowing the essence of its workings. We have to tell ourselves that we would want to know the truth above all, even if it will go against all our preconceived notions of it. These may have been programmed by society in its effort to make up for what they perceive as a lack of knowing the real meaning of right and wrong. Sit in silence, feel the force, be one with all its creations. One day, wake up knowing the simplicity of it all.


Identity Phase

After a union is accomplished, an individual will want to "separate" himself once more to be able to do as he pleases. This phase concerns a build up of an identity for "independence".

A man should have proper self-esteem and self-worth. As man goes through life, the individuality he keeps is constantly at a struggle. Earlier it has been shown how influence can confuse the identity by first establishing union with the identity and then changing it. In this part, we shall show how things are done against its will. When things are done against an individual's free will, these events will degrade his identity phase.

Frequent bullying during school days can lower a child's self-esteem so much as to have an effect on him in his later years. Due to the possibility of a conscious and subconscious split, a person may actually show a confident outer personality. A person would want to believe that he is so. He would even want to believe that he is more than okay, that he is above the rest. This split in consciousness becomes more and more intense until it reaches a point where he actually manages to be unaware of his true inner being. Affirmations are therefore important in order to convince the unhealthy subconscious that there is still hope. Although the conscious is aware of it, the subconscious must also be reminded. For example, there was a time that I was severely depressed. I went through all my processes of relaxation, calmness, and connections to the Source and nothing seemed to work. Then I decided to view my subconscious. I found out that I was severely depressed since I felt I was frequently misunderstood. I found out that due to this, I did not put a value on life anymore. I realized that aside from a union with the Source, I should also decide to make my identity exist here on earth. I then was able to make the addition theories on the identity phase and the split of the subconscious. Remember, for the identity phase to strengthen you must first want to exist, to live. So simple and yet so hard for one in depression!

Sometimes people will control you in order to get your energy. When this happens they will scare you in order to lead you into subservience. When you are subservient, you will give them appreciation just as submissive people give protection money to their "protectors". Sometimes they will not scare you but instead make you insecure about your capabilities in such a way that you begin to falter. If you do not give them your energy, they will take it by force.

Sometimes people who control others do so because they are so afraid of losing control. This person will do it for long periods. He thinks he has foresight, but what he has is a wrong notion of control. Since like attracts like, you will usually notice that he is also controlled possibly even more so by a superior - if not by a person, then by the ideas of good and bad, or by society. He may control by using money, trust, energy, or by making you insecure in everything from your job to your inheritance.

Yet another way is one which is not usually done consciously. People control others so that they could mold them into something they always wanted to be. Ideally if you are "one with the force" at your old age, you can appreciate life and nature by just sitting in the porch, watching nature go by and experience life. You feel as if you are one with nature. You can feel the movement of the force as it moves in front of you just like the way a farmer or an animal lover watches nature unfold because the animal's expression or movement is in a way his own movement as well. The subject and the object then become one.

Many people, though, can not do this. In the urban jungle you look out of the house and you see more chaos. You sense stressed people come home from the office. You do not even get to see nature in its glory. Sometimes you may not even get to see a tree. How then can you be one with the Source's creation? The most you can be one with is your home and its occupants. But a home is not fluid. Something is missing. Life, you subconsciously say to yourself, must be present. This is when an urge to have children sometimes occurs, when you feel that you have to be able to mold someone to your own preferences. We feel their happiness. We feel their sorrow. And soon we may want them to do things that we failed to do, and/or can not do. With a child's trust in the parent, the link is there. His physical link through the navel may have been severed during childbirth, but an energy link exists among both parents, grandparents, and possibly, his other siblings as well. And so we have a possibility of an infringement of will. When this happens energy is transmitted from the person in power to the child. The condition of the child's will can be anything from an independent boy to a puppet on a string. A parent who is weak in his expression phase, who can not enjoy life, can now manage to have lines of force extending from his center to that of the child's both to experience its emotions and also subconsciously influence its behavior. A newborn child's link to the mother is so strong that I have heard it said that some parents will know by intuition if the child she sees in the next room is hers or not. I have even heard of a daughter who disliked her neighbors for no apparent reason until she later found out that it was due to "subconscious influence" by the mother.

Why do we hear of spouses disliking their in-laws? Because when they are married they threaten the energy link of their spouses and their respective parents. The parents may subconsciously feel that they have no more control and therefore may want to control the daughter-in-law. If they cannot, the parents may physically show displeasure of the new in-law. If you want to know how much influence parents actually have (energy wise) show the parent of your girlfriend how much of an obedient son-in-law you would make. It just might work. The name of the game with people who are insecure about their energy is control, and that is what the identity phase is all about. The control of a child will have to reach only a certain age. If a parent manages to find an excuse for control beyond that, it may not necessarily mean that the child is faulty. It may also mean that the parents may have not taught the child to be independent in the first place because they subconsciously wanted him to be dependent on them.

People fool themselves by making themselves feel that they are okay, that they are on top of the world. This method of thinking will just split the conscious and subconscious more. One must confront his own reality and believe that there is always hope. One must find a meaning in life, a reason for living.

Aside from depression and low self-esteem, there is another breed of people who have a low sense of identity. They have lowered their sense of identity because they have mistaken identity for pride, selfishness, or both. You can do anything to these people and they will still give you a smile. They allow themselves to be doormats. This "harmony" is good for the relaxation/harmony phase when dealing with other people. It is not good though, when pushed to the limit and it diminishes your identity. It is true that you should not get angry or irritated when someone provokes you since anger and irritation just spills disharmonious energy into the air. If there is water and air pollution, there is also pollution in terms of energy. You can however give justice without revenge, anger, or irritation. Just be firm and serious with the other person.

