Harmony Point #11: Judgment

This brings us to Judgment, the next Harmony Point. To be clear, this is a catch-all term that refers to the process behind Choice, which is the outcome of careful contemplation.

Souls contemplate? I thought they already knew everything and had access to all truths.

You are correct. It is not Souls that must choose; they do not need to. As we discussed earlier, a Self’s only role is to influence its host Garb to make good choices.

But regardless of the quality of choices, it is only the human—not the Garb—that makes the choice.

So, it is humans who contemplate. Got it. Now, you said choice is an effect. How does that work?

Humans reason, and their choices are the result of reflection and contemplation. Every decision stems from prior consideration. The essence of this Harmony Point is to highlight just how Garbs come to make their choices.

Ah – judgments! You wouldn’t happen to be referring to things like bias, prejudice, and things like that, would you?

What is prejudice … if not pre-judging?

This is where we must recognize the overwhelming influence of human nature. A Garb’s life is a continuous series of choices.

Among the most critical of these decisions is one with eternally significant consequence. It is when the Garb’s Mind chooses whether to heed the wise counsel of the Soul’s Voice of Conscience or to persist in the arrogance of egocentric certainty.

I knew we would get to ego eventually. In the Twelve Step program, there’s a mnemonic that says ego stands for “Edging God Out.”

Most Garbs choose to go it alone, disregarding the Divine guidance that is always within reach.

But choose they do, constantly—day in and day out, minute by minute, moment by moment. Even the decision not to choose is, in itself, a Choice.

Whether it is about that blind date, which movie to watch, how to respond to the beggar on the street corner, holding a door open, answering a call, or when to stop eating—each decision shapes the path forward.

I can see that now. Every moment of every day, a Garb faces choices. Whether to exploit a tax loophole, pay taxes at all, complain about interest rates, read a bedtime story to a child, smile at a stranger, rescue a stray dog, or decide when and how to discipline. Whether to pull the weeds.

Life is, at its core, a bundle of choices. Who to vote for in an election, or whether to vote at all. Whether to have an abortion, or to stop others from having one.

Whether to refrain from using offensive language, including terms that may not be considered politically correct. Every decision, big or small, shapes the course of one’s journey.

Whether to say “Merry Christmas” to a stranger or use the more considerate “Happy Holidays.” Whether to wear a mask during a pandemic. Whether to use derogatory names or make fun of someone’s physical characteristics.

Humans are unique among ALL’s creations in their capacity for self-derision. Garbs face daily opportunities to choose whether to discriminate or embrace, to forgive or seek retribution. Each choice reflects the inner struggle between fear and love.

Garbs have to decide whether to self-reflect, meditate, feel regret, or apologize. They must choose whether to weigh their emotions or live in fear. They also need to figure out where to place their ultimate trust.

Humans have a saying: “Me, Myself, and I.” Yet, over the centuries, they have lost sight of its deeper meaning.

Originally, this expression served as a reminder that every Spiritual Personality is three-headed. Each action or thought is influenced by one of three competing forces: the Mortal Entity (“Me,” the Garb), the Subjected Eternal Life form (the Self), or the Infinite Mind of ALL (“I”). 

Wow! That’s so cool. I’ll never hear “me, myself, and I” the same way again!

Harmony Point #12:
Soul’s Altruism Tendency

Now, the core of the Harmony Points is Spiritual Equilibrium. Ultimate Happiness for the Garb—and satisfaction for the Soul—depends on the quality of our TempTerra choices.

Before we go on …I am confused. Can you clarify the difference between Spiritual Equilibrium’s Four Contributors and its Four Tendencies?

Why, they are the Four Contributors to Spiritual Equilibrium: Heart, Soul, Might, and Mind. Each one creates within a Garb a particular Tendency; respectively Empathy, Altruism, Performance, and Egoism. We will discuss them at length later.

To fully understand Spiritual Equilibrium, we must first grasp the four factors that shape a Garb’s decision-making, called the Four Tendencies of Spiritual Equilibrium.

Once we explore each, you will see how they align. We begin with the first factor: the Soul’s Tendency toward Altruism.

Why is it first?

For a simple reason: it is always present. The Soul never stops communicating with the Garb’s Mind, offering guidance in every situation. It is up to the Mind to grow quiet long enough to hear the Soul.

