The Instruction
by Ainslie MacLeod
Have you ever wondered what the purpose of life is? Or maybe, more specifically, what is the purpose or your life? I sure have. Researching such topics, I came across The Instruction while looking for information on the Michael Teachings. Both The Instruction and books on the Michael Teachings provide fascinating insight into our purpose on earth and our soul’s journey, as it progresses through soul ages, working on spiritual advancement through many lifetimes. Both also discuss the vast differences in human personalities, due to our varying “soul ages,” “soul types” or “roles.”
For information on our soul’s purpose and characteristics, I prefer The World According to Michael, by Joya Pope. Part of my bias may be because I read that book first and now accept it as the authority on such things. The book is out of print, but you can find used copies, or you can find much of the same information at Michaelteachings.com or in The Michael Handbook, which I haven’t read yet. Having read other reviews, it appears that some people prefer The Instruction over the Michael Teachings, for information on our soul’s purpose. The Instruction covers Soul Ages, Soul Types and Missions in Part I.
From there, MacLeod continues into parts II and III, where he provides information and techniques for changing your life, information the Michael Teachings doesn’t really get into. MacLeod also suggests that by accessing information through your spirit guides, you can get direction and “live the life your soul intended.” I absolutely agree. In fact, I suggest the same idea in my own book, Simple Meditation: A Spiritual Connection for Transforming Your Life. In Part II, MacLeod offers suggestions for overcoming life’s obstacles and furthering our soul’s advancement. For example, he lists fears that we may need to face, which may have started with a traumatic experience in a past life.
For me, this immediately brought to mind a past life in France (1600’s). I spoke my mind and was beheaded, leading to a fear of public speaking in this life. I’m working to face this fear and am now president of my Toastmaster’s club, along with booking an increasing number of speaking events. Part III of The Instruction provides tools for finding “fulfillment.” These tools include recognizing your natural talents and applying them to your life, or developing “the ten powers,” like tranquility, clarity, relaxation, integrity, protection, visualization, intention, communication, guidance and action. In Chapter 11: The Door to Enlightenment, MacLeod provides a moving story about a client’s dealings with the court system. Upon shifting his perspective, the client’s life changed. Not only did his issues with the courts get resolved, but the change started to affect his viewpoint on almost everything. This story made it clear how you can take the book’s important message and apply it to your everyday life.