Personality is governed by your soul.

April 18, 1980

God is present as a radiant energy penetrating and nourishing each of your souls and guiding us as we speak through them to you. 

You have a unique gift to the world, a capacity, a potential. This uniqueness identifies your soul from all others. Your gift, your uniqueness, is a part of your soul and remains with it forever. Note that we express your individuality as it relates to your soul rather than using a term like personality which carries with it a connotation that is more closely aligned with matters of a physical existence. 

Your soul is unique. No two souls carry the same identity, but all souls are related as a brother and sister to the same parent. The character of your soul may be constant in this uniqueness, but it is always developing. This progression or development is reaching toward the same objective among souls of any imaginable number. This direction is the ultimate oneness with God. It is the point at which you become God. The only difference is the direction from which you approach God. That direction is defined by the individuality of the soul entity. 

This uniqueness is something you should be proud of. There is no reason for jealousy, for although you are all different, you are all equal. The differences that your soul possesses are apparent to those around you. Their physical manifestation is in personality. No two personalities are alike because no souls are alike. 

Science is full of research data relating the intricacies of genes and chromosomes to the ultimate development of physical characteristics with implications abounding for their importance to the personality. These scientific findings are not incorrect, but they are incomplete. Your physical characteristics, in other words your appearance, is controlled by the elements so closely studied by scientists, but more than any other factor, your personality is governed by your soul. 

As your soul develops, your personality is transformed. Your outlook is changed, your response to life around is altered. The genes and chromosomes that control so much of your development are constant and therefore cannot be credited with the responsibility for the formation of your personality. It is true that your environment affects your personality, for your environment colors your moods and your perceptions, but ultimately your soul is the dominant force. 

You should be proud of your uniqueness. You have an opportunity to contribute to life in a way that cannot be duplicated by another. It is like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. The puzzle is not complete without each piece being placed in its proper location.

Part of your responsibility in your daily life is a search for your own individuality, a search for your special talent, whatever it may be. The recognition of your talent is only part of the solution to a rewarding life. The other part, and by far the most difficult responsibility relating to your talents, is the recognition of the talents of others. It is seeing the worth, the value, the importance of every individual. It is one thing to say to yourself, “I know my talent.” It is something else again to say, “I truly know the talent of another.” 

In a marriage, the strengthening of a relationship is greatly dependent upon the recognition of the value and an acceptance of the uniqueness of one’s spouse. It is a difficult task, for although the soul is the foundation for the personality, there are many visible aspects, manifestations of the personality, which tend to cloud your recognition of the other’s true value. Some marriage relationships dissolve not because of mere incompatibility but because of an inability to recognize the real value of another. 

This recognition is so difficult between two people that it may seem nearly impossible when viewed on a broader stage. To a great extent, you will not truly recognize the gift of many others, but you can recognize and fully accept the truth that each individual is a gift. By accepting others this way, you will find it easier to live and work in greater harmony. 

Of course, there are times when you feel anger or resentment toward another. That is natural. Your anger is a part of your personality, but such feelings can only be rightfully directed toward behavior, not the person. When you find yourself at odds with others, remember always that they are your equals and that each is a unique gift and has value. 

Even a criminal who has committed a crime which is repulsive to society has a unique gift, has an aspect of goodness and a purpose ordained by God. You are no better than a criminal. Only your behavior, only the manifestation, is more appropriate. There have been many who have been convicted of serious crimes who have ultimately shown their good. The reality of that core of goodness is not unique; it is universal. Therefore, as you face life on a daily basis, do not feel guilty about recognizing an element in another which displeases you, but hold onto an awareness that somewhere in God’s plan that person is important, that person is good, that person is as much a part of God as you. That person is your equal. That person, as well as you, is progressing toward the ultimate oneness of God. 

You have the opportunity of learning from others. There are many gifts within your group sharing in this communion. There is a gift of giving. There is the gift of praying. There is the gift of caring. There is the gift of listening, the gift of patience, the gift of receiving. There is a gift of warmth and love. Each of you shares in your gifts. Each of you learns from the other, and by learning, takes on that gift and passes it to another.

We don’t imply that each has only one gift, for the soul is many-sided, and the value of such gifts, as we have mentioned, is recognized by each soul, and each of you in your own way works to enrich these gifts. For some, more effort is needed in one area than another, but in the end, if you are willing to learn from others, these gifts will be successfully combined in each of you, providing for a life rich in the sense of fulfillment and peace, with no room left for bitterness, anger, frustration, or despair. 

Be challenged by one another. Become more aware of each of your values. Absorb the strengths of others and make them yours, too. This is a life-long project; it is never completed. We work on this, too, and we see progress, but it is slow, and it takes effort. God blesses your efforts and assures you that as you become more tolerant of others through your acceptance of their importance, their uniqueness, their qualities, your life will be enriched beyond your dreams. 

God bestows blessings on you and all those for whom you pray and assures you of God’s abiding presence in your lives. Rejoice, God is here! 

Amen.