What’s Inside the Package?
Have you ever bought something that had a great package and you were all excited about the product and then you opened it up to find that the size and appearance of the box 
does not relate to the size and appearance of the product inside? I think I can safely say that most of us have had this experience at least once. We don’t buy the product because we want to use the package do we, in fact we normally throw the packaging away and use what comes inside the package.
Appearances can be very deceiving can’t they? We are very much like the product, which comes within a package. In our case our form is the package and our soul is what is inside, the difference being, that our package, our form in this case is our present vehicle for our soul, however our soul is certainly not limited nor is it defined by our packaging!
The really curious thing is this, we spend most of our time focusing on our package, our external display if you will and we tend to neglect the real us, the product within our form, our soul, our spirit. Think about it, we spend a great amount of time keeping our form in shape, properly groomed, we even spend a huge amount of time and money to decorate our form with the right clothes and accessories. Now, there is nothing wrong with this, in fact we are grateful that people groom themselves and take care with their appearance. The question here is, do you spend an equal amount or more time tending to the real you, the you that is not your form, your soul, your spirit?
Think about this, it is not uncommon for a person to go to the gym 3 or more times per week, have their hair done every few weeks, have their nails done, etc and yet only spend one hour a week in some sort of effort to mindfully feed there inner being, their true eternal self. Now, I know if you are reading this, you are probably not that average person and you are most likely tending to the inner you more than most, however is your attendance to your inner self at least balanced with the attention which you give to your package? What can you do to feed, tend and care to your inner, true self more?
Remember what you see in the mirror is not who you are, nor do you have to define yourself or limit yourself because of your packaging. You are a divine being, your soul, your spirit, your energy transcends your form. Your form is limited, it will age, change shape and eventually it will die, where as what is within your form is the real you, the you that is pure love, pure energy, the you which is eternal.
Today, I encourage you to look past your packaging and also to look past the packaging of others, for that package which you see, is not who you or anyone else truly is.
Hi Mark:
It took me many, many years to realize that my outside appearance is more important than who I am on the inside. Now believing the opposite I am happy with myself and can truly say “I love me.” My message to everyone is, “Remember you are fabulous just the way you are.” Helen
Hi Everyone:
I meant to say that I realized my insides are more important than my outside appearance. Helen
Our physical eyes stop at form and go no further.
To go beyind form, requires another form of sight.
It is not with our physical eyes that we see reason and it is not with our ohsyucal eyes that we se humor.
Our bodies cannot ’sin’. So it kinda’ makes us wonder what do we call the part that we imagine, does?
Mark,
What we are is not what we see, it is what others see. They mirror our true self.
Good Friday afternoon to you Mark ! How are you doing ?
I have to admit that I spend far more on the externals than I do on the internals. I justify it by saying it feeds the whole in my soul from having grown up as an ugly duckling and never feeling like I fit in.
Now I fit in with the image I have and like of myself, and a good deal of that is exercise and personal grooming.
I maybe only spend 15% of my time on my inner/spiritual work.
It’s all I’m willing to do right now.
God/Spirit has been good to me. He’s given me lots of blessings and lessons both, which let’s face it, are both a gift when you realize what you needed to be taught.
I hope that my outside matches my inside — that there is warmth and genuineness and kindness and loyalty and decency and integrity there, and it has even been developed more with the inner work I’ve don over the years including the seminars and workshops and books.
But still, I cling to wanting to be pretty. I’m not secure enough yet to give that up, to say it is ONLY the inside that matters, although I can see the beauty in other people from their inside and could care less about their outside when I get to know them. In fact, they are beaitful to me, no matter what the world sees…
Ugly inside will show through no matter how technically attractive you are on the outside. The first time you open your mouth, will either validate your looks or eradicate them…
And even beauty is a matter of perspective and taste.
Good post, Mark. As usual, you make me think, even if it’s not wholly comfortable…
But then again, thta’s sseds for growth and change, isn’t it ?
My first understanding of this concept was in a figure drawing class in art school. I was 17 and we were always drawing pretty ladies, week in and week out. For our test, an obese woman was our study, and the guy I sat with would always crack-up. Remember, we were 17. We eventually had to split up and I almost went through a whole pad of paper attempting to draw her. Too make a long story short, during the breaks, even though she knew we were laughing at her, she stopped and chatted with the both of us as if nothing happened. I realized then, she may have been the most beautiful person in the world, funny and articulate. Although many thoughts and ideas about life are developed in so many different ways, this was a major eye opener, especially with the superficiality of all the ads and stuph that bombards us with the opposite. ; (
Mark,
This is such a special post. Thank you for making me feel beautiful inside, when lately I haven’t been feeling so beautiful outside. I really appreciate the reminder, that what is inside is what is important.
Yours is such a good soul, you are so pleasant and inspiring. Thanks again.
Hi Mark,
I’m afraid I have the opposite problem. I may spend too much time on the internal package. Balance would be a good thing.