Watch a parent treat a child. If the parent is in a good mood and not yet irritable and the child misbehaves, the parent need not seek vengeance, he may not scream or be angry. The parent just states in a firm voice that he wants the child to behave properly. Does not the child behave? Firmness is all that is needed. You are not abused, you do not spill bad energies into the atmosphere, and your identity is intact. For the other person, you have taught him to follow the law and saved himself further repercussions from his misuse of power. To get along with people is one thing, to be a doormat is another.

You must first fix yourself before you fix others. This does not mean that if you have many personal problems you should not go and help other people. What this statement means is that you should not spread yourself thin by sharing your energy with the world when the energy you should use to build up your own identity is not enough. It is like a not-so rich person who keeps giving money to people in need and soon finds out that he has no more money for himself. If he had fixed himself first, put up a business and employed the other people he wanted to help, he would have helped himself and many more people.

A person strong in the union phase has a strong connection to the force. But a person strong in the identity phase can make the energy of the Source come down from the Source. An example of someone strong in the union phase but weak in the identity phase is the person who, when meditating on the union phase, seems to be so far away, so distant and can not be disturbed. This is because the attention is on something so far away, he does not take care anymore to come back here to his living area, the physical body. Sometimes with the comfort of the person residing with the Source, he subconsciously decides to stay from the "physical world". They are perceived as quiet, distant, aloof, making no impact in the world. Once the energy is brought down to the physical body, the person is said to have a high energy level. He will be noticeable even in a crowd, and all of a sudden you will feel that you can not make a fool out of him. Look at leaders - their presence upon entering a room is easily felt. This is because they place their awareness on themselves and the people they lead. They know how to conserve and delegate the energy they have.

One way of seeing if you have a strong identity phase is by looking at yourself in the mirror. Look at your eyes. The force transfers very strongly through the eyes and a person with a strong identity usually has a stronger gaze. This is why in traffic, drivers will stare at each other without talking. They are telling the other that they are stronger. They will try to hold the gaze as long as possible, subconsciously believing that the one who can not hold the gaze loses. The gaze, when done properly is used in delivery of speeches and is known as audience contact. This is used to keep the audience interested, making them feel they have to listen. It also enlivens them because of the transfer of the force from the speaker to the audience. A salesman or suitor will also gaze in order to convince you.

As stated earlier, force follows thought. Wherever your awareness is, that is where the force goes. Before you give someone attention for a transfer of the force make sure that you have enough of the force left for yourself. Being aware of the self does this. Just being aware of your rhythmic breathing and body movements while walking may ease your stress. Being aware of the Source only and not your physical body is like subconsciously saying that you would want to leave the physical body and stay with the Source. When this happens your force in the physical body shrivels up and decreases. In order to be respected, strengthen the identity, and strengthen the force residing in the physical body. Ground yourself, put your awareness in yourself and not only at the Source. Be aware of yourself, your physical body, your energy bodies, instinct, rational, and affection. Also, be aware of your immediate surroundings, all the things your five physical senses can experience.

When the force within the physical body is moved to another in order to motivate (specially if the other is a subordinate) this is called authority. No one is allowed to control a person's will. Each person has the right to control the force within himself. There are cases, though, when the person to be motivated is the child or the employee of the first person. When this happens the authority is given a little leeway in order to educate the other person, never to fully control.

The never-ending problem with the leader and the follower, however is where to draw the line on control. In a society where not all leaders have good intentions, we can imagine what may happen. But even in a society where some of the leaders mean well, confusion can still arise. This is because ideally, the leaders are the ones who know more than the followers so that the former will be properly guided in life. What happens in certain cases is that the leader believes that he knows more than the follower, yet he guides wrongly. At the same time it is also possible that followers who have already matured are kept from becoming leaders and still continue following. Why can not the leaders in this case step down? This is because power is usually synonymous with in respect. Love or fear, respect, power, and success allows the leader to get energy from the followers. Why don't the followers move up? Because they are afraid of change, they are contented where they are, and sometimes they are taught to be passive because passivity means harmony. Open communication is thus called rebellion, disrespect. When the followers get sick of this repression instead of open communications, what do you expect them to do? Then the leaders again have something to say against the followers.

Sometimes people believe that the answer is non-confrontation or passivity. A confrontation is bad when it is accompanied by irritation, anger or other things that will create disharmonious energies. This is bad for the irritated because their bad energies attract bad energy. But if defense of one's rights is done with no irritation, hate, vengeance, this is okay. Why do you think these people are stepped on? Because the offender feels or knows that they will not confront him. If you allow someone to make you a doormat you are at the losing end because your energies will weaken from a loss of identity. With a further lowering of your energy you will be easily influenced and made to conform to the energies of the aggressor. Ultimately your energies may be as disharmonious as his. The worst part is that your energies are not only disharmonious they are also weak.

Unfortunately, some people put too much emphasis on being a good follower, on being loyal. They do not strive to become leaders.They never exercise their independence. They would rather conform than be branded as controversial or a rebel. In some cases this is exactly what the leader wants and in this situation may start to misuse his power. In extreme cases, this passivity will make them seem masochistic. They will endure suffering and humiliation in the name of harmony and love, believing that just rewards will come later in life - or in the afterlife. This teaches humiliation, but when brought to the extreme, it brings about dissolution of the free will. And with a low amount of free will, we are nothing but puppets of the leaders.

Is it too late? No. Even with our distrust of people, nothing is too late. Take a vacation. Establish union with nature. Start with the plants, and then with the animals. I guess you have no traumas with them. After this, establish union with new acquaintances, then current friends. Strengthen your energy. Take off the hurts. Forgive. Then if you feel you are ready, establish union with the ones who have hurt you before. At the end, union is reached but your identity is secure.

