Is the Sky Blue?

Pink Flowers, Blue Sky
Key West, 2000

Quote of the month:

What people really want is to be fully themselves. 

They want the sense of aliveness.  

But they want it through this, that, or the other. 

They don't realize that nothing can give it to you 
because you already have it. 

And not only do you have it, you 

are it, you are what you're looking for already. 

You don't know that because you're always looking somewhere else. 

You can only know that in the Now by aligning yourself with the Now 

and with the power that is there within you.

- Eckhart Tolle

Is the sky blue?  

It's a simple question.... or is it?


I've been wanting to write about this for a while and it seems to have repeatedly shown up lately, so it seems like an appropriate time.  Here is what it looks like when it plays out in life.....

John:  She said I am stupid.....

me:  Did she really say that?

John:  Well, she implied it.

me:  Ok - well tell me this - are you stupid?

John:  OF COURSE NOT!
me:  If you believe that, why would it bother you if she said or implied that you were? Do you really believe that you are not stupid?

John:  Of course - it just burns me up that she thinks I am.

me:  But you KNOW that you aren't....?

John:  BUT she thinks I am!!!!!!!!!

John missed the point.  I can't blame him, I missed the same point for a long time.  I will attempt to share it here with you as it has brought me a lot of peace in my life.

Here is the key -  Whatever you are looking for someone else to give to you (in this case - not feeling stupid) is what I am suggesting you should give to yourself.  In fact, I would go so far as to suggest you already are it as the Tolle quote says above, but one step at a time.... that may be another post for another day!

We all like to hear compliments and good things - but I'll let you in on a little secret, we don't NEED to hear them when we believe it ourselves.  It is only when we do not believe it - inside ourselves - that we crave hearing it from outside ourselves. 

So, I'll pose to you, the next step in my conversation with my friend above.  What color is the sky?  Take a look at the photo above.  Most people would agree that the "normal" color of the sky is blue.  (I know there are all kinds of arguments to be made here theories about why the sky only appears blue.... it is gray on cloudy days.... white on snowy days.... black at night..... red and orange at sunset.... and can even turn green when bad weather approaches, but humor me please and play along for a moment.)  

So - the sky is blue.  You have a KNOWING about this.  No one can tell you that the sky isn't blue.  Right?  

So, now, I am going to tell you that, "The sky is purple."  What would you do?  You would say, "No, it's not, the sky is blue."  I am then going to protest - "No - it's purple.... PURPLE.... PURPLE!!!!!!"  Then what would you do?

My guess is that your response would be along the lines of, "Ok - whatever!" and you would then assume that I am crazy!!!!!!  Whatever your response, you would NOT change your opinion to the sky is purple!  Remember, you have a KNOWING that it is blue.... just as it is in the photograph above!

Going back to my friend above, if he had a KNOWING that he wasn't stupid, if someone made an implication that he was... he would say, "Ok, whatever!" assume they were wrong and go on his way.

This could show up in numerous ways in every day life!  How many of these do you recognize in people around you or even in yourself?

This could be....

the person who seems to need compliments from those around them...

the person who needs to know that they are the most important person to someone....

the person who needs to have a shiny car to feel they are special....

the person who needs to have a significant other in their life to feel that they are worthy....

the person who likes to be surrounded by "things" to feel validated....

the person who needs validation from those outside themselves to feel that they exist.....

the person that needs to buy the newest fashion each season....
the person who wants to be the center of attention....

These are a few examples.  The list is really endless.  Gary Zukav  calls this external power.... that is looking outside oneself and attempting to manipulate and control the world in a way that makes them feel a certain way.   

I will use myself as an example.  When I started writing this blog (2 years ago!!!!)  I wanted everyone to say it was wonderful!  I wanted to hear from everyone who read it.  Of course this is not even realistic! The first month or two, I did NOT have a knowing about it.  I wanted it to come in from the outside.  Know what happened?  I got a little bit upset in the beginning because everyone did not say it was wonderful.... and I did not hear from everyone who read it.  [I was making assumptions and taking them personally!  Another post for another day... inspired by The Four Agreements!]

