A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. May's Theme: "Interconnectedness"
Volume 6 Issue 4 ISSN# 1708-3265

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For decades I have heard we are all interconnected. This sounded good. I even told others this, but I didn't feel that way. I often felt more distant and isolated than connected.

I did however feel connected with nature and with my family. But even with them, I didn't always feel that divine interconnected feeling. Oh yes I noticed there were many times when things were going exceptionally well with my husband and children that I felt that deep connection. However, for most of the time I felt connected by worrying about their safety and welfare or the deep responsibility of being a wife and parent. The connection was through my fears of losing them.

And why didn't I feel connected all of the time with others, not just with my family? Again, there were times like going to a good party, or wedding when everyone at the event was joyous and happy that I felt the connection. But those were only fleeting moments.

Looking deeper into this whole interconnected issue, I learned why I didn't always feel connected with others. It could be summed up in one word. Ego.

It's the ego's job to keep us separate. Connected means together as one. The ego is constantly discriminating telling us we are a man, a woman, fat, skinny, rich or poor, white or black, as well as a zillion other things. We have each created our egos to protect us. But that's the big joke. The ego doesn't protect us, it damages us. It keeps us from feeling that oneness. It even tells us not to listen to our Higher Selves. It fights to keep control and to keep us from our natural spiritual nature of love and inner peace.

So how do we bypass the ego so we can feel a spiritual connection with others? Again it's one word. Love. When we are loving, we feel connected. We are loving from a high state of divine love which is non-judgmental and doesn't want anything in return.

Many people want to destroy the ego, but the ego gets us up in the morning. It tells us we can accomplish a task. It's the ego out of control which is dangerous. So the best way to deal with the ego is to love it. To speak to it lovingly. Thank your ego for the years of trying to protect you, but tell it that you are not going to be run by it anymore. "From now on ego, I'm taking orders from my Divine Self."

How do you tell the difference between the two voices? The ego voice is filled with fear, regrets and puts you in a state of panic. The Divine inner voice is soft and loving, and makes you feel loved and peaceful.

When we are loving to ourselves, we feel this incredible connection with everything and everyone around us. However, for some of us, it's difficult to be loving. Why? We are filled with so much disapproval of ourselves and others.

We can't feel or give love if we are trying to love over our old feelings of disapproval and dislikes. We have to let them go, and when we do, it becomes easier to love. When we are truly loving, we realize we don't have to try to connect with others. We wake up and see that we have always been and always will be interconnected with everyone, and especially our Higher Selves.

Janet Alston Jackson is the author of "A Cry for Light: A Journey into Love," winner of the USA Book News Award for Christian Inspiration. Janet is a behavioural and personal growth consultant. She often teams with her husband Walter Jackson (author of "Sporting the Right Attitude"), facilitating effective communications trainings for better personal and professional relationships. The couple have been guests on numerous radio talk shows around the country, and have made appearances on public television. Visit their websites: Sporting the Right Attitude and JanetAJackson.com.

Be sure to read the reviews of her book in our January 2007 Issue.

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