As a leader you are in this world to motivate, to help the followers evolve so that soon they can be like you. As a follower you are here to learn from the leader so that when you are good enough you shall be like him and use your authority to right the things which are wrong. You are to develop the ones you have overtaken, not to keep them where they are. There are cases when some parents consider any questioning of children as an act of rebellion. As the children grow up, they begin to realize this "unreasonableness". But as they grow up, they too may become parents. And as parents, they may have the strong tendency to show their kids that they are the "law" and they rule without question. Allow free conversation. This is possible. But ask for respect. After the world war Japan was so much in ruins. Yet an American went there after his new brand of management was not fully appreciated in his country. The new management practice was such that upper management and the rank and file may converse with each other with much closeness. Instead of ideas going from management to rank and file, ideas now stem from all points of the corporation. Egos were dropped. And Japan today is much a result of a new management procedure.

Telling the truth is another large area of debate. Aside from lying for personal gain, there are other reasons why this is done. Authorities will sometimes lie if they feel that doing so is for a good cause. Before they consider lying, though, they will attempt to find a loophole in the laws they themselves made. Followers will lie if they feel that the law is unreasonable. For example, a child asks permission to go to a party. If the parents feel that the crowd isn't right for their child, the parents might say, "Sorry but your father and I have to go somewhere, just stay home please". In this way, they would not have lied since they may have decided there and then to go somewhere. But of course, if the child did not ask to go out, they would not have gone out. Then again, the child may promise to stay home, but may leave when the parents leave.

The problem now with society is that sometimes people assume they have the right to motivate because they know better. This happens with people on the rise to power or people who were previously in power. An example of the latter are parents. With a child in his thirties, do they still have the right to exercise authority? If a child seems to be failing in life when he is supposed to be independent should a parent intervene or not?

A problem is that some people who do not fully know what they are talking about talk too much. At the same time, some people who know more actually listen to these people. Learn to keep things in its proper perspective. Things are not always what they seem. Do not assert when you may actually be wrong. It is a big disservice to those who know and who take your word for it. For those with a weak identity, believe in yourself. You just may be right. You may just be following someone for his persuasiveness and not his wisdom. Many people believe that they know what's best for other people. Sometimes they are wrong. Other times a number of people believe that they have to be led when they in fact should be independent. The best way to get out of this predicament is to learn independence early. Learn to have proper self-esteem. Have a healthy identity. If you believe in what you are doing, do it. Authority will at times put guilt and disrespect into the picture when they feel they are "losing" their hold on you. Be independent without rebellion. Be firm.

If the force within you is strong, people will know better than to influence you. People who have been able to influence you before have a different story. They may persist until they die. Do not waste time explaining yourself. Go on with your life. These people who try to influence you will actually believe that they are succeeding even if they aren't. Let them be. Let them split their consciousness by denying that they no longer have control over you. If the Source can grant you free will, why not them? You have your right to an identity. And anyone impinging on that right will have his force return to him as it attempts to force its way into your force leaving him confused.

Don't impose a low self-esteem on yourself. Be realistic. Be an optimist. There is always hope for a better life. Do not feel guilty once you have said sorry. These self-made depressions are like suicide on your energy bodies.


Expression Phase

As the identity is fully secure, man would want to express himself, be creative and fully exercise his free will. The problem is as he continues to play, he sometimes forgets the ultimate law and confuses himself.

With the large number of crimes seen in media, a number of groups are clamoring for tranquility, peace of mind and sometimes even passiveness. On the other hand, advertisements and other groups are pushing sales, the good life, materiality and success. With so many forces struggling for our acceptance, we become confused and sometimes, even repressed. In all phases there is good and bad. The expression phase is fine until man becomes confused because he becomes attached to the options before him. All this confusion starts when man tries to help his fellow man by stating that materialism is not good.
Materiality is not necessarily bad. It becomes bad only when man refuses to let go. Before we thought that the saying was, "Money is the root of all evil". Later this was corrected to read "the love of money is the root of all evil". Now we realize that attachments can be the root of evil without the need for money to come into the picture. Attachment is like the union phase attempting to join with something other than the Source. Attachment and disharmony creep in very slowly. With man's problems growing by the generation, man's consciousness is no longer on the Source. His consciousness is on rationalization. Due to this, he begins to lose his capability to feel, to intuit. His consciousness also begins to fragment because when the going gets rough he begins to live in his own little world of illusion. When expectations of himself are not met or when he encounters bad experiences, he does not find anything wrong with this. Everybody seems to have the same problem anyway. If he is stressed he may even be proud since it seems to be a sign of success. As long as he is not diagnosed as someone needing psychological help, it is okay.

Attachments may go way out of proportions. They may not even be vices. I heard that a number of people who die of heart attacks are told beforehand that they should take it easy on their diet. What do they say? "But Doc, I just love eating pork!" Do they need to go to a doctor or a psychologist? With progress in medicine, people sometimes feel they do not need to control their consciousness. There seems to be a pill for everything. I even read in a paper that some doctors feel they have to prescribe a pill to their patients because if they do not, their patients feel they are not good doctors. People nowadays do not put enough energy into controlling their thoughts. Then they go to the doctor when all hell breaks loose. It is like failing to tune up your car regularly and then being stuck on the road with a major problem. Many problems can be solved by control of the consciousness: dieting, insomnia, stress, diseases caused by drinking, drugs and smoking and others.
Sometimes people do the opposite. They are afraid of being attached and because of this they are even afraid of wanting, desiring. It is okay to desire things, as long as you do not get attached. When you want something, you have a better chance of getting it, as long as you are not in a state of frustration or selfishness. This is because wanting something will attract you to the object you want. Wanting an experience or an item will create a polarity with the force in you which will attract the object you want or appreciate. If you do not want money, or if you believe even subconsciously that it is only a source of suffering, chances are that you will have a hard time getting it.

Care should be taken to desire things which shall infringe on the will of others such as wanting to close a specific sale, wanting a certain person to be your spouse. They too, have wants, and they may not want what you are hoping for. When this happens, disharmony occurs within the person who has infringed another's will. Do not misuse the force and infringe on the will of others. It is so easy for the ultimate law to find a match for you and next time you will not win.

