When we're feeling trapped in life much of the world lives by a thought system that teaches us that our body should be regarded as our temple. This is true; however, it applies only to the surface of who we express ourselves to be, where winning and gaining are important.

For the most part, honoring the body is only a minor step in answering that one question much of the world struggles with when being in a rut. That is, "Who really am I?"

The Course in Miracles teaches that, "Our temple is not a structure at all, such as a building or our body. Every temple has its altar where holiness abides; otherwise, it wouldn't be a temple."

Rather than viewing our body as the temple, let's consider the structure of our temple as our "true essence" or "being.".

Your Life's Purpose

Deep within that structure of life is where our altar sits, and it is at this altar where we see our life's purpose. This is "what" emanates the light, or is the true essence of who we are.

This is our "being," if you will. Someone told me, and I agree, they liken this inner essence as a spirit guide, if you will, but not in a "woo, woo, woo" sensation or ghostly idea.

More so, I see that when you meet your spirit guide, it's like what the Course in Miracles states, "The Holy Spirit is invisible, but you can see the results of His Presence, and through them you will learn that He is there.".

I'd started my writing projects entirely in longhand from behind bars in an overcrowded, overbearing, and obnoxiously overloud prison environment.

It's a hell on earth where inmates are feeling trapped in life, living in one another's faces all night and all day long.

The atmosphere was volatile and terribly violent.

What is it that saves you?

Often I believe this is what brought these words from my mind through the pen and onto the paper. I 'd sit there trying to see how to get unstuck and wait to be released by a judge who said he used me as an example.

The waiting was extremely difficult, but I knew it was temporary as I served 8 of a 10 year prison sentence over a foolish securities violation.

I remember while saying and writing the first project to myself how this project has saved me in more ways than one, and it grew as I did. Yes, it was for me, how to get unstuck.

I 'd write solely by myself, with helpful suggestions from a Oneness of which we all are a part. The Oneness I call God.

Writing this book had kept me busy each day, and at times I would lose sleep at night, anxiously waiting to pick up where I left off the day before.

It had consumed me.

Have you ever felt spirit guides signs?

Each day I received as a gift words that I could not seem to find the previous day.

I would often wake up in the middle of the night, and think, That's it: A sentence that was needed to complete a metaphor or a paragraph to help explain an idea.

Something to assist in an area I seemed being in a rut over would appear in my mind. Was it spirit guides signs?

When the first project was nearing its completion, a blissful feeling continued to flow through me. I knew I was going to miss this project.

I was sad, too, because I could not get it to mature beyond the handwritten stage, due to no computer usage whatsoever in this backwoods prison system.

My only other resource was not really a resource at all, but was available if I wished to stand in line to use the ancient, poor-quality prison typewriter. Need I say, not nearly up to a publisher's standards.

This was a feeling acim free online not being able to send your cherished kid to college-- a kid who desperately desired to change the world and never feeling trapped in life.

Getting Through Being Stuck in Life

Regardless, my words did mature into book form, handwritten into a growing pile of journals. This would be fine for the time being. "Help will be on its way in due time," a voice, or a spirit guide, inside me continued to assure me.

As the journals sat in the bottom of my footlocker, that same voice of my spirit guide encouraged me to keep writing.

I remember thinking how these projects surely are children to me, and in many respects it has been like the experience of watching my daughters grow to adulthood.

I remember asking them in a joking and affectionate manner, on their birthdays when they were little, to promise me not to grow any older.

I would say that I wished they could remain cute little girls forever. Inevitably they did grow up.