Poverty in the developed countries

"In the developed countries there is a poverty of intimacy, a poverty of spirit, of loneliness, of lack of love. There is no greater sickness in the world today than that one."

Mother Teresa: In My Own Words. (1996) Compiled by Jose Luis Gonzalez-Balbado. Liguori: Misouri, p. 89.

Humility

"It is said that humility is truth.The path that will make us more like Jesus is the path to humility.

Pride destroys everything. To imitate Jesus is the key to be meek and humble in heart."

Mother Teresa: In My Own Words. (1996) p. 56.

Great equalizer

"Each incarnation offers us an opportunity to improve on our mistakes, no matter how grievous, rather than being eternally condemned for them.  Reincarnation is the great equalizer.  By changing bodies and life situations, we are given countless chances to shift perspective.  We have infinite opportunities to truly understand whatever it is we need to learn about the human condition from all possible points of view.  If we faced challenges that ended in failure last time, we have another go at it.  For most of us, these lessons are not quickly or easily learned.  It takes lifetimes."

Carol Bowman (2001).  Return from Heaven: Beloved Relatives Reincarnated within Your Family.  p. 141.

Family karma

"In regards to the workings of family karma and the best response to that karmic memory, the Edgar Cayce material suggests that there are essentially two things to keep in mind: (1) Relationships pick up exactly where they have been left off; in other words, there is often a continuity of expressions (negatively or positively) in every relationship; and (2) Regardless of past-life memories that are influencing a present-day relationship, free will remains the strongest determinant of how that relationship will evolve."

K. Todeshi (2011).  Edgar Cayce on Reincarnation and Family Karma. pp. 79-80.

Loneliness as a period of growth and healing

"One of the most surprising things about the readings given for people who were lonely and were looking for friends, companionship, or a marriage partner is that Cayce never told them where to find a relationship. Instead, the focus of the information was that there was something individuals were supposed to be doing with their time alone. Oftentimes, the readings saw loneliness as a period needing to encompass both personal growth and healing as well as a time of reaching out to others who were less fortunate. Individuals who were suffering from all kinds of loneliness were frequently told to begin discovering their unique soul talents and abilities and to find ways in which they could be helpful to others. Cayce believed that once individuals put their efforts in these directions, relationships would inevitably be drawn to them."

Kevin Todeschi (1999). Edgar Cayce on Soul Mates: Unlocking the Dynamics of Soul Attraction. ARE Press: Virginia.pp. 132-33.

People tend to regard loneliness as something bad and miserable that they want to avoid or hide from others.  However, this is not true, as indicated by information through Cayce. Every event can be a precious learning opportunity. It is whether you can take it that way or not that makes a difference.

Not unlimited choice

"All the regression studies agree that the planning process is done in collaboration with the spiritual guides. The guides present the soul with options for the next life. The soul's previous actions, or karma, determine the parameters and limits of its options. Based on its past performance, the soul is offered a menu of lives that will teach it what it needs to learn next. It does not have unlimited choice. If that were the case, why would anyone choose a life of hardship or tragedy.

Even with karma limiting the options, the soul still has a mind-boggling number of lives to choose from. The coordination it requires to choose the right one is complex, a matter of balancing multidimensional factors in intricate ways. The decision must consider not only the needs of the soul, but must also coordinate its choice with the needs and plans of other souls it expects to join--particularly the parents."

Carol Bowman (2001). Return from Heaven: Beloved Relatives Reincarnated within Your Family. pp. 142-43.

I believe that there are at least two patterns, very roughly speaking: 1) events are 'predestined' to occur and there is no choice but allow them to happen; and 2) we can make a free choice from among many alternative and whatever choice we have made does not cause any disaster.  An example of the first case is death: we cannot choose/change how many years we live and how we end our lives (i.e., how we return home.) In the second case, the most typical and simplest example is what we eat for every meal.  Except for obviously unhealthy diets, we can eat whatever we like for breakfast, lunch and evening meal.
 

Children are teachers

"A child is one of life's greatest teachers. Children's points of view are honest and free. Their minds have not become imprisoned and conditioned by the fears and insecurities that grip adults. A child understands simplicity and views life as a playful adventure. There is no judgment or motive behind the words of a child. They know who they are and what they want and will tell you so without your even asking."

Forward by James Van Praagh in Bowman (2001). Return from Heaven: beloved Relatives Reincarnated within Your Family. p. x.