Before Donna was born she took with her a dollar, Peter took with him a pen and Harry brought along a hammer. These were the only significant things that these people brought with them into their physical lives from birth.

All of us before we are born bring with us the most useful thing that we could imagine that would work for us in the physical world. It was our desire to experience a specific aspect of physical life using only the one item that we could bring with us. The items mentioned above are metaphorical but the experience will be real in our minds. This is the beginning of a new episode of "survivor" to take place in the real world using the only gifts or talents that we bring with us.

The only way that this experience could be played out, would be in the absence of memory of who we really were and where we came from, and so from the time of birth we begin to forget. After infancy our memories are replaced with real life situations and circumstances which blur or blot out our previous existence.

From the moment that we choose to come to physical life we are given absolute love, freedom and choice. We are given the guaranty of survival until we no longer wished to experience our chosen path by choice. There are others that will come into our lives at the appropriate time and place to help us by previous agreement.

Donna chose the dollar; this will be her gift or talent that she will use to live the life that she wants to experience. There are no conditions placed upon using the dollar, nor is she bound to use it. The meaning of the dollar may not even be recognized by her during the course of her life as she focuses on other distractions. The dollar is really a physical symbol that she will need to interpret and exploit for her own personal use. One can only imagine what this symbol means and the purpose for it. Before birth and from the lofty position of the silent observer, it is perfectly clear. Now it appears to be a burden imposed on her, a trip of a lifetime to find out the true meaning of her life, a constant struggle for purpose and fulfilment. As Donna becomes more focused on the meaning of money in her life, the farther away she moves from it. The burden of having, took away from the joy of desire and acceptance of what is and what is not. She has misinterpreted the symbol and it brings more longing, desperation and sadness into her life. In physical terms her life is full and rich, but inside she is empty.

Peter chose the pen and from point of birth, no one could shut him up. Peter was very articulate and opinionated in what he had to say and seemed to have a natural talent for writing down his thoughts. Peter also didn't really care what others thought about his work, he wrote for himself and the writing was an outlet for him. His writing often got him into trouble in his earlier life until he learned how to be more diplomatic and stopped offending people. The problem with that was he began writing for others and the pen turned away from him. His talent no longer flowed naturally as his writings represented the views of others at the expense of his own.

In frustration and anger Peter joined the Army and was called out to fight for his country. The horrific experiences that Peter witnessed during his tour were too much for him to hold inside and he started writing again. Peter wrote down everything as it came to him and found a place that he could go when the outside world was just too much. Because writing came naturally for him, the experience of war was forgotten in the moments that he would write.

Peter's writings were not so much about war but of friendships and life's lessons learned in the time he spent on and off the battle field. Peter wrote about beauty and love, hope, trust and about bonds with people, places and things. Peter did not live the war he was fighting but was able to move above the experience by focusing on life and not death. When the time came for Peter to finish his tour of duty he moved gracefully into a new life and because he did not focus on war, he did not experience it as others did. He moved from a state of grace during war to another place that employed his natural talents with the pen.

Peter recognized his gift with the pen and used it to minimize the struggle and it helped him focus on things more positive and uplifting. Peter found his natural connection to the pen, that which he had forgotten at birth, and that which got him into much trouble earlier in his life and that which finally freed him.

Harry had a passion for tools from as early as he could remember. He loved to hammer nails into pieces of wood. He never really built anything, but just kept hammering. Harry found great strength and power by driving the nails deep into the wood. Harry would often run out to the shed to drive more nails after a scolding from his parents. Harry used his hammer to relieve the frustration, anger and destructive feelings he harboured for those that would cross paths with him.

Harry always believed that he was meant to be a carpenter and it was in becoming one that he felt he was in touch with his life's purpose.

For most of his life Harry worked as a carpenter and while doing so, he blocked out his life as he buried himself in his work and the Physicalness of building and tearing down.

As Harry moved forward in his life, got married and involved in his community, he started to open up. He began to notice things that were not working in his life both personally and in his community. Concern started to enter his life and he started communicating with others at work and in his neighbourhood. Harry joined different service clubs and volunteered for a political party. In midlife he started to come into his own and his life blossomed. Harry aligned himself with his natural talent for building things and taking them apart and life moved easily and freely

Harry participates in many events and meetings; he is the one up front with the gavel or hammer in his hand, a leader and symbol of strength and authority.

No one is an innocent victim ever; victimhood is simply an interpretation of one's circumstances. All things have meaning and purpose and it is our interpretation that dictates how we will experience it. All of us have natural gifts and talents that we brought with us from before birth. These gifts may not at first be obvious as we try and blend into the status quo and the wishes of others.

As we let go of those images and begin to focus on self, we become aware of our own talents and abilities. It is always a conscious choice as to whether we will use them or not.

We are guaranteed absolute freedom of choice before we were born. At some time in our life we either make the connection or we terminate our experience and the final decision is always ours, it can never be imposed. Remember also that we were guaranteed survival no matter what we chose. All of us have absolute unconditional love and freedom to experience physical life either the way we planned before birth or in a change of mind after we get here and death is always a continuance of either experience.

There is no purpose to our lives except that which we give it. God does not impose upon us a burden to fulfill any requirement of birth. God is life and the only requirement of life is "to be." As one becomes enlightened, one only recognizes the connection that each has to the other and judgements are not made. All of us are free spirits, all of us have purpose and all of us have natural talents. All of us have absolute freedom to express ourselves in the light of day as our thoughts dictate.

Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A student of NLP, ordained minister, New Age Light Worker and Teacher. Roy has written and published five books on New Age wisdom. Roy's books are thought provoking and designed to empower you to take responsibility for your life and what you create. His books and articles are written in the simplicity and eloquence of Zen wisdom.

You may not always agree with what he has to say. You will always come away with a new perspective and your thinking will never be the same.

Roy's style is honest and comes straight from the heart without all the metaphorical mumble jumble and BS.

Visit Roy at: http://www.klienwachter.com