Humanity is perhaps the most unstable and unpredictable of all the spiritual elements, since its expression is so dependent upon the presence or absence of the other elements. Humanity is the element created when Divinity is encapsulated in a Body. This is the element that is “us,” here and now as embodied souls on Earth. It is an element that can act as a reflection or amplification of the Divinity that resides within the “wise-gift-vessel” that is our Body. On the other hand, our Humanity can reflect and amplify the ignorance of our Divine nature as we become driven by instinct and ego.
We arrive on Earth wise, like babies─ knowing how to be born, in tune with our bodies, intuitive by nature, perhaps closer to our Divinity than we might ever be in this life.
Most likely, we will become fogged in ignorance, poor-memoried spiritually speaking, with a tendency to become entangled in trivial knowledge and ego-driven desires. In addition, we will be expected to perform and behave within established milestones of convention that are said to be “normal” as defined by the many who are similarly ignorant of their own Divinity.
We may then grow to see the many paradoxes of Humanity.
We may realize that we are:
Grace-fallen creatures of instinct and sin, or grace-filled creators of love and poetry.
Artists, heroes, villains and murderers.
Fear-filled pleasers of opinion. Good Samaritans. Cruel.
Honest. Liars. Herd animals. Hermits. Always striving. Complacent. Quitters.
Addicts. Adulterers. Caretakers. Selfless. Devout.
Self-limiting. Unbounded. Peaceful. Chaotic. Wounded. Healers.
Rational problem solvers. Mystics.
Dark. Light. We are all that and so much more. We are unique manifestations of the Divine, and we are unique manifestations of ego and instinct— all at the same time.
Humanity is the lesson plan for our souls. Humanity lays down an obstacle course for communing with the Divinity that we are and that we briefly knew when we were wise babies— the Divinity of which our souls are still so profoundly aware.
Throughout our lives, we are challenged to reconnect with that part of us. Our challenge is to figure out how to be Human in a soulful manner.
Our duty is to remember.
We forget our Divine nature. We come to think that we are separate from this and that Divinity exists as some magical kingdom or “heaven” solely outside of ourselves. We relegate ourselves─ Humanity─ to a position of inadequacy, instead of positioning ourselves to express the Divinity within and access the Infinitude available to us when we our aware of our true nature.
At times I have battled with cynicism, and have experienced Humanity as so many unawakened people being unconscious of their own Divinity. It is so easy to drink the Kool-Aid of social convention and be run by the ego’s great concern for how we are perceived by others. We also tend to be the Walking Wounded, governed and dictated by the wounds of inadequacy inflicted upon us in our childhoods. We are left to bounce around our lives in the constant mode of soothing those childhood wounds; at the same time, we attempt to comply with social convention, which provides a convenient template on how to behave and defines success in purely practical realms. Many live in a constant state of anxiety, trying to balance out all of these forces, barely holding together their own house of cards.
But then…Oh my God!…if my cynicism doesn’t get quickly turned on end when I see all of the living angels here on Earth: People filled with vitality, kindness, expansion and Joy, and people who live in Service to others and celebrate their Truth. These people (we’ve all met them) seem to be living in full alignment with their Divinity─ and it shows. Indeed, they are in their element!
Any cynicism I may have left further disintegrates when I turn within and ask for guidance for whatever I may be going through in the moment. When I go within in this way, I see that I am no one to judge anyone else’s path. I am no one to even know if my own work is done, as I learn how to be in a consistent state of receptivity to Divine guidance for my own healing and growth. I realize that I am simply to love my own path, live my own Truth and serve others as best I can. I am to see the Divinity that resides in myself and every one regardless of where they might be on their journey.
I am to see the Beauty in a dandelion. I am to be Light like a feather. I am to be okay with the mystery and okay with not having everything figured out. I am allowed to breathe and just be.
After having experienced these insights, I instinctively want to say: Hallelujah and thank you! “Hallelujah” is not a word I say a lot, but, dang, if it isn’t a joyful one! Maybe I should say it more often. When we see and experience the Divinity which resides within ourselves and others, it feels like we just got an award, doesn’t it? This awareness feels as if someone just opened an envelope announcing the winner: “In the category of recognizing the Divinity within Humanity, the winner is…Humanity!” That winning envelope is awaiting everyone. Our acceptance speech can be very brief: “Hallelujah and thank you!”
