In part two of The Council's opening message they give us some thoughts on our reality but more importantly they paint a picture for us on how our lives move from one of peace and joy to one that is filled with challenges and difficulties. The Councils stated on more than one occasion that there are no such things as accidents. If we miss a step, fall and break a bone there were reasons for that to occur. It may be a warning to be more careful so that something far worse does not occur. It may have happened to offer friends and relatives the opportunity to be of help. Many times the complete picture is beyond human understanding but there was a purpose. There is no guarantee that the purpose will be fulfilled because each of us has the free will to respond in our own way.

"What is the nature of your reality? Do you just exist alone, as some philosophies say? That you create your own personal reality? That all that you experience is of your making? No. If it were so simple, but it is not. And if that were the case, then why would so many individuals, so many souls, so many entities create lives of hardship and sadness? What you see is reality as you understand it, but it is not a personal reality or an individual reality. In other words, all those individuals that you must deal with, day in and day out, whether they are your spouse or your children or casual acquaintances are not figments of your imagination or are not entities that you created for your own growth, but they are entities in their own just as you are. Reality is a collection of all of you creating together, not as individuals but as members of an orchestra. You are in concert with each other. The material manifestation or the earthly life is the opportunity to work with other entities in the growth process; it is a giving and a taking; it is a sharing.

 "Why are some lives so filled with problems? Why are some lives filled with so much sadness and sorrow? Why is it some people never seem to go anyplace? They seem to stand still. Let us give you a little example of how life works. Although some of you may find this very hard to believe, initially when you made all the spiritual agreements and contracts to experience life with those around you, your life was planned out so that it would be filled with peace, contentment, happiness, and joy. If this be the case, then why are so many lives contrary to this? Picture your life as a lake, as smooth and quiet as a mirror, a piece of glass. At some time, at some place, at some experience in your life you reached a crossroads where a decision had to be made. A decision was made, but the decision was not as good as it could have been, and so this caused a ripple on the surface and slightly distorted the clarity of it. So as life progressed, then another crossroads came, another decision had to be made. The decision was made not through the clarity of the lake or the pool as it was originally, but now that decision is made through that ripple effect, and so the clarity of sight is not there, and again a wrong decision is made causing a greater degree of ripples, more ripples, less clarity, less quiet, less calm, less clear. And as life goes on then, each decision is made through this distortion, through this lack of clarity until finally this peaceful, placid lake, this mirror, is totally distorted, all clarity gone. This is how life becomes a trial. This is how hardships come into being. Once the lake becomes so distorted, then decisions are no longer really made, but instead of decisions they become reactions to emotions and to situations, reactions to emotions and situations."

 The next post - Part three The Council will explain how we can reverse this process and return to a smooth and quiet lake.