I was very fortunate because very early on I realized I was doing this (looking outside.)  This is the good news because when you become aware of something like that, you can then set about changing it.  I only write what I have a Knowing about.  Sometimes it comes to me at 3 AM and I feel like I have to write.... other times it comes after a meditation and still other times after a conversation with someone that triggers an entire post (or in this case conversations with at least 4 people!!!!)  Since I only write from that place inside of me - today, I know that what I write is Truth for me.  I now know the sky is blue!  I do not ask it to be Truth for someone else.  If it resonates with someone else - all the better!  

In all of our lives there are those things that we have a Knowing about and those times when we might wonder if the sky really is purple.  The nature of each of those will vary for each of us, depending on our background and life experiences.  The simple suggestion that I will make this month is that if you find yourself looking outside yourself for validation, for meaning or even for love.... take a moment to reflect on a time when you felt confident, knew you were loved or even better, a time when you truly loved someone else.  Remember how that felt.  Use that as a reference point to help you remember that the sky is Blue!  

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions or ideas!  

To read last month's post on 5 things I've learned from writing this blog.... or to try the Stillness Exercise..... click here!

Until next month,

Keep it simple!
Penelope

Tolle on Intuition

Here is the additional information I had promised on intuition.... I love the way Eckhart Tolle describes intuition in the interview below.

Eckhart Tolle on Intuition

You could say that intuition is a kind of knowing, but you don’t know how you got there. You know something, but you don’t know by what path you’ve arrived at what you know. It’s a sudden arising of knowledge or knowing something, but one might say, “I don’t know how I know this”. What is at work here is non-conceptual intelligence, when intuition arises.

Intuition is not arrived at by thinking, not by logic. It’s arrived at in a way that we cannot explain. It is closely related to creativity and inspiration. Inspiration also comes from that place. It is given to you. It is given to all great artists, musicians, writers, and even great scientists who made deep discoveries that were revolutionary – like Einstein. Einstein had a ‘sense’ of his theory of relativity. Before he could fully prove it, he already knew it was true. It was intuition that came to him. Of course, he had done a lot of thinking before that happened.

Sometimes you have to do a lot of thinking, and then suddenly, thinking doesn’t get you anywhere anymore, and you stop thinking, and you go out and take a few deep breaths. Or you go out into nature and sit under a tree. And suddenly, intuition is there. Something you couldn’t have arrived at through thinking.

It’s vital for every human being to contact that place within, where intuition arises, because otherwise you are confined to the limitations of your conceptual mind.

Otherwise, your life is just repetitive, and no new ideas can come. If it’s a fresh and new idea, it comes from a place where all creativity arises - which ultimately, is the stillness within. That’s where intuition arises. If you can be still even for a moment, then there’s a possibility that some intuitive thing arises as a thought or as a spontaneous thing that you say, and you’ve surprised yourself. Maybe somebody needs your help or advice, and rather than thinking “I should be helping that person. What can I say next to help them?”, rather than that you just become still, listen, look. And suddenly you may find yourself saying something. It’s intuitive. Suddenly a deeper intelligence comes and uses your mind.

That’s what we call intuition. Realize that this is at the basis of all creative activities, all truly creative activities. Perception is something that comes from the outside, and intuition comes from the inner. It comes from you. It is essentially one with who you are, intelligence itself.

The easiest way to develop intuition is to develop the ability to be still. Rather than “trying” to develop intuition, go to the place where all intuition arises. You don’t need to worry about becoming more intuitive if you focus more on being still. Not necessarily for long periods of time, but have moments of stillness in your life, so that every day is interspersed with moments of stillness.

