You always have a choice

To manage the mind means to bring it under the control of the intelligence. You do this by understanding the difference between the two. Essentially the mind conjures up ideas and desires and the intelligence analyses and decides whether to accept or reject these concepts. Above the intelligence, however, is the soul—the ultimate controller of the body/mind complex, the “witness,” if you will. Unfortunately, due to ignorance of our higher spiritual nature, as a “witness” to these psychological affairs, we either allow the whimsical mind to dictate the direction of our lives, or we fail to keep our intelligence alert and thus lose all sense of discrimination.

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool. (Bhagavad-Gita 2.63-63)

The other component of our potential is karma. Simply put, karma means work, or rather the reactions to the work you have performed. The bible states: As you sow, so shall you reap. The universe operates on a complex system of give and take in an effort to create balance. Everything in the universe is seeking balance, or the most natural state of being. It is the same with our karma. As a universal law, karma is always seeking a fair balance of good and evil. If you act in such a way to cause suffering to another, in time, that same suffering will reflect back to you. Not necessarily in this life, but eventually it will catch you. Much the same as an old parking ticket may follow you from state to state until you pay it off.

Although our potential is unlimited, it is affected by the state of our mind and the nature of our karma, which subsequently determines the type of physical body we get, the place we will be born, and the people we will come into contact with.

You have to think carefully about the decisions you make today because they are painting the picture of your future. What you are today is an accumulation of all the decisions and actions you have made in the past. You are entirely responsible for your present situation.

The Bhagavad-Gita warns us:

The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects. (15.9)

“No, it is not my fault,” you cry. But yes it is, for karma follows us throughout our spiritual evolution and not just in this one lifetime. What is happening today may just as likely be a result of something we did in a past life. The good news is that you do not have to be locked into a karmic downward spiral. If you have learned your karmic lesson, you can move on and break the pattern.

You, as soul, the “witness” always have a choice to affect a positive change in your circumstance. Change has to begin now. Not tomorrow, but now! You have to focus all your attention on what is happening around you now, because life really is just a string of “now” moments. The past is gone forever and only remains as fragmented pictures in our mind. And the “future” is always in a state of elusiveness—you can never touch it. All that really matters is now. Just as the micro is equal to the macro, or the ocean drop equal to the quality of the entire ocean, the full power of the cosmic creation is within you. Draw on that source power and start living life the way you want to NOW.

Source: The 5 Noble Truths – by Paul Rodney Turner. OUT SOON