Staying too long in the expression phase when you have to go to the relaxation phase is done by individuals who have an overwhelming urge to be successful. With a further drop in energy due to disharmony of the energies within him he looks for other sources of energy which readily cater to his needs.

Happiness in this phase is when the energy is expressed properly. For example, in the arts, painters paint, artists draw, performers sing or act. It is an expression of the force in them. It is not so easy to teach these things, because they are approached not by reason but by feel. Happiness is also change, examining things, movement, just like children exploring every nook and cranny in the house.

Due to man's tendency to isolate himself for security reasons this energy is not readily expressed as it should be. Children are sheltered within the house because of this. It is a harsh world we live in, they say. And because of this, sometimes people stay within their residences, schools, or offices where it is safe. What happens is the force is pent up. It feels as though you are locked inside your house because your parents misdiagnosed you as being sick. You feel like a wild horse wanting to be released from the farm. If the child is submissive, he may become repressed. If he is released, he may paint the town red. Then the parents will say, "I told you so". It is a difficult choice.

The force has to circulate, express itself. There must be movement. Older people who are in their relaxation phase will assume that other people are hyperactive. The younger people who are in their expression phase will say that other people are too dull. If the child is taught properly the cycle and the movement of the force, he may fare better in this hostile world. But in this world few people are aware of the cycle. More people are confused of the expression phase. What they know for sure is that this phase is a very dangerous one which can make or break you. Actually all phases have their dangers. In this phase, however, the bad results are very visible - indulgence of adolescents in vices, misadventures etc. The dangers in the union phase are very real but not readily seen.

Due to financial constraints some people now take jobs they don't really like. Several of these people have no time for recreation or hobbies, or even for friends.

With a steady dislocation from the Source due to disharmonious energies within, man's capacity to feel begins to diminish. Rationality is now the emphasis of upbringing. Luckily nowadays there are new terms beginning to emerge. Aside from the well known I.Q. (intelligence quotient), there is now the emotional quotient. I even saw a test which claims to test the perception of a person in terms of situations. People are striving to be more intelligent. More emphasis is being given to rationality, intelligence, and memory than the other "feeling" facilities of man. Man therefore strives for it. When working, though, he finds out that a lot of emphasis is also placed on leadership, friendliness, and some other social skills. This brings about some confusion. As he climbs the ladder, he finds out that other faculties like perception, intuition and charisma are sometimes used. Those that he could have neglected because he thought were of no use.
Proper expression is needed by a child. As adults we are happy with peace and tranquility and that is because we have passed through our identity and expression phases. Perhaps we even had bad experiences with them. We are now basking in the relaxation phase, the phase of peace. Children on the other hand are just starting. They have to play, express themselves, and experience life. Care must be done in deciding what is allowable or not. A man who is not allowed to express himself may become unhappy due to repression. Sometimes actions are labeled as good or bad, without taking into account the maturity of the person involved. When this happens, repression occurs since something which an individual is seeking to explore is hampered by feelings of guilt. A split will now occur within the consciousness - because a part of you wants to explore while a part of you will force you not to.

Sometimes people do not do things. They do not take risks and they do not explore. They believe that since they have the money they can just go out shopping everyday. They forget that a proper usage of energy is necessary for happiness. They sit in their lounging chair believing that tranquility is all there is to happiness. They believe that they are conserving their energy. If energy is not used, it will find ways of misusing itself. Instead of using their energy for creative purposes, these people will use their energy for destructive purposes they may not be aware of. They will begin to misuse their rational energy by thinking too intensely of problems when these should not be entertained. They will enjoy mental conversations with themselves to the point where they become confused and worried. They may also be very irritable. Sometimes instead of keeping to themselves, they end up with a tendency to dominate. When I see mothers dominating their children at home, I want to tell them to just get a normal job at the office so that they could make good use of their supervisory skills. At least in the office, people can just leave if they cannot get along with them. At home the children are their captive audience.

As they say the more you give, the more you receive. You can only store energy up to a point; otherwise it will be prone to misuse. There are actually some items that get better with use, and energy is one. One is the rational mind. The more you use and practice it, and the sharper it gets. The same thing happens with energy.

With all these experiences and programming through a weak union phase or a weak identity phase, we begin to acquire default values for our personalities. They are not as fluid as before. We become predictable and react in certain ways. We can only associate with a certain kind of people. We are only good at certain situations. A man born within a rich family may no longer know how to relate with people of other social classes even if he wants to. He restricts his flow of his force. In business, survival depends on the ability to adapt to the market. With a weaker or disharmonious phase you begin to be narrow-minded, and will refuse to function in other social environments that you feel are hostile to you.
As man goes on with his development, he will have different ways of deciding. One is through rationalization, the way schools teach us how. Another is to get answers by letting your logical process lie low and do things by feel. There are pros and cons to this method. When the logic lies low you have several ways of getting information. One is by letting the programmed subconscious take over. An example is when a girl is courted by a man. While others rationalize the intentions of the suitor, others will feel their way around if the suitor is sincere or not. Another is to connect to the Source and find the answer. Although the last two may yield good answers they are very hard to achieve. First, it is very difficult to make the rational mind lie low; and second because assuming the rational mind has lied low, the programmed subconscious is now giving its biased opinions. The programmed subconscious is an attachment to a set of instructions either developed by the person for himself or, knowingly or unknowingly, by others. A tug of war and confusion occurs with this situation, all because the consciousness of a person is now "split".

A courtship is a good example of how the different divergent forces will prompt a person to decide. When a suitor is making his intentions known to the person, the target is, in many instances, the last to know. This is because the person being given undue attention is beginning to experience conscious and/or subconscious confusion as to whether she is being treated as more than a friend. She may immediately deny any interest in the man because her subconscious programming may state that she should not jump to conclusions, that she just may be egoistic. Her friends, on the other hand who are unbiased, may sense it way ahead of time. The moment the man confronts her with his intentions, she may act differently. She may even act in a completely illogical manner. Her new reactions are not based on logic, or answers from the Source. Instead it may come from a subconscious programming acquired from reading too many romantic novels, or books on how a woman should act.