You could just close your eyes and take one or two deep breaths. Or you don’t even have to close your eyes, but while you’re listening or looking at somebody, feel yourself breathing. Feel the inner aliveness within your body.

If you are looking at your computer screen, look away for a moment, or close your eyes for a moment, and take one or two conscious breaths. It brings you to stillness.

Wherever you are, there are always opportunities for a moment of stillness. And that is vital, because otherwise your life is unbalanced. If you don’t find stillness, all you have is activity - one thing after another. And this covers up your potential intuitive faculty, continuously. Seek out moments of stillness. Even the busiest person can do it. If you’re driving home, or driving to work, every traffic light is an invitation to stillness. There are so many opportunities for stillness.

Stillness is where intuition arises.


For further reading, I recommend Eckhart Tolle's books The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment or A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)

The Observer

It feels right for me to preface this month’s post with a reminder about why I am writing this blog. These posts are a summary of things that have worked for me. I share them with the intention that it may in some way be helpful to you on your own path. If you find what I write resonates with you, I would encourage you to experiment with it in your own life. If it does not, that is ok too! We are all finding our own way on our own paths.
*********************************************************************************************************
　The Observer

Quote of the month:
When you are present in this moment,
you break the continuity of your story, of past and future.
Then true intelligence arises and also Love.

- Eckhart Tolle

As you begin reading this post this month, take just a moment….. take a breath…. and another….. look around your room. What do you see? I see a cat sleeping with his nose tucked lazily under his paw. Listen to what you hear. I am hearing crickets right now and some work men across the street. Feel the chair under you. Try to bring your attention fully to where you are right now. Not to what you have to do at work later, not something the kids said earlier, not your to-do list waiting for you when you finish reading this post….. Just simply here…. now! Let’s start from here!

The focus of last month‘s post was “the voice.“ This is term I am using to describe the mental dialogue that goes on inside of our heads, nearly all of the time. I am curious if some of you have had a greater awareness of the voice in the last month? Over the last year or so, the focus of this blog has been centered on ways to “manage” this voice. This is useful and can allow one to live a more peaceful existence, especially in those times that one cannot quiet the voice. August and September’s posts are taking a little bit different slant and suggesting that there is another way around the voice.

If you would like to try making this post experiential - as you are reading, try shifting your awareness as you are reading - from the voice to what I am calling “the observer.” Making this shift requires that you are present in the moment as the quote above suggests. You cannot be thinking about what happened at work yesterday or what you are having for dinner later tonight. You must be right here, right now. You can also experiment with this in your daily life. Life will get one caught up in the voice quickly again, so then try to make the switch again… and again.

What I want to suggest in this post is to begin to think of yourself as the OBSERVER of the voice. Yes, the voice is inside your head, in your mind, or a part of the ego or personality…. But since you can also hear the voice, consider the possibility that you can just observe it. You do not have to believe, follow or get caught up in everything it says. You can be aware that the voice is there and you then choose where to focus your attention.

Let’s try an experiment that I do with my boys. When they are upset about or scared of something, I tell them that I am going to make them think about a purple elephant. They of course roll their eyes (more and more often as the teen years approach!) but generally play along anyway… so here we go! So think about a purple elephant…. Can you see it? Now put a hat on his head. You can choose any hat you like. A sombrero, or a top hat, it’s up to you. Any color you like. There will not be any quizzes at the end of the post, so do not worry too much about the details.  Just have FUN with the exercise!  Next, picture a clown riding on his back. Can you see it? Now, let’s make the elephant walking on the beach…. and some big waves rolling in. There is a surfer riding the waves and he comes over to say hello to the elephant. He introduces himself and says his name (you make up a name for Mr. Surfer!) Mr. Surfer also says that he really likes the shade of purple you chose for your elephant….. can you picture the whole scene? Observe the scene. Could you tell me about it? In detail? I am wondering what shade of purple you chose? Deep dark purple? Lavender? Violet? Periwinkle? What name did you chose for your surfer? Observe the scene for a moment more.