We Are So Much
We are so much that little can be done here to discuss the myriad of complexities of Humanity and the human condition. There is so much that makes us uniquely human and there are many “conditions” that hold us back from recognizing the Divinity within Humanity.
We are instinctual beings. We have Bodies that have drives for sex, food, sleep, pleasure, social connection and survival in general, amongst others. We get rewarded with pleasure-enhancing dopamine in fulfilling these calls. On a purely animalistic level, without consciousness, we may freely act upon and satisfy our urges.
Yet, at this point in our development, we don’t poop in the middle of the room. We are conscious of our drives to a large degree, more so when we are in tune with our Bodies and mindful of how such drives and urges manifest themselves in our thoughts and actions. Care may be necessary to not let the social constructions of shame be imposed upon these very natural tendencies. We can exercise self-control from a place of Love, Wisdom and Respect, rather than shame.
Humanity puts the lens of consciousness upon our animal instincts. With consciousness comes Self-Awareness, Freewill and intention as to how this part of our Humanity is expressed. The element of Humanity celebrates these Bodily sensations (which are, in fact, sensational to souls not used to being embodied). Humanity recognizes that these urges are part of the human experience, yet only one part of who we are.
Soul Urges
What are the urges of the soul when not embodied in Human form? Soul urges are: Truth, Love, Bliss and Equanimity in the context of constant Communion with Divinity. These are the tidbits and clues of our Divinity. They are our Divinely-natural urges that bubble up from within when they are allowed to do so. Hey push us towards Healing and awakening. They aren’t so much urges as ways of being. Soul “urges” are accessible for all in Humanity to experience; they transcend the fulfillment of any bodily urge. Soul urges exist alongside the bodily urges mentioned above. In this way, the process of our collective Humanity becomes a reconciliation process for these two sets of “urges.”
“How is it possible that a being with sensitive jewels as eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as ears and such a fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself as anything less than God?” -Alan Watts
Body-Centric
As souls within Bodies, we tend to be Body-centric, viewing our being as contained, totally dependent and experienced through the body that was given to us. We are biased into interpreting life as a bodily experience. We forget what it feels like to be a free, uncontained soul and experience soul urges in an uncontained manner. We lean towards bodily experiences and interpretations of the Universe.
Owning Our Sexuality
Our sexuality is more than the pure instinct to have sex, or to reproduce, or to achieve orgasms. With Humanity, our sexuality becomes uniquely entwined with our personalities as one important part of the complexity of who we are. It becomes an important expression of our Truth, a key aspect of how we express Love and, ultimately, our Divinity. Our task is to own our sexuality, whatever it might be. The totality of its unique expression by each of us and the obstacles to that expression should be fully explored as part of the lesson plan of a soul embodied.
To be human is to be sexual in some way, even if we are asexual. To fully embrace our Humanity is to know everything about our own sexuality─ how it evolved within us and how it can best serve us and our partners─ within the context of our shame-wielding modern society. Our sexuality relates to our spirituality, our expressions of love, our playfulness and our physicality. It is also deeply connected to those very human aspects of ourselves, including our self-image, our capacity for intimacy and our overall quality of life. To know this is to begin to own our sexuality. To view sexuality as part of our Humanity, with no judgment towards the sexual expression of others as long as it causes no harm, is to own our and others’ sexuality as part of Humanity.
I like to joke that: Souls don’t hump. Without a body, they are all about communing and dong so with Love and without judgment. Our sexuality is likely a unique lesson plan of Humanity. The test may be to except ours and others live or Truth, with sexuality further being an avenue of divine expression manifesting Love, Joy and Creativity (making babies).
Wandering Minds, Monkey Minds
Embodied as humans, we get to use these great problem-solving brains that have served us so well so far for survival. As part of the survival game, our brains seem to have a very strong inclination to wander around scanning the “scene” for both any kind of threats to and opportunities to ensure that survival.
Our minds look for patterns that might spell threats and opportunities.
In this modern age, theoretically we have better access to basic survival needs and thus, fewer threats to our survival. Yet our minds are rigged to wander, and so they do. Sometimes we talk about having a “monkey mind” that jumps around from thought to thought and worry to worry─ this tendency to have wandering minds is a big part of that “monkey mind.”