Ideally we should rely on the Source for answers and decisions. The loss of connection to the Source, however, makes it very hard to accomplish. How then do we go through life? A number of people do things by feel. The problem, though, is that this "feel" may actually be nothing but programming or influence from peers. An attempt to quiet the rational mind and rely on answers from the Source are initially accompanied by failures. If you commit a very costly error at work how can you explain to your boss that you did it by feel? Try to accomplish small things, first by feel. Take small steps at a time.


Conversion from Phase to Phase

Problems do not only occur within a phase. Sometimes people have a problem with conversion from one phase to another. Conversions from the same side of the force (passive or active) occur without much problem because at least the gender is the same. Besides one is a natural prerequisite of the other. When we talk of the dramatic shift in gender we may have a problem. This is when the individual shifts from the Expression Phase into the Relaxation Phase or from the Union Phase into the Identity Phase. The problem is compounded mainly because a shift of gender is abrupt, secondly because the shift comes from a Primary Phase. The individual is climaxing from the masculine or the feminine side and even if he is in a disharmonious situation he may feel that he may want to continue with it.

Masculine to Feminine

Sometimes an individual overstays in the masculine side of the force. A manifestation of this may be the extreme diversity of the individual. He may be very complex and yet not fluid. Since he values his masculine side, his feminine side may diminish. He may be considered callous, insensitive, and highly individualistic.

In this case the individual can be very rational. He relies on discipline, logic, and even machismo to continue with his life. A man in this situation will not only neglect reflection but may even consider it useless. He may believe that insistence and influence are the only ways of achieving what he wants. He will assume that everything has a logical answer, that nothing is done by feel. He believes in independence and that maybe this is a dog-eat-dog world.

One of the reasons man in this state may refuse to change is because he feels vulnerable when in a relaxed or feminine state. It may be very uncomfortable for him because he is hyperactive to the extent that he considers relaxation "wasted time".

Convincing this man to relax and do things by feel may prove to be a very hard task. In this case he will usually change after he gets burned several times and realize that harmony and receptivity will have to be used in unison.

The masculine side of the force is also related to ego. Relating to his feminine side means that he will have to let go of his idea of being separated through an identity and believe that we are all one. This may be very hard for him specially if his ego has gotten him into success.

Letting go of the ego and learning to be receptive and being in harmony with others should be done slowly. If the letting go is done too abruptly, his trust may be shaken and he may insist on being highly individualistic once more.

Feminine to Masculine

When an individual insists on staying on the feminine side of the force, he will prefer union with other people than individuality. He may become overly sensitive to others so that he is easily swayed by the crowd. He would not want the additional responsibility of acting on his own.

This case may even be more difficult than the previous one. This is because the individual is so comfortable with his sense of camaraderie and union with a group of people. He believes that there is always strength in numbers and that he should always join a popularity contest. He may be easily swayed by the public but may not believe so. He will say that they are right and that he is just a loyal or obedient follower. Because of this loyalty and abnormal belief in the majority, leaders will sometimes try to perpetuate their position. They will consider independence a sign of rebellion. And they will keep the individual from developing an identity by instilling guilt, fear, or both. When the individual strays and makes a mistake, they will say "I told you so". They will always use the word love and concern so that the individual stays bound to them. When they feel that the individual's energy link wants to be independent for a change they will say that he does not love them, that he is not concerned. The individual, of course, does not want these labels. He therefore stays bound.

The organization says it loves him. I guess it does, but that will probably be out of need. They will get hurt and cry so that they can prove to the individual that it is serious. Yes it is serious, it hurts, and it doesn't know how to let go. This cycle will go on for a long time until the individual can not stand it and decides to go on his own. After that, he will be considered a 'prodigal son' by the organization. Feelings of irritation may be expressed by the individual. Not necessarily of hate, but probably due to an insistent energy link which the organization insists on maintaining. Just like a persistent suitor dogging his victim.

A suitor, just like the organization, will want your presence. You, however, may not want it. This is not because you hate him, or because he doesn't match your expectations. Maybe it is because you just want your individuality and breathing space. There are times that the more insistent a suitor is, the more the victim will resist. Not because she is playing hard to get, but because the victim would want to live her life. If the two started as friends, they may have trouble even keeping their friendship. This is because the suitor may only want her if he is able to fuse with her identity. Sometimes the victim will even begin to dislike the suitor because her identity is being threatened. The suitor will complain about their friendship, and claim that it has gone down the drain. The victim can't help but distance herself, subconsciously feeling that the ardent suitor is invading her 'airspace' even from afar. Energy knows no distance. And attention from a suitor who seeks union is enough to keep the victim irritated for a long time.

The individual must therefore learn to properly develop his identity, to express himself. Do not blame the individual if he does not come back for a long time. He may be sensing the link, and would not want to be harassed with ideas of a union. He may want to live his own life. In the union phase, whoever has a stronger identity phase shall most likely assimilate the other into him.

One reason why it is so difficult to bolt from this situation is because usually the individuals concerned are people you trust or look up to. In short, because of the energy links formed with them, these same links will hamper your independence.

It is really so funny how some people can tell you to bind with them when they can not do the same thing themselves. We see a lot of parents insisting on keeping close ties with their children when they themselves can not relate with their other relatives. They will give you a lot of reasons why theirs is an exception. Listen to their reasons, judge objectively. They say "do not create enemies". But they seem to have a lot. They may even encourage you to "have a lot of contacts", because you may use them later for your own purposes. Everything then, needs a form of compensation. If not money, it is energy, or acceptance in society, and that this is for your own good.