Can you feel yourself as the “observer” of the scene? See the scene in a part of your mind and picture yourself observing the scene. Try to sense where that observer part of you lies. Words are a bit misleading here… but since we need a way to talk about it, I’ll do the best I can within the limits of language. There really are not 2 of you and there really are not 2 “places” in you…. but it can be useful to talk about it in this way.

Is any of the scene real? Of course it’s not real. We made the whole thing up together. We did this by focusing your attention on it. Think of the scene as “the voice” and the attention to the scene as “the observer.”

I am NOT saying that real things have not happened to you or that those things shouldn't be a part of your voice. It is very helpful to only have to learn once, “Do not touch the hot stove” and then let that be part of your future internal voice, so you do not have to learn this more than one time. Can you take a moment to hear what your own voice may be saying right now…..? Is it calling me nutty yet? Is it telling you that you should be folding the laundry? Can you sense yourself as the “observer” of that voice? Can you try to shift your awareness to that part of you that is the observer?

Let’s try another example…
Pretend you are watching a movie in a theater. Let’s make it one of the Star War series, just for fun! Have you ever had the experience of being so caught up in the movie for a few minutes… or maybe longer, that you lose awareness of everything else? For a moment or two you become Luke Skywalker….. you have your blue light saber in your hand… you can hear its hum and you can feel the force is with you! Darth Vader, red light saber in hand, is in front of you! The battle is raging….. you hear the louder clashing of the light sabers and feel the sparks flying around you. Darth Vader then severs your hand with his light saber and is persuading you to cross over to the dark side. “Never!” you yell! Just as Darth Vader is about to say, “Luke, I am your……..”

Suddenly the film in the projector breaks…. bright lights flash across the screen, the sound is haywire! Abruptly, you are jolted back into the reality of sitting in the seat, being in the movie theater…. with someone crunching popcorn a few seats away. What just happened?

The movie is an analogy for how we can also lose ourselves in “the voice.” You may have even become lost in it for just a moment as you read. Then when you suddenly became aware that is was indeed a movie, through the flashes of light and haywire sound, you shifted out of being Luke Skywalker and into “the observer“ of the movie.... and the observer of the description of the movie in this post. Can you sense that "observer" part of you again? This example is far more jarring than it need be. It is simply set it up that way to make the distinction a bit clearer between the voice and the observer.

Another note of clarification, a few months ago I wrote about the voice of intuition. In that post I mentioned that there are lots of different “voices” we hear and they can sometimes be difficult to distinguish. Actually quieting “the voice” of your ego or personality will allow the voice of intuition to be heard more clearly.

For the past year, I’ve mainly been writing about “managing” this voice. This is useful and can allow one to live a more peaceful existence for those times that one cannot make the shift into the observer position. By making the shift, and setting aside the voice of your ego, it can help to stop creating negativity, suffering or unwanted consequences in your life. You are the observer of the voice. You can choose, if you want, to believe what it is telling you OR consider that it just might be making up a purple elephant! Further, you can just observe it without any judgment at all!

To continue reading next month's post on Whole and Complete.... click here!

I would love to hear your feedback as well as any questions you may have or topics you may be interested in for the future. I also would like this to be a place where you can share your thoughts about what has worked or not worked for you. Feel free to do so by clicking the “comments” link, below, at the end of each post. All posts will be archived along with other useful information at

Simply Spirituality .

Until next month….
Here's hoping you keep your spirituality simple!

Penelope

The Voice

Quote of the month:

And the peace… passeth all understanding.
-Philippians 4:7

Imagine you are a man at a party…. and a very attractive woman approaches you and begins talking. Inside, your mind is racing…. “What was her name?!?! Marge? Margaret? No! NO! That‘s not it! Why can‘t I remember? Marie? Maria? NO! I met her at Whole Foods and here she is again! Looking better than ever! What an idiot I am!” The woman continues to talk, but you are only catching half of what she is saying because you are locked in the fear of not remembering her name! Finally, she mentions someone you both know and POP…. you remember! “Marcella! MARCELLA! Whew! Thank goodness I remember before she figured out how foolish I am!”

