"I am responsible for creating my own reality," begets the question, then, what is the "I" of which we speak? Where does it begin and end? We have evidence - not only from science, but, for many of us, from our own experiences, that we are more than our physical bodies existing in a particular time and place. There are many levels of reality, not all of them congruent. Photons defy definition, are both particle and wave, and traveling at the speed of light, experience no time. Random chaotic behavior at the molecular level reveals order at a macro-level. An ant has little consciousness of the anthill, which at a different level of organization sends out appendages for food and water and can repair itself if damaged.

We have looked at evidence indicating that "I" am not separate from others, nor from "my" environment. We do not need evidence to recognize that "my" beliefs and behaviors are not independent of the social and political context in which "I" exist.

Clearly much of our reality is co-created: our educational system, political and economic system, wars, and the prevailing belief in material wealth as a measure of success. We do not have a conscious awareness, far less power over, many of the factors entering into any manifestation of the reality we experience. My affirmations and visualizations to manifest the perfect home may be counteracted by my unconscious belief that I am not worthy; by my soul's knowledge that my ego "needs a lesson;" that it is best for my evolving consciousness that I stay in my present seemingly unsatisfactory location; by the conditions that work together to raise real estate prices; by any number of factors operating below the level of consciousness to impact "my" reality.

We may not have power-over our ultimate reality. Whatever power we have is from participation with what is. All the conscious intention the individual can summon will not change the fact that the sky is blue on a clear day and rain makes clothes wet. All the intention I can summon may not save my life if I stand in front of an oncoming truck. Indeed, at some point, it will not save my life in this body. At just what point, no one can say. Miracles occur and even the most well of us die.

With the growing acceptance of the power of the mind to bring about physical change, the use of affirmations, imagery, and visualization to "create our own reality" has become popular. When the intent is merely to get us life "on our own terms," these tools may temporarily make us feel better, but at the cost of our fully engaging with the journey of our soul and the immediacy of the moment. Many of our most powerful learning experiences are those we would never have consciously "chosen," but we recognize their value in retrospect.

Vision nurtures us as long as we are not caught in better/worse positioning such that the only joy we find in this moment is the possibility that our vision will one day be fulfilled. As long as we are able to hold "I am this that I see now and I am this that is my vision and both are whole in themselves." As long as we draw from this "living in the gap" a strength that grounds and engages us, rather than separates us from life as it is here and now, we are able to live a balanced life. (continues)

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