Two Overzealous Self-Defense Systems
I believe humans have two overzealous self-defense systems built into our bodies and psyches. These two systems tend to send our already wandering monkey minds to bouncing off of the walls, so to speak; they keep our minds in a constant reactionary state. These two systems are: 1) Our Fight-or-Flight (or Freeze) System, primarily designed to protect us from physical harm; and 2) Our Egos, intended to protect us from emotional harm. These systems are engaged over and over again by what are essentially false alarms, sending our monkey minds into reactionary mode time and again.
Our fight-or-flight mechanisms probably worked great in the Neanderthal days when there was the possibility of a saber tooth tiger looming outside the cave at any moment. With that threat gone for the most part, what we have now is an overly-sensitive alarm system. It is just like that car down the block that seems to blare and honk at the slightest vibration.
“Threats” that set off our alarm systems these days include job performance issues, paying the bills, fears of romantic rejection, even fears that people might see through our outer persona. These are all new ways of viewing ourselves as “not surviving.”
Meanwhile, our body’s calming system, the vagus nerve, which resets the body out of panic mode, is underactive in many of us. What can result is the worst-case scenario─ the blaring alarm system (fear, anxiety, panic) is always on. The scary part is that we can so get used to it being on, that the stress of it can wreak havoc on our bodies without us even knowing it.
The egoic self-defense system is not bad in and of itself at first. It does serve a purpose. It helps us mediate some of the cruelties of the world while we hopefully formulate a stronger sense of self along the way. If we find out we are not the smartest kid in kindergarten, for example, the ego may chime in with: “Well, you are a better T-ball player than anyone else.”
The ego guards the emotions pertaining to how we feel about ourselves. Its main concern is how we might be perceived by ourselves or by others or and it protects us (sometimes at all costs) from being made to feel too “bad” or inadequate. The ego should step aside to a large degree once we have established a strong sense of self. It gets overzealous and refuses to do so when our True sense of self is somehow not validated. The ego will then want to take over and completely run the show with its distorted sense of purpose. This overzealousness may look like a constant concern about the perception of others or trying to constantly control one’s image as perceived by others, sometimes getting to the pointing of wanting to fully control one’s entire environment.
“Your will is the ego part of you that believes you’re separate from others, separate from what you’d like to accomplish or have, and separate from God. It also believes that you are your acquisitions, achievements, and accolades. This ego will want you to constantly acquire evidence of your importance.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer
Feeling Machines: The Root Word of Emotion is Motion
Part of Humanity is the fact that we are emotional beings. It’s not that other animals don’t have emotions, but rather that ours are perhaps a bit more complex. We are also far more conscious of them (or at least we have the ability to be). Emotions make up a huge part of what is called “the human experience” and they are entwined with many other aspects of who we are. As such, they are affected by the monkey mind, the ego, the fight-or-flight system, our sexuality and our body and soul urges. Our emotions can send us into a constant state of reactivity to which we can become subservient, bouncing around like a beach ball, acting them out in some fashion the majority of the time.
Our emotions are really energies that have to be released or expressed in some fashion. Most of the time, we have a tendency to avoid or suppress them. Avoidance or suppression does not expend the energy created. Instead, this energy is stored or absorbed into the body and/or psyche, eventually wreaking havoc in some physical and/or mental way while requiring additional energy to contain it.
The word “emotion” holds the clue for Humanity’s care of them— “motion.” Emotions are to be allowed to move. Feelings are meant to be felt. Feeling and moving our emotions does not mean always acting on them. It does mean sitting with them momentarily before they hit the exit door. They are certainly not to be stored. Not anger. Not Love. They are to be let go and let flow. Some emotions, like Love, have an infinite capacity to flow, while others, like anger, can quickly dissipate when allowed to do so.
One emotion of note that we as humans tend to hold and store is shame. We are shame-holding creatures, as this is an emotion that tells us that we are inadequate in some way. When we allow the feelings of shame to flow, we can reconcile it with our True Divine nature or we can realize that a particular behavior or action doesn’t totally define our value. When stored and not processed, shame will retain its power and fester as a wound within.