In the above paragraph, who is it that is doing all that talking? The voice you hear in your head? Who is it? You would probably say, “Me!” Well, then, I have another question….. who is it, that is doing the listening? Would you say “Me” again?

Have you ever noticed this mental dialogue, the voice in your head, that is going on nearly all the time? Here is another example....

It’s 3 AM…. “I have to remember to buy toothpaste. I can’t sleep! I should try a new toothpaste. I don’t like the one I have now. The dry cleaning should be ready. When I go to the store tomorrow for the toothpaste, I’ll have to get the dry cleaning too. Why can’t I sleep? It’s supposed to rain tomorrow….. We need some rain, so guess that is a good thing……. Hope it‘s not raining when I go out tomorrow for the toothpaste…. and the dry cleaning…..”

Is that you too? Is it you that is talking? What about listening? Are you also the one that is listening? If that is so, then why are you keeping yourself awake at 3 AM? And why won’t that voice just be quiet?

Right now if you are telling yourself, “She’s crazy! I don’t have a voice in my head!” That IS the voice I am talking about, says Michael Singer, in The Untethered Soul. He suggests to try making it say, “Hello!” right now. Can you hear it? “Hello! Hello!” Can you make it say, “Hello!” louder? “HELLO! HELLO!” How about making it whisper? “hello”…. can you “hear” it differently inside your head?

The simple suggestion I am making this month is to become aware that there is a voice talking in your head almost all the time. I have previously referred to the voice, in a slightly different way, as your “mental tape, CD or I-pod.” Singer uses the analogy of having a roommate with you all of the time. Eckhart Tolle describes it as having an inner tour guide, with you. ALL of the time. This tour guide there 24/7. It is narrating life, for you, as it goes by. In either case, if it were a real person, how long do you think you could stand to have them around? Especially at 3 AM!

What I want to suggest in this post is to begin to think of yourself as the OBSERVER of the voice. Yes, the voice is inside your head, in your mind, or a part of the ego or personality…. But since you can also hear the voice, consider the possibility that you can just observe it. You do not have to believe or follow everything it says. Singer suggests the following analogy. Suppose you are looking at three things….. Let’s say a book, a plate and a computer screen. He asks, “Which of those is you?” You would say, “None of them, I am looking at them.” He suggests this is how to see the voice as well. Look at it, but don’t necessarily believe it is all of who you really are.

Where did the voice come from? Let’s start from when you were little. The first people who helped create the voice were your parents, family, close friends. They tell you your name, where you live and teach you to speak English, unless of course you live in China, and then you learn Chinese, or in India, Hindi.

You may go to church and learn about God….. or Allah… As you grow up you go to school and learn how to count and read and write. You also learn things that are important in your culture. The culture contributes to the voice as well… think about what types of things you learned growing up in the culture of the United States.

If you had grown up in Egypt, you would have learned that you always use your right hand to eat, and you always leave some food on your plate.

But, if you grew up in Germany, you would have learned that it is considered polite to finish everything on your plate.

If in Columbia, you would have learned that it is polite to try everything you are given at a meal.

In Senegal, you would have learned that you do not begin eating until the eldest male does.

So if you are a German visiting Egypt, your voice might say something about how rude they are to leave food on their plates. Or an American woman visiting Senegal, your voice may question why everyone is looking at you strangely, when you start eating first.

The role and influence of the media could be an entire post in itself….. Suffice it to say that it plays a large role in how we view things in this country…. What we like, dislike, value, talk about, want to know about…. Who is dating who or if Jon and Kate will get a divorce or not.