An individual should learn to develop his own identity. He should believe that once in a while he should have the right to his own time, decisions. Early failures in deciding will of course happen. He should take little risks at a time until he raises up his risk-taking to a comfortable level. A trauma with too great a risk early in the journey may result to his going back and disregarding his individuality.


HAPPINESS

Everyone tries to find out what true happiness is. Here, I'll discuss first what true happiness may be, and second what temporary happiness is.

For happiness to exist, there must be a strong movement of the force. In electricity, work is accomplished only when a flow of electrons occur in a circuit. Similarly in business, an economy is usually healthy when there is a large movement of money. This movement of money provides the country with a proper monetary base as well as enough diversification in products to keep its people happy.



PERMANENT HAPPINESS

For permanent happiness to occur, this strong movement must be the result of fluidity. Energy must not be stuck up with attachments. People should not be too engrossed with one facet of life but must experience and appreciate its totality. We must not be attached to certain patterns of using and getting energy. Conditions in life always change. We may appreciate everything but we must not get attached. Life is dynamic, ever changing.

In business, managers must be able to cope with an ever-changing environment. Stagnancy in a business may mean its obsolescence.

Happiness is the proper movement from the active (uses of the force) to the passive (source of the force) side of the force. Everything has an oscillation between two extremes. When we have no energy we find a source, and when we have energy, we use it. It is like saying, when you are hungry you eat, and when you are sleepy you sleep. Happiness is change. It is the ability to have your resources (energy) and after acquiring them, properly using them.

Happiness is going through the two opposites without hitting the extreme points of disharmony and depletion. Make the attachment phase the warning phase. Movement through the awareness and attention phases of both sides is enough to lead a very happy as well as comfortable life of change and excitement. Happiness is experiencing how to make use of the force in different ways. It is also in experiencing the different harmonious sources of the force.
Happiness is going through the two opposites by means of the prerequisite phases. These phases will assist you in maturing into the primary phases.

Happiness in each phase can be explained as follows:

In the IDENTITY phase, we have clarity of thought and the rest of the consciousness.

In the EXPRESSION phase, it is proper creativity and expression. There is no repression due to guilt. We do what we want to within bounds of the ultimate law.

In the RELAXATION phase, we have peace of mind, acceptance of what is true. We get along with society without hypocrisy.

In the UNION phase, knowledge through a proper relationship with the Source. You are one with it and this knowledge is achieved not through rationalization.

Happiness can also be achieved with a proper movement of the force not only internally but externally. This is shown as follows:

In the IDENTITY phase, we have proper self-esteem.

In the EXPRESSION phase, we have self-fulfillment from hobbies, and proper guidance of others.

In the RELAXATION phase, it makes us get along with others.

In the UNION phase, it is our ability to function properly within a group.



TEMPORARY HAPPINESS

Sometimes happiness occurs temporarily. This happiness is taken also from a movement of the force. This movement however is not due to fluidity but due to a rigid pattern. Man has learned to get a strong energy movement that gives him temporary happiness because of this rigidity. It reaches the point when the pattern for the energy movement becomes unmanageable.

Getting stuck in this pattern of energy movement is actually nothing but attachment. Since life is dynamic, "rules of the game" may change and all of a sudden your pattern of energy transfer may render itself obsolete. As earlier said, the attachment may not be available anymore due to monetary or time constraints. On the supply side, the supplier of energy may suddenly be unavailable.

These patterns are frequently learned through different ways. One way is through discipline, another through programming by other people or organizations. In discipline you choose to be a best friend of an old friend. You both go through thick and thin. You both experience joys and sorrows. Nothing seems to come in between you. Then she gets married. Worse, what if the couple decides to live in a different country? People change, and of course your friend may say that her relationship to you is second to her husband. You will of course be crushed. It is not your friend's fault that she got married. You should have anticipated that in the first place. In programming, these are not done by yourself but by others. This is usually done by authority figures or even by advertisements. We do get a "high" when we are commended by authority figures. This steady method of appreciating you get when you do something "good" and not minding you when you do something "bad" is enough for a program to occur. In this instance you are attached or dependent to their appreciation or energy.

In the selling and courtship games, there are no hard and fast rules. There is no one style in order to "sell" yourself to the client. You may discipline yourself to be persistent, but even this is not the best method. In martial arts, the way you fight will have to be dependent on the opponent. In sports, there is no best way to win a tournament. That is what coaches are there for: to be able to react to the changing conditions (opponents).

When driving in a country where traffic is a problem, alleviation may be taken by knowing the proper routes to take. You may even take into account seasonality - rush hour, class schedules etc. But what happens when an accident occurs? You will have to improvise. You will have to flow. This is also what differentiates a good manager from a mediocre one. A good manager will know how to react properly in bad situations. Other mediocre managers may just react with "canned" responses.

Initially we are very fluid, we do the right things at the right time. As we grow older, outer influences which are in the discipline stage attempt to discipline us. We become programmed and our normal responses are hampered.

With programming occurring from all sides, a lot of confusion occurs because we have trouble deciding who to follow - which programs we consider good and which programs we consider detrimental. We begin to believe that having a pattern is better than having none at all. This is because at this point in time it is true. Having a pattern or schedule of doing things is better than having none because our sense of properly knowing how to go with the flow is being diminished. We become highly rational beings whose emotions we can not properly control. We weigh each thing carefully. We then sift through all the programs and tell ourselves that "others should not control us, we should be able to control ourselves". We then make a program for ourselves, we discipline ourselves. The problem with this is that although it does help in the meantime, we still do not have our fluidity. With the dynamism of life, we make mistakes. Only after a long time shall we again appreciate fluidity.

Fluidity is prevalent on the feminine side of the force. This is because the feminine side of the force is harmony. The masculine side of the force is all about will, and in that will, we may have rigidity.

With attachments to patterns we have a different view of happiness. Let us examine the different sides of the cycle:
In the ACTIVE side (uses of the force), we may be attached to material things, vices, rationality and even relationships which should have been terminated long ago. We may have trouble sticking to a diet. We may be doing other things which are harmful to our physical body.

