We all have the capacity to live a spiritual life. We have the great opportunity to touch lives, in a positive way, if we can make our way through the fear.
My definition of a spiritual life is one in which we live true to the inner compass – the soul that is us. Your definition may be different.
It’s taken me years to shed the dogma and rules of about Spirituality and Holiness that I absorbed throughout my years in the Catholic Church. (Don’t role your eyes here, I’m not on an anti-Catholic or anti-church binge here, that’s someone else’s argument. I believe you get to make your choices based on your truth – and that includes which church to attend or not).
We’re all born with an inner compass. This compass always points to your true north. This compass is never wrong. If you’re lucky you grow up trusting the compass explicitly, even if it gets contradicted by your parents, or your teachers or the adult in charge. In a perfect world you’d grow and evolve and still find the guidance you seek, within your soul.
Not only are we born with this inner compass, but we’re born with an agenda. Things we want to learn, to be and to do during our time here on Earth. To me, this means that we choose the family to which we’re born, that we pre-select the types of opportunities (and challenges) that are coming our way. This isn’t to say that I think we’re all on a fatalistic roller coaster ride – everything predetermined with no free will. It’s the opposite. We come with a set of complex skills we want to master during our life time and therefore a certain fail or housing situation or relationship challenge will put us in the position to learn and put our mastery skills to work right away.
Haven’t you ever noticed that the same types of ‘problems’ keep popping up, over and over again in slightly different guises, until you figure it out? It’s like any other puzzle or learning experience, you stick it out until you figure out the key. Once you’ve mastered the beginner’s level, you’re bored and go looking for another challenge. No need to spend your life playing tic-tac-toe when chess is beckoning.
So spirituality – living a spiritual life is like that.
Constantly I’m awed by people who are doing “their thing” – writing, teaching kids, walking dogs – but in such a way that you can feel their energy- their love. What you’re noticing is their true North. To me, that’s a spiritual life. I find myself thinking, “I want what they have.”
And on reflection, I realize that what they have is the faith that they are living their truth.
I’m a realist, I’m sure these folks that I admire have crappy days (or even decades) but they move forward through the morass of doubt and night terrors and proceed with life.
This though, is what true teachers (spiritual or otherwise) do. They live the life that’s full and they show us that it’s possible. They don’t tell you how to live your life, but they don’t shy away from telling you what they know to be true for their journey.
I’m grateful to the ability to live according to the inner compass. And I’m humbled by the huge majority of teachers who are doing it every day.
As 2012 draws us all forward into hopes and dreams and drama I want to remain focused on the inner compass. I’m looking to spend more time on the practice of being fully present and listening to the still small voice that beckons the highest and best in me.
If you’re thinking the same thing, here are some tips to help:
Take time every day in nature. Leave your desk at lunch and take a walk around the block. (even if it’s raining or snowing). Listen to the wind in the trees and the ground below your feet.
Breathe deeply. Every day I find myself gritting my teeth and practically holding my breath. This is precisely the minute to release your jaw and fill your lungs. Pay attention to the intake and exhalation of your breath. There is magic there.
Stop what you’re doing. Most people are on auto-pilot – rushing from place to place, and crossing things off their lists. Take a minute each day to stop and be still. 60 seconds of stillness will NOT ruin your chances at the promotion, the romance or anything else. Be still and assess whether what you’re doing in that moment is the highest reflection of your truth.
Help someone else. Don’t try to fix them. Simply be there and hold a space for them to gain their bearings. Leave the encounter with no expectations or attachments to their outcome. Simply being present, listening intently and sharing the sacredness of their situation is enough.
Love yourself. The next time you look in the mirror really see how gorgeous you are. Look into your eyes long enough to see the soul that’s in there. No matter what you WISH you were body were or did, say thank you for all that it is, right now.
Ease yourself into 2012 by focusing on a healthy relationship with you, where you are, right now. You’ll reconnect to your inner compass as a result. I can’t wait to see the miracles you create!
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