Wc
Hi Mark,
Thank you for this wisdom!
You are an inspiration to me!
Blessings to you always,
jennifer
Mark,
‘twould be nice if this package didn’t hurt so much so often, but it has given me a rich internal life at least, and being now happily married I could ask for little. But it would be nice not to hurt.
For me, the whole thing has turned around although I never was one for getting the hair and nails thing done every few weeks for even months.
I’ve changed so much and it’s taken me about 42 years or so to really get comfortable being me, inside and out.
How about you? I always wonder about you.
Peace, beauty and tranquilty to all y’all today.
I introspect a lot and put everything I think and do under a magnifying glass. Sometimes it gets so tiring that I feel my head will explode. But sometimes it so much easier to tend to the external because it is easy but self introspection can be tough at times.
I’d like to say I spend more time on the outside as I do the inside, but I can honestly say I’ve neglected both. I have been learning how to do hair, make up, etc… It’s all be quite an interesting experience, I can safely say, I no longer look like a clown (as so I assume ::smiles::). And I’ve also been working on myself within. I think working on what’s within is more difficult than what we can cover on the outside.
I do think that in some form the two are linked. As would a package for a product. When the packaging on the outside doesn’t mirror or come close to the inside it is a bit odd. But, then again, the package on the outside is another way of self artistic expression. As you said it’s not bad to try and keep in shape or take care of our appearance. I think sometimes to care on the outside helps us care for us on the inside.
But you are right we really should be spending more time on what’s within.
blessings…..
I’m finding that working on my interior improves my perception of my own exterior, as well as everyone else’s, perhaps because it begins to meld exterior and interior in a unitary field of perception . . .
Now I’m checking to see if I comprehend what I just wrote . . .
Namaste . . .
Mark,
My whole life I have been saying this exact thing. The physical is not who we are, it is just a blanket that covers our souls. So any people only look for the outer layers.
I have a cousin that use to take pokes at people that were overweight. I often told her that one day she would find out all the damage that she was doing. She did, when I went to see her some years after I left the state she was much overweight and apologetic to those she had talked about. The medicine she dished out was quite sour in her mouth.
If we only could see the heart in people. Why do people have to demean others just to make themselves feel better. Sometimes I truly do wonder.
I think we must be careful though on what we feed ourselves, for me what I feed my form is connected to what I feed my mind, and what I feed my mind is connected in some way to how my soul feels at times. If this makes any sense
.
Helen,
Thank-you for your wise words! So many of us have fallen victim to the marketing media that we only saw what was in the mirror and forgot that we are not what we see, rather we are that which are physical eye cannot see.
Sue Ann,
Very wise thoughts! It is true, we cannot see the real us with the limits of our physical eye. Thanks for your wisdom.
Alexys,
Interesting thought. I understand what you are saying, however, I think that many people are not seen for who they truly are by other people. We are very good at masking our inner selfes and often hide that reflection or reflect something that is not true.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Annie,
I understand where you are at in the present moment. Having never seen you, I see you as a beautiful, loving, warm and very sincere soul.
Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford used to say
‘beauty is only skin deep but ugly is right to the bone” Ha!
You are always beautiful to me!
Have a great day!
Coffee Messiah,
Thank-you for sharing such a great story and such a wonderful, powerful lesson! I think many of us have been presented this very lesson in different ways. Glad to hear that you mastered this lesson at such an early age.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Sophia,
Good to hear from you! You are welcome! You are a perfect creation and that is worth loving!
Thank-you for your kind words and your thoughts.
Writer Chick,
Yes, we must learn to balance. While this body we have is a temporary housing, we still should make every effort to maintain it in optimal condition.
Jen,
Thank-you for your kind and inspiring thoughts!
Whig,
Pain is within your control, remember everything is thought.
Today is that day,
Thank-you for linking to this post!
Ruby,
Glad to hear that you have reaced a level of comfort inside and out.
You asked about me. I truly do love myself. I am very comfortable with my external being and not as bent as I once was at ensuring that it was always in “perfect” shape. Of course my view of perfect has shifted and I now know that my form is perfect no matter what shape my form takes, for I am not my form!
Thanks for your thoughts!
Random Magnus,
Yes, I agree introspection can be a difficult task, especially at first, I find that over time, it becomes very easy, effortless if you will. It is simply a shift in thought.
Be careful not to anal-ize the joy out of your life. Thanks for your thoughts.
Scarletbegonia,
Glad to hear that you no longer look like a clown, ha! There are times for everything, sounds like this is your time to learn what you are learning, that is okay. We must remember to balance ourselves and not neglet the real us, the us within the package. For some people working on the package can help the internal feel better, however that internal is usually the ego and that external fix does not last long or is dissappointing to the true inner self.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Oceanshaman,
Very true! I followed what you were saying, no problem!
