Commitment is beginning of service to others. Making a commitment often requires that we release fear. We need to look clearly at things we would rather not see or accept. I believe courage arises ultimately from love. The courage to serve is inspired by faith to serve not only self but also all of humankind.

In words of Henry van Dyke (1852-1933), "Faith is an adventure; it is courage of soul to face unknown. But that courage springs from hope and confidence of soul that its adventure will succeed." Faith and commitments to service can inspire hope and confidence in each other that our human family needs.

An Outpouring of Love and Compassion

Today, we are witnessing a tremendous outpouring of love and compassion for those in Asia who have endured unimaginable, heartbreaking devastation and loss. Tears flow and prayers are spoken for people we have never met.

Commitments to service and selfless acts of love are taking place globally on an unprecedented scale. Even in extreme tragedy, our "courage of soul" that Henry van Dyke mentioned flourishes around globe as many nationalities join together to help those in need.

At a human level, we do not understand why we must suffer. We cannot remove pain or reunite all of grieving families. Only God will do that. However, our commitments can make life-changing differences.

Commitments that Make a Difference

We must first be acutely aware that we are not guaranteed next ten minutes on this earth. We can grow in appreciation for sanctity of life and realize how capable we are of reaching out with empathy and authentic compassion.

We can also commit to honor worth and dignity of all fellow humans, serving and supporting them in times of need. All of us can serve -- if not with donations, with acts of kindness and prayer. It is a choice we must make for future of our planet. It is a commitment to serve and be responsible for welfare of each other.

There is a cyclic pattern in that minds thoughts are put into action by intellect to create impressions or memory of past actions. Repeated actions, especially those of a negative nature, create habits and addictions when your minds thoughts are acted upon without being judged by intellect.

Smoking, consuming alcohol and indulging in sexual lust are actions that you enter into in search of happiness and fulfilment. The happiness created is just an illusion because ether senses are temporarily incapacitated or happiness cannot be sustained. You suffer negative consequences of addiction and dependency due to need for increasingly more stimulants in an effort to create decreasing levels of temporary happiness. When you perform actions without thinking, you, soul becomes a slave to your senses. Addiction and dependency are not just smoking and consuming alcohol. Laziness is an addiction just as is over-eating. Expectation from others is a dependency. Almost anything that you want or desire rather than need is a form of addiction.

The word “I” is used to refer to experiences and wishes of soul with statements such as “I am”, “I love” and “I hope”.

The word “My” is used to refer to physical body, possessions and activities with statements such as “My hand” “My car” or “My job”

The advantage of knowing “who I am” is to realise and use powerful spiritual energy that is within your body.

With you intellect now awakened you can focus on your power of judgement to become more selective and choose only those thoughts that will lead you to experience permanent happiness and contentment. Addiction to temporary happiness can now be avoided. Bad habits can be replaced with good habits you can be proud of. You can be more peaceful and deliberate rather than tense and anxious. You come to realise that happiness is a state of mind that it is created by you. Likewise you can avoid unhappiness or experience of sorrow because you do not need to experience negative feelings.

You can and should be in control over your body’s senses.

With realisation that you are a peaceful soul you can begin to see others as equals to establish relationships of harmony. You can now avoid personality clashes and discriminations based on sex, colour, language, nationality, religion, culture and physical disabilities.

Most of your activities such as eating, sitting, working and sleeping are all done for health of your physical body. What we all do is fail to address need for peace and happiness of real you, soul within body.

So back to question, who are you?

I can not give you answer as only you know. I have just set question to make you think.