Through witnessing the motion of our emotions, we learn about them. We learn that our emotions are not us but that they are, in fact, merely information which may or may not accurately reflect the reality of a situation. We may get a pang of jealousy and quickly release it as totally unwarranted. We may also engage in creative pursuits as a way of expressing emotion and letting them flow. As we do, we gain emotional intelligence; we get PhDs in letting our emotions flow.
“Sobbing like a baby is sometimes the most grown up thing we can do.” -Anonymous
Free-Willing Rational Minds
I remember as a kid hearing a question as to what about humans distinguishes us from all of the other creatures in the animal world. The answer I always heard was…Thumbs! No offense to thumbs, which are oh-so-very-handy, but I am of the opinion that the correct answer relates to our brain, most specifically our prefrontal cortex, which resides right up above and between our eyebrows. The prefrontal cortex is known as the “executive function” area of the brain. It draws information from elsewhere and makes decisions. It also makes judgments. This part of our brain is a key aspect of being human and has played a large role in the survival and proliferation of our species.
The prefrontal cortex might be represented by that other tree in the Biblical Genesis story, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. I am implying that there was a point in our collective history where we came to rely on and succeed in life based upon that part of the brain, and at that point we fell away from utilizing other resources that we may have had access to (and still do). Those other resources can be represented by the Tree of Life.
Our brain gives us the power to make choices. It can lean us towards be very analytical, treating much of life as one big problem that needs to be solved. In its extreme, it can lead people to live their lives based upon spreadsheet calculations. It can turn life into a series of decisions based on economics. It can lean us towards self-interest and total rationality. Our brain tends to make us overly confident in our abilities and not see our own biases. It is not ideally geared towards dealing with the mystical, the esoteric and the spiritual. It leans towards logic and black-and-white thinking. It wants to classify, categorize and look for patterns. It likes facts. Just the facts, ma’am.
The rational mind can view life as a problem to be solved and nothing more. As such, they do not naturally prioritize our remembrance of our Divinity— we have to make a conscious effort to do this engaging other aspects of who we, which are not always rational, such as Love, Intuition, Creativity and others.
Wounds, Shadows and Suffering
In the context of this wonderful problem-solving brain, humans are prone to “wounding” of the psyche, which often manifests itself as profound wounds of inherent inadequacy (I will often refer to these as: The Almost Universal, Mostly Unconscious, Wounds of False Inherent Inadequacy). Through abandonment, abuse or neglect, we can be left with the strong imprints of inadequacy. “I am not lovable,” “I am not good enough,” “I do not matter,” “My needs do not matter,” are similar themes that will tend to run our lives. These themes can be like an unknown virus on the hard drive of our psyche, serving to direct or affect many of our actions and behaviors.
Such wounds can compose part of what some might term either the “dark” or “shadow” side of our personalities. These are the parts of us that we do not like; they are the parts that we do not want to rise up in the light of day to be acknowledged, along with the emotions associated with them. The threat of experiencing these emotions may be just too overwhelming to our overall sense of emotional well-being and our basic survival instinct. There is a part of us that holds these emotions at bay as if we would not survive their expression.
Wounds and shadows are shame-driven. Shame is a feeling that someday you will be found inadequate in some way. We are creatures that tend to bury emotions deep inside of us. Of note─ shame is the first emotion experienced in the Genesis story after the protagonists ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life.” -Carl Jung
Suffering
Many Eastern religions emphasize suffering as a given part of the human condition. We suffer by being in a continued state of resistance to reality and to its basic facts, such as the fact that each of us is going to die and so are all of our loved ones. We suffer by clinging to objects, desires and people outside of ourselves as determinants of our happiness.
We tend to be not accepting of the temporal, changing nature of life or of that which we cling to. We are creatures of habit and protectors of the status quo, no matter how faulty it may be. The Universe is in a state of constant change, however, and resisting this change will make for a constant state of suffering.
On the other hand, our suffering is the key in identifying exactly what we are resisting, what we need to accept and what we need to let go of.
“The fire of suffering becomes the light of consciousness.” -Eckhart Tolle
Humanity as a Collective Soul, or the “Herd Mentality”
All humans are linked by this common state called “Humanity.” We often use the word to refer to that part of us which is redeeming and “good.” Our Humanity is appealed to in times of tragedy (to be of assistance to strangers we do not know, for example); most often we do rise to the occasion. Here our Humanity is linked by, and reflects, the Divinity which lies at our core and which is the cosmic fabric that we are all part of.