In the PASSIVE side (source of the force), we may experience the abnormal need for attention from a specific person, abnormal need for support.

Sometimes we become too comfortable with one phase that we get stuck there. This may happen because we have had bad experiences with the other phases earlier in life. Sometimes we have been so burned out in the active side that we would prefer to live a restful life and despite the idea of being rational or even appreciating material things. On the other hand, someone could have lived a very simple and restful life and given everything because he was a sheltered child. He will then prefer a more risky and adventurous life.

An example of what may happen when we get stuck in one phase is:

In the IDENTITY phase, possible selfishness and too much love of the self. Inability to take risks.

In the EXPRESSION phase, attachment to material things, vices, rationality and too much sentimentality. We also have here the inability to rest.

In the RELAXATION phase, the belief that as long as one is always rested with nothing to do, one is happy. He may always want the easy way out because he believes that non-confrontation is the best policy.

In the UNION phase, losing one's identity to peer pressure. Dependence on outside influence.

For most people, happiness is when they can get a large amount of the force. This is because many people are deficient in the force due to their ignorance of its ultimate law. In order to get energy they resort to the following:

MONEY - Which usually buys appreciation. When appreciation is given to a person, a transfer of energy is made to the one who gave the money. For example, simple heavy tipping to a waiter will earn you appreciation.

GOOD LOOKS - Anyone who looks good will be appreciated. A person gets used to this and begins to look less desirable in the future, will ask for attention.

POWER - Makes one gain respect either from fear or love. Furthermore, power can be used to bolster the expression phase.

SUCCESS - You gain respect, appreciation, power. You name it, Soon even good looks from plastic surgery may be available!

The problem with these is that you are getting second hand energy. By resorting to these you dig a bigger hole for yourself. Goods and services nowadays are not necessarily made because they are good for the community, but because the community desires them. This society is beginning to be market driven. If this keeps up, desires will be catered too even if they are overly excessive, and all in the name of free will. Who do we blame? Ourselves? What we are driving here is that our tastes for life and culture may turn from better to worse. Man will begin to lose his relationship with the Source.

Happiness is therefore a proper transfer of energy. The quality of this energy is such that it has to be strong (masculine quality) and harmonious (feminine quality). These two aspects should be able to make it function properly within one phase or throughout all the four phases within the person concerned. This is similar to an electric current. In order for current to exist, there must be a flow. If there is a flow, work is done. No flow means no work. When this flow is affected outside yourself and towards other people it is called love. If it is towards a group, it may mean love of society or the environment. If it is toward the Source, it is love for the Source.


THE FORCE IN THE ORGANIZATION

Man performs two basic functions within an organization. This organization may come in the form of a corporation, non-profit organization or even a simple group of friends. Whatever the organization is, man is both a proper leader and a proper follower.

As a leader, one is expected to be perceptive of the problems and concerns of his followers. He is there to provide support, to exercise authority out of respect and not fear. He needs to be well liked without compromising his vulnerability to pressure from his followers. He needs to delegate tasks and responsibilities properly in order to develop his followers properly. By doing so, he will develop self-esteem and fulfillment in his job.

Followers are expected to respect their leaders since ideally they know better specially when it comes to looking at the "big picture". There are of course instances when details are overlooked by the leader. The follower needs to be able to convey the situation properly to the leader through proper communication.

The organization is a venue where both of these personalities link to perform their functions. Actually, each one is a leader and a follower. And each one has both roles to play. People in an organization ideally work toward a common goal or vision. With this their energy will not be in conflict. They are in it not solely for the money or else their duties will be considered chores. People work together in unison for the organization's vision and welfare.

People should not stay in organizations solely for the money. Some people feel that as long as they do their work, they should be paid. Attitude in a company matters a lot. Whenever a person feels that work is a grudge, the energy within the company becomes disharmonious. Other people feel ill at ease and may reach a point where they don't like to work. Leaders most likely feel this and may tend to gang up on the employee. Aside from being bad for the organization, this is also bad for the employee. He is in effect repressing himself. The problem is, if he has worked there for a long time, he always considers his retirement benefits. If he leaves, he is also leaving a windfall which he shall receive at the end of his stay. It is best for people to stay in organizations where they are truly happy. It is better for everyone concerned.



PUSHING FOR EXCELLENCE

A man who has mastery of the force may seem a paradox to many. With the quest for perfection in each of the four phases of the cycle, he needs to be very well rounded. He will be a master of his masculine and feminine side, calling each at will depending on the occasion. He will get along with just about anyone introduced to him and he enjoys himself in the process. At times, he will be profound, at times he will appear childish. As water adapts to any container so will he. When you sit down and think about how you can describe him, you will get the shock of your life - you just cannot seem to. He seems to be all of the above and may begin to wonder if he is actually a good fake. You will notice one thing with his character though: he seems to call the best personality for the specific occasion. He is entertaining when with friends, demonstrative with his love interest, and serious at board meetings. Even with this seemingly outgoing nature, you will be able to leave him alone for long periods with no complaints. He will not mind eating or watching movies alone. He will even be quiet and tranquil at times when in deep thought, opposite to the hilarious personality you saw him show during the company outing. He will be very firm when needed, but very open to suggestions concerning his work, family, or even himself. He will know his rights, privacy, and place in your life as a friend. He seems to know how to explain things in the least amount of words. He will not impose his ideas but instead respect yours. Even with his outgoing attitude he is not swayed by peer pressure and has a high sense of independence. While maintaining his link with the Source for wisdom, he knows how to adapt well to material things. He may have everything you want in life but be seemingly unattached to it. Everything just seems to fall in his place. He will be able to control his desires very well. He will diet or exercise when needed. He craves nothing, and simple things in life seem to please him. Yet, he will be experimentative. And definitely not boring.