T,
Thank-you for shaing the story of your cousin. The ego is what needs to be fed by tearing down other people, it makes are ego feel good and helps us to shadow are preceived shortcomings. When we live from spirit, we do learn to see the soul of each other and not the limited physical view.
Thanks so much for adding value to this conversation.
Tumel,
What you say does make sense, we must be aware of what we consume. I will say though that much of that is what is in our thoughts, I would caution anyone not to get too anal about your diet. We must enjoy all aspects of life and we should enjoy what we consume as well.
Great post! I love the packaging metaphor.
Thank you for sharing.
Robert,
Thank-you and welcome! Hope to see your thoughts in the future!
Have you heard the old adage ” there is a time and place for everything”
I have heard this repeated more times then enough” nothing is by chance” A friend once said to me “at this time of our life we shouldn’t have to be learning lessons of life but reaping the harvest” I think many times if I had I had just leaned a little more to the right after I finished Dental school I would have taken and offer up to open up shop in a little town. How different my life would be if only I had made one small choice in a different direction. But I didn’t and so there we travel on a new path, and as we travel we meet up with many experiences. I can only speak as a woman , that I had spent my life fulfilling these expectations set by others. Then comes the time of awareness, luckily for some it comes earlier in life then for others. It falls under many a title, ” middle age crisis, finding one’s self, age of awareness,etc” What you decide this timing it becomes true awakening. I did not ask for the gift to reach people, honestly I didn’t even want it. I preferred the nice big bolder out back to hide under and avoid the world around me. With self acceptance you find your worth in the world, not through the eyes of strangers but your your own eyes. I believe the timing is for a reason, I am amazed at those who come out of school and say this is what I want to be and fulfill it. I myself do not believe I could do as I am now without the experience that only time gives…… My favorite quote is I would rather live to be 30 then exist to be a 100 yrs of age. For some time I remained stagnant and that was being untrue to myself. I love what you quoted about the artist, the writers etc. It is so true, I write because it is a inner reflection of my soul, that truly needs self expression. Over the weekend I was commissioned to write several pieces. Always on edge when I take cash for work not done, I couldn’t sleep as the words in the darkness came together, the next day I ran it across my client, do you like where I am heading with it, they began to cry….. Is that good or bad I asked? They responded it is wonderful. I know age isn’t as important as timing and maybe a good bit of it leans on the circumstances surrounding our life. One of my very favorite of William Shakespeare “This above all: to thine own self be true”, and it is the most difficult of experiences, being true to self.
Thank you for visiting my blog, I am happy that you have enjoyed some of my daily ramble. I choose to write of love, it is the beautiful of expression.
I have a very basic knowledge of Islam, but as it was explained to me, your post is the very definition. According to Islam, animals submit to the will of God and the universe because they do not have free will, but people have free will, and so, they reject their true purpose in life. A muslim is a person who submits to God (Islam means submission) and their true purpose.
RCM,
Love what you wrote. The Bard’s quote is one of my favorites, one which I have used many times in my writings on this blog. To follow that simple rule is to follow a path of happiness. I agree, it is about timing, we all must go the path that we go, when the time is right then we will know where we are and how we shall go. I think that too many of us limit “our time” to this lifetime, this experience. Time is a illusion that we use to tease our being.
Thank-you for your wonderful thoughts! Peace and love to you!
Emerging from the Fire,
Very interesting. I did not know this. I like the comparison. Thank-you for sharing your thoughts.
tobeme, Limit ourselves to this lifetime and experience, hmm. I have read the book” a conversation with God “and it implies that we are here for this experience. If it by chance I were to have another experience, I take note that I will only have one in this human capsule. This month I am working at the Universal life healing center, they will have mediums and readers and I thought to myself what is it about the future I want to know and if I knew would I change my path? I guess we all want to know if we are strolling time the correct path in life. Sometimes we know the truth and what life holds but we want reassurance from someone else.
I will tell you this if I have another experience in another time, I hope I am not so tired. lol
The simple rule to follow a path of happiness, a dear friend of mine always would say to me ” I am happy when you are happy” Dwelling on what makes happiness. The most simple overlooked things can make a person happy. I lean heavily towards having ” peace of mind” I have danced on clouds many of times and it was as simple at reaching out and taking a hand. We as people are solely responsible for complicating life, because it is truly the most uncomplicated of adventures. Again I can’t thank you enough for making me think.
RCM,
You may be right, I believe that this experience in this human form is one of many that we have and that we carry forward the lessons which we learn and that we are eternal, therefore time in the sense that we know it is an illusion of sorts.
Interesting question you ask about knowin the future, if you knew the possible future, you would be impacted and part of that impact would change your path, however that would be the path you want to be on, for you to see the future would be part of your path. It’s all kind of a circle isn’t it.
I agree with you, we do complicate what should be very simple and natural. Amazing, are we not?
Thanks for your thought provoking thoughts. You are a true gem.