We can see this cosmic fabric as having two sides. One side is our ability to “do good” and rise to the occasion. The other side expresses our connection through egoic energy. This is the energy of concern for how we are perceived by others, a “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. It can also be the energy of chasing the latest fad or distraction brought up by the paparazzi. This can be the energy of social convention and the need to perform in line with socially constructed milestones which may vary far from our individual Truth.
The herd mentality aspect of the connected nature of Humanity represents powerful forces acting upon us. Varying from either social convention or our Truth will result in anxiety. Our task is to discern what forces are at work within and around us and live our Truth, despite the herd.
Humanity is the Soul’s Lesson Plan; Divinity is the Tutor, the Teacher and the Answer
As you read about all of these dynamics that push and pull on the human condition, you might say, “Dang! I don’t want to deal with all of that. That is all too hard, too difficult to try to sort through and balance. How can I do it?”
The ego would love to take over all responsibility in living your life and do so in a manner that complies with social convention and what pleases the perceptions of others. Your bodily urges, or various wounds, might otherwise make a motion to run the show as well, if you feel not up to the task of wrestling with the overall picture of your own Humanity.
We are all like students nervous before an exam. We do not know that we have all the answers we need inside of us. We have all of the resources within, with the number one element of Divinity there as well. Divinity will shine Light upon all of the dynamics of our Humanity─ and more. Even better, Divinity will encourage us to first embrace all of that we are─ the good, the bad and the not-so-bad.
Then Divinity will lead you to be more soul-centric, capitalizing on your soul tendencies. Divinity will lead you towards healing. Divinity will lead you towards Mindfulness, Wisdom and Equanimity. Divinity will lead you towards acceptance and out of suffering.
We are given quite an obstacle course through which to pursue our Divinity in this life. Yet, the pilgrimage towards Divinity starts with just one step, which is inevitably always a step within. We start by opening a door within ourselves, making ourselves open to Divinity and receptive to its presence within our own Humanity.
“You wander around room to room, hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck.” –Rumi
ALCHEMY
The whole Periodic Table of Spiritual Elements is designed to be helpful to Humanity in aligning with each person’s individual and collective Divinity. The alchemy necessary for each person will vary.
The wise-gift-vessel of the Body is what makes each stint of Humanity possible. It is the ticket to the show and part of the soul-lesson plan that is Humanity.
Breath is the life-giving and healing force that is the constant companion of Humanity. Breath feeds Body and soul, serving as a unifying and grounding force.
Mindfulness, Self-Awareness and Healing assist Humanity in recognizing various forces affecting the psyche and the overall human experience.
Love, Respect, Empathy, Non-judgment, Nurturance and Service help Humanity to play nice with others, see their Divinity and aid others in need.
Non-Attachment helps Humanity to not resist Change and experience the suffering that comes with such, nor to attach inappropriate value to temporary objects outside of ourselves.
Devotion, Freewill, Surrender and Faith help Humanity to fold into and be receptive to Divinity.
Intuition serves as a Divine messenger to Humanity.
Creativity helps us express emotions and express our experience within Humanity in general.
PRACTICES
- Mindfulness is a key practice that helps us to observe the varied dynamics that might be at play within our psyches at any given time. Meditation is a key practice that supports our Mindfulness. Both of these practices can play a large role in recognizing and taming the wandering monkey-mind and the ego. ( See Meditation and Mindfulness chapters)
- Become familiar with common traits of the ego so that you may recognize it when it raises its head. Ego tendencies might include:
-The need to puff up one’s value and/or put others down (bragging, belittling someone else’s achievement, exaggerating about or inventing an achievement, etc.).
-The need to fit in and be liked by others (dressing, eating, speaking or otherwise acting in a way that is not genuine so as to please others; pretending to agree with someone when you don’t, hiding some aspect of your taste for fear of being mocked, etc.).
-The need to be right and the inability to admit being wrong or having made a mistake.
-The tendency to be quick to blame others for your mistakes.
-Gossiping.
-Being highly judgmental.
-Having the need to constantly prove one’s value (i.e. through over achievement, bragging, taking credit).