What else would you want? As you move up towards excellence, you will have many obstacles. One problem is while the conscious part of you will want to improve, your subconscious will want to cling to what you currently are. This struggle may cause you to be "confused" until the "dispute" is settled. In my case I struggled with the workings of this force, I strengthened my union phase while sacrificing my identity and expression phase. Only then did I find out the meaning of balance. With this book, this will not be much of a problem. At least you will know that you are not alone, and that you have someone you can relate with.

Push the envelope, explore, and remove your limits from where you once thought they were. A few years back I thought I was at peace. Then one night I could not sleep. I found out that I had just been so accustomed to stress that I had already dismissed my stressful condition as being peaceful. Sometimes you will only know how much more you can improve until you have improved.

Aside from these there are a lot more functions you may begin to have. The first broad category is by being perceptive to the force that may manifest itself as intuition. The second is a transmittal of the force that may manifest itself as charisma.

People will sometimes dismiss intuition as nothing more than body language. If you talk to a psychologist, notice that he will pay close attention to your gestures and facial expressions. This is because your intent manifests in your facial patterns. Initially, your bouts of intuition will be on knowing the character of a person you have just seen. You will be a good judge in terms of 'first impression'. Soon you may notice that you are becoming a good judge of character over the telephone. By hearing the voice you seem to know the person by heart. You may have strong feelings of whether an event will push through or not, or which decision is right.

In terms of charisma, you will not only get along with many people but you will be very good at convincing them. This is not only because of your influence but also because you instinctively know how the person thinks. Subconsciously, this aspect of the force is highly used by politicians and other leaders.


ASPIRATIONS AND VISUALIZATIONS

INTRODUCTION

You have read the theory behind the force. You have seen how it has affected your life. You have read how an alteration of your approach to life can have a very profound effect on your happiness. Hopefully you now have a desire to change your life for the better. There is hope for everyone - a lot can be fixed by attitude. Once we limit ourselves, we will not be able to function to our full potential. If you say you are okay now, why not push the envelope? You will be shocked at what you can achieve! This is not a question of risk but of self-improvement. When people strive for a job with better conditions and better pay, it does not necessarily mean they are working for the money or prestige. It may mean they just want to better themselves. If you feel that people in the work place should always better themselves, tell me why you shouldn't do the same thing for yourself. A possible answer of the programmed subconscious is, "Well, everybody expects me to be successful, but no one expects me to improve myself in this area". Goodness, we're back again to influence of the force by volume, trying to live to expectations of the public. Give it a try, it won't take long. It's free and you have nothing to lose.

When one admits and knows the problem, the battle is half won. The conscious now knows the problem and wishes to change. Sometimes, though, the subconscious (which has been programmed for the past years) will rebound to familiar routines. In order to change the subconscious, we should persistently tell ourselves that we want to change. This will allow the subconscious to partially, if not fully fuse again with the conscious.

Although seemingly very simple, these are very potent. You have to tell yourself what you want to achieve. For this to take effect, it must be done with conviction. Not only with concentration, but with the conviction that this is what you really want. Sometimes you may feel like hesitating on some aspirations which you consciously feel are really true. This may be because they may be running contrary to your programmed subconscious. Sense this discrepancy and understand yourself. Work harder on areas which you feel you may be weak at.

INCORPORATION OF THE FORCE

Initially we had numerous aspirations and visualizations. Later in higher stages of awareness these may be replaced by simply knowing what is right. The concept will then become incorporated into your life, you will live what you know! Your conscious and subconscious will be in unison believing the ultimate law. Connecting to the force will then become like riding a bike. Initially we try to balance and move properly, soon it will be as easy to us breathing. By fully believing the concepts below you will be able to actually be one with the force.

IT IS UP TO YOU

It is really up to you if you want to change your life or not. Free will has been granted to all men. However, not all men would want to exercise their free will. This is like the right to vote. Some of the people vote for those they believe should win. Other people sell their votes because they believe that the money they get would be better than exercising their right.

It is up to you if you want to invest some time to learn to connect the Source yourself or take the shortcut and rely on an intermediary to do it for you. It is up to you if you like to depend on others for energy the same way a person is dependent on another for money.

It is up to you if you persist on believing that man should be led and not taught to be self-sufficient. It is up to the followers if they want to be led this way and insist on believing what manipulative leaders tell them just because it is convenient for the moment.

It is up to you if you persist on not seeing the truth of it all. A truth which has been glaring at you since time immemorial, hidden by a lot of illusions which we have created for ourselves through programming and through peer pressure.

It is up to all of us to know that many things in this world just have to be changed.

And it is up for us to know our actual potentiality.


REUNION

Search for the truth
Search for the ultimate laws of the universe
Something which we knew before
Something which we still inherently know now

Not by thinking
Not by organizing
But by being one with it
Being one with the Source

The beautiful energy which created all of us
Spanning the vastness of space and time
And through all other dimensions
We are still one with it

If only we could remember
If only we could sense our distant past
When separated from it in order to express ourselves
So that we may do as we please in our own little universe
Not in an act of rebellion but in an act of playfulness

Some of us rebelled, some of us just got lost
Either way we go through the hardships of life
Since we have forgotten the ways of the force
We groan, we cry, we even curse the Source

And he says to himself:
If you would only listen
If only you remember
Everything would be fine

Left and right we see people
attempting to solve the puzzle
To know the meaning of life
Searching far for an answer
Not knowing that the answer lies
within yourself

It has never left you
With little steps
we strive to go forward
to get the clean energy once again
straight from the Source

We smile, we celebrate
as we begin to know the law
how simple it now seems to be

We laugh at ourselves in retrospect
We grow stronger everyday
We feel we would want to share
the knowledge and youth we feel
But we know that we too were once ignorant
of the ultimate law of life

We know that there is a time for all things
The cycle is about to complete
We see the light at the end of the tunnel
We are coming home !