As we mentioned earlier, a Garb would be well advised to pay attention to the good advice from the Soul, since it has reliable and positive truths coming directly from the Source.

Harmony Point #13:
Mind’s Egoism Tendency

As we will soon discuss, Garbs operate within their own Competing Reality—which, in truth, is not reality at all—while adopting their own unique Outlook on life.

No, it’s an artificial reality when seen from the perspective of a Self. But even if it were genuine and not artificial, it would still be inherently flawed since it relies on partial and distorted sensory data.

In the framework of Spiritual Equilibrium, the Mind serves two distinct roles. Are you aware of this? Follow along in the Harmony Chart, center section.

No. Please explain.

A Garb’s Mind acts as both a sender and receiver of decision-making information. As a sender, it is almost always occupied, devising strategies, tactics, and schemes in response to any situation.

Yeah, and in moments like that, the Mind should really be listening to the Self for its valuable insights.

But it rarely stops at that. Instead, it sends out strong vibrational pulses, which the Spiritual Heart is bound by the Absolute Laws to take into account.

What about being a receiver?

It is the Garb’s Mind that must decide whether to grow quiet long enough to hear what the Self has to say. Then, the Mind must choose how—or whether—to incorporate the Self’s insights into its final conclusions.

So, are you saying that the Mind, not the Soul, is the one that decides whether to take in the Soul’s guidance?

That is exactly what I am saying. As we discussed earlier, it is not the Soul that chooses to Spread Love—it is the Garb that must make that choice.

Yes, I remember.

Harmony Point #14:
Heart’s Empathy Tendency

The Spiritual Heart’s role is also two-fold. Would you like to take a guess?

Well, if the pattern holds, then the Spiritual Heart is both a sender and a receiver.

In its case, the order is reversed. The Spiritual Heart first receives the vibrational input, then determines how to send out the emotional response.

How so?

The Spiritual Heart absorbs all vibrations from the Garb’s Mind and must evaluate the combined, often conflicting messages to find where the balance lies.

Is the overall directive to act more materially, adopting the TempTerra perspective? Or is it to follow the guidance from the Everly perspective?

And then there’s the sender role of the Spiritual Heart. So, what is it sending, and to who?

What it sends forth are Emotions, which reflect the position of the flag on the rope in the ongoing tug-of-war between the Mind and the Soul.

As the word “emotion” implies, it gets the body to act accordingly.

Not just actions, Maggie. Words too. And even before them, thoughts. Remember, thoughts lead to words, and words lead to actions.

Weren’t these thoughts already discussed earlier?

No, the earlier mental work was about strategizing and planning. Now, the thoughts are tactical—ready to be put into action.

So, to sum it up: the Garb’s Mind starts by creating its own strategy for the decision it’s facing. Then, it might consider the insights from the Self, but that’s optional.

Once it decides what it wants to happen, it sends those instructions to the Spiritual Heart. The Spiritual Heart then evaluates the vibes from the Mind and generates emotions that the body can sense.

Harmony Point #15:
Might’s Performance Tendency

You did quite well. Now, let us consider the significance of Might’s Performance Tendency, which represents the tangible aspects of life, rooted in cause and effect.

It encompasses the physical, material actions that Garbs undertake, shaping their choices in the practical world.

I think we’ve already gone over this. In response to the emotions it picks up, the Garb’s energy (what we’re calling Might) is pushed to act a certain way by influencing its thoughts, words, and actions. But why is it called a Performance Tendency?

Humans are focused on results. How could they not be, when their entire world, their entire reality, is physical and tangible? Actions remain unseen until they manifest into something that can be perceived by the Five Senses.

That makes sense. Oops! I just caught my own pun.

One related thought: neuro-associations between emotions and physical conditions can trigger actions long after the Soul-Mind-Heart processes have passed. These connections can create feedback loops, where past experiences spark behavior patterns without conscious awareness.

I’m confused.

For example, when you get scared, you feel that weird sensation in your stomach, right? Your brain associates that feeling with fear. Then, when you get really hungry and feel a similar sensation in your gut, suddenly – and for reasons you cannot explain – you feel scared.

All of this really highlights a key point that I think you’re trying to make: be careful about what you think. And – be mindful (no pun intended) of how you think.