Lessons given, lessons received, lessons learned. We grow, expand, become clearer. At times, we feel we regress. We do not. The apparent regression is all a part of learning. We know we are ever-learning beings, but what are we learning? The lesson is often elusive. It can be found: hiding within the furrowed creases of a frown; wrapped snugly within the oblivious ecstasy of a lover's embrace; or perhaps, clenched tight within the grip of an angry fist.

Our emotions push, and prod us into forgetting everything, except our immediate experience. We are bullied, coddled, and lulled into forgetting what we are, what we are doing, and why. We even experience emotion about emotion; joy about our ecstasy, anger about our sadness, humiliation about feeling humiliated. This is the beauty, the power, the creative potential of the most potent of our tools of learning . . . Emotion.

What are you feeling, right now? Are you experiencing more than one emotion? Which emotions are they? Can you define them, separate one from the other, and observe the way one emotion affects another? If your desire is to grow spiritually, become aware of your emotions, the emotions of others, and emotion itself. Become also, vividly aware of yourself as a soul. You are an incredible, enormously powerful energy form; and you have chosen to take a physical form that allows types of learning that cannot be learned in any other form. Along with this choice, you have also chosen to use a very special, very specific set of tools . . . Emotion.

To experience, observe, and understand any emotion, there must be a means of doing so. These means express themselves as some thing, situation or action, which presents the opportunity for experiencing the chosen emotion. How can you experience the sensation -- and its companion emotions -- of being hit on the head with a rock, unless someone cooperates, and hits you on the head with a rock? But, it hurts, you say? It sure does! How did you know that?

Being hit on the head with anything, creates an immediate physical-emotional response. Do we remember we have asked -- on the nonphysical level -- the perpetrator to do this action for our mutual enlightenment? Not usually. Does your antagonist remember he is merely helping to create a situation, by which you are both presented with opportunities to learn? No, not normally.

Whatever the responses you each act out, they will be as varied as the learning requirements you, and your sparring partner brought to the situation. Each response is right and perfect, because each is an element of the learning experience. There is, however, a point of spiritual maturity when the soul becomes more consciously aware, and consequently more responsible for understanding it's actions.

"With a rock -- see if he likes it! Hmmm, only problem is, I am aware of my anger. I am aware of my power to choose, of my power to create. Well, at least I understand what it means to be hit on the head with a rock! Wonder what I'm learning here? What is he learning? What are we learning? What can I create with this emotion? I don't really want to hit him -- not much, anyway -- but, I think I'll just stay angry for a while, anyway. It's kind of interesting to observe this anger thing."

Emotions teach us the depths and dimensions of ourselves. What, exactly, do we feel? What can we do with what we are experiencing? How do our emotions affect other people? Are we aware, or unaware? Gaining objectivity with our emotions requires a deep, true understanding of them. Which emotions are in play? What do they create? Why are we experiencing these particular emotions? As ever-growing souls, the most difficult, most fascinating, and most important task we have given ourselves, is the understanding, and use of emotion.

For example: when something causes you to feel sad, it is at this point you must remember that you are, above all, a learning, evolving soul. You must also remember that nothing happens without purpose. You, the soul, are experiencing the emotion of sadness, and everything sadness entails. As a soul, you are observing, examining and contemplating one of the many faces of emotion. How does this emotion affect the actions you take? What can you create with this emotion? How do the energies generated by sadness, differ from the energies generated by glee, rage, joy, or perhaps fear?

What if you deliberately make your experience more intense, more complex, by adding another emotion to sadness? Let's try anger. Anger and sadness: what are the creative possibilities in this combination? Interesting, the possibilities are extremely interesting. Now, we'll remove anger, and replace it with the emotion of hopelessness. By combining the emotions of sadness and hopelessness, we have created a third emotion, despair.

So, there you sit, slumped gloomily on the couch. Drenched in despair, reeking of melancholy, you present a perfect picture of resigned depression. Watch closely. Observe well. Okay, let's add another emotion to the mix . . . amusement. How are we able to find amusement to add to this picture? We find it by using our dynamic powers of observation. From the practice of using our powers of observation with purpose, and skill, we develop objectivity. Objectivity, gives us the power to observe ourselves, and our lives with greater clarity, which gives extraordinary control over the direction of our lives. As a bonus, there is a priceless treasure to be found in objectivity -humor.

Sadness, hopelessness, despair, amusement; what have you created with your thoughts? (If you were a writer, this combination would produce a superb atmosphere for the construction of a grand satire.) Do you see the remarkable, creative being you are? You, the soul, have created this experience, and therefore, are obligated -- if spiritual growth is your desire -- to observe the results and possibilities of your creation. In the midst of this emotional hurricane, you must remember you have created this situation for the enlightenment of yourself, and others.

As souls, our first love is to create. Through our acts of creation, we learn. We answer the questions: how, why, what, where, and who. Eternally, voraciously curious beings, we plow through our lives with tremendous enthusiasm -- famished for knowledge -- knowledge gained through experience -- experience gained through our acts of creation.

Consider: is it possible to create a masterpiece, of any kind, without a full and working knowledge of the tools at your disposal; knowledge gained by experiencing the tools? All experience is valuable because it gives birth to knowledge, and knowledge can give birth to wisdom, compassion, and beauty.

What we hold in our consciousness, we bring into form. We can experience the soaring heights of joy, ecstasy and bliss, or the cavernous depths of grief, despair and agony. Each emotion we experience, is a single face of a multifaceted sphere of light, each facet reflecting a choice to the soul. "What do I wish to experience at this moment?" "What shall I choose?" "What have I yet to learn?"

Let's imagine: As a rule, your refrigerator, and cupboards are packed with food. Then, one day, without warning, your job is gone; your refrigerator and cupboards are bare. What will you do?

Which emotions will you choose to use, and in what way will you use them? Will you see the opportunities inherent in your situation? Will you focus on the open doors, or the closed doors? Remember the fast you've contemplated doing as part of your spiritual growth? Well, here is your opportunity. What emotions am I using? How am I using them? What am I creating?

Emotion: if we learn to recognize the value of each emotion, and consciously use that value, we will find it is not a simple matter of good and bad, right and wrong.Through anger, we can create strength. Through despair, we can learn compassion. Through joy, we can become oblivious to all needs, but our own. Through passion, we can become a Manson, or a Mozart.

The choices are ours; they always are. It is the recognition, and understanding of Emotion as our greatest of teachers, that will permeate our choices with keen perception, and a deeply profound personal awareness.