-Having the need to engage in image-control and making constant efforts to manipulate how one is perceived by others (i.e. strategically mentioning aspects of yourself according to your audience, such as telling athletes you are a fast runner or telling academics that you have read certain books— even if you have, but especially if you haven’t.)
-Behaving materialistically, with the aim of bolstering one’s image and overall “value.”
-Not being able to handle criticism.
-A lack of true empathy for others.
-Controlling behavior in general (being bossy, not listening to others’ ideas or opinions).
-Being self-critical. (In this regard, note that the ego can turn on you and go towards a constant monologue designed to put its host— you— down. This is a distorted attempt on the part of the ego to be in control, but it can also be an indicator of some profound wound of inadequacy that is calling to be healed.)
- Take time to be in Solitude in Nature as much as possible as a matter of getting separation from any aspect of the herd mentality of Humanity. Periodic times of Solitude will help give you perspective on collective behavior and social convention.
- Take an inventory of your own sexuality and comfort level with it. Then, take inventory of your own acceptance of the sexuality and sexual behavior of other consenting adults. You likely have a greater understanding of the sexuality of others than you think if you can answer the following questions for yourself and also consider how the questions might be applied to others in an empathetic and fair manner:
-Is your sexuality an integral part of who you are?
-Is your sexuality a major part of how you express love and intimacy?
-Did you choose your sexuality?
-Can you change your sexuality?
-Should you have to suppress your sexuality?
Challenge yourself to be honest with people about your sexuality. While you don’t have to go around announcing it if you don’t want to, you should feel comfortable allowing it to be known. If you’re not, you may be under the influence of the herd mentality. Also challenge yourself to be accepting of the sexual preferences of others— not just tolerant of them, i.e. allowing them to exist without judgment, accepting those preferences, orientations and identities as equally valid and “normal” as your own.
- Explore the notion of Emotional Intelligence and any difficulties you might have expressing emotions, which may range from an inappropriate expression of rage to a tendency to be very contained and suppressive of your own emotions. Try tracking your emotions throughout the day. When doing this exercise, use “I feel” statements such as “I feel angry right now waiting in traffic,” or “I feel angry at my partner for what she just said.” Ask those close to you, preferably people who have known you for a relatively long time (and in a varied context, i.e. not just someone you knew in college or a coworker), for their feedback. They may be able to shed some light on this issue, having observed your behavior through a variety of emotional situations and over the course of years. Seek professional help through counseling if you have continued difficulty expressing emotions.
- Practice daily journaling of emotional experiences as a matter of learning about and acknowledging your emotional tendencies. Express them in your journal if the act of writing resonates with you.
- Explore various types of creative arts as a matter of ‘moving” and expressing emotions— singing, dancing, painting, playing an instrument, etc. This could take the form of a regularly scheduled class or workshop, or be as informal as a one- or two-hour time period you block off for yourself daily or weekly to engage in these activities independently.
- Make peace with your past. Explore anything that may have occurred in the past that resulted in wounding of any type. Seek professional guidance if necessary. Seek the awareness of how past events may be impacting your current way of being. Examine how fear, shame or anger might be running your life from some clandestine location within your Body and mind.
- Examine your reliance on your rational mind to treat life as a problem to be solved. Consider how your rational mind might be distorted by personal biases and history.
- Gain knowledge and acceptance of your own Body by acknowledging cravings that are derived from it. Use Freewill as a method of expressing these cravings in a healthy manner or of choosing not to in a way that is not suppressive.
- Consider a practice of physical yoga as a method of aligning mind, body and spirit while celebrating the human Body that allows for your Humanity.
- Engage in Service to help Humanity in some fashion, helping those who have been disenfranchised. Celebrate the collective soul of Humanity and learn to recognize it in people very different from yourself by engaging in Service for such causes as combatting hunger; helping at-risk youth; assisting veterans; caring for the elderly, mentally and/or physically disabled; or working with the homeless.
- Practice Conscious Breathing everyday (see Breath element).
MANTRA/PRAYER
I Am a Human Being Living in a Soulful Manner. I Am That.
I Am Perfectly Me.
I Know Who I Am; I Know My True Nature, Divine.
I Am Free To Feel Safe in this World; I Am Free to Open My Heart.
Please Let Me Be of Service to Humanity; Help Me to Help Others.
The Metta Prayer:
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.