I am not saying any of this is “bad”…. I am simply suggesting that the voice you have in your own head is largely shaped by where you were born, if you were born a boy or a girl, who raised you, if you are white or African American, Christian or Muslim, the education you received, if you were raised in the United States of America, South Africa, Europe or South America….. the schools you went to, your religious background, what you watch on TV, read in magazines and listen to on the radio…… and that the voice in your head may very well be quite different from the voice in my head!

My suggestion is that you do have the ability to simply be the observer of the voice… and moreover you do NOT have to believe EVERYTHING the voice says. You can just be aware that the voice is there….be aware where it may have come from…. and then choose if you want to listen to it or not!

To take it just a step further... and maybe we will explore this further in a later post, I’d like to suggest that in the observer position is where peace lies. Some may call this the experience of God, or Jesus or your soul… scientists may say it is a chemical reaction in our complex brains that allows us to sense peace. I will not attempt to answer that… and will leave it to you to decide for yourselves. What is true for me, is that PEACE is a good place to be!

To continue reading next month's post on The Observer, click here.

I would love to hear your feedback as well as any questions you may have or topics you may be interested in for the future. You may comment at the bottom at the blog where it says "comments." All posts will be archived on my blog along with other useful information at: Simply Spirituality or http://simplyspirituality.blogspot.com/

Until next month....
Here's hoping you keep your spirituality simple!
Penelope

Photo of the month:

High falls, Grand Portage, MN, August 2009

Taking Stock/Mindfulness

Quote of the Month:
Your entire life journey ultimately consists
of the step you are taking at this moment.
There is always only this one step,
and so you give it your fullest attention.
-Eckhart Tolle

It is hard for me to believe this post is the 12th month of the blog! When I began, I thought there would be 6 or 7 and now, almost a year later, I feel as though I've scarcely scratched the surface. As you read this month's post, think about where you were a year ago, what has changed since then and where you might like to go in the next year. Are there things you have changed in the past year..... or are there things you have wanted to do or change that you have not done in the last year? The earth will continue around the sun for another 365 days either way.... to paraphrase a friend of mine! It is up to you what you do with those days in between now and then to make the changes you want to see in your life.

I thought it might be appropriate for me to end this year coming full circle to where we began. The first post was on meditation, but I want to put a little twist on it now and introduce mindfulness.

Mindfulness simply means that we are paying attention. Paying attention to what we are doing, what we are feeling and everything that happens around us in the present moment. Often we go through life on autopilot. We act or react unconsciously or out of habit. This does not allow us to choose our response to a given situation. With practice we can begin to take more control and switch off the autopilot, learning to be fully aware of our sensations, thoughts, emotions and responses.

Do not set a goal to be mindful ALL the time, just to be there as often as you remember to. NO ONE [except possibly those who live in the mountains at a monastery] is mindful ALL of the time. Most of us are doing well, if we remember to be mindful for a few seconds, 2 or 3 times a day! Sometimes, I go whole days without remembering... so the idea here is to challenge yourself to do it as often as possible while at the same time being gentle with yourself!

One can think of mindfulness in the example of a tightrope walker. When walking on a high wire, one's attention can be no where else. The walker's full attention is on the step they are taking at that moment, the placement of the foot and where the weight is placed in the foot. I had a similar experience last winter walking down steep snow covered steps. It was of utmost importance to be aware of each step and where I placed my foot, so that I would not fall. Walking these steps daily for a number of weeks last winter helped raise my own mindfulness which has carried over into every day life.

There are a number of simple ways one can practice mindfulness in dialy life. A recent posting on Oprah's web site listed a number of suggestions for increasing mindfulness. A few of those are listed below....

Breath - When you wake up in the morning before getting out of bed, notice your breathing. Take a few deep, comfortable breaths.

Motions - Be aware of how your body feels as you move from lying down to sitting up, standing and walking.

Eating - Pay attention as you eat. Chew slowly and completely, and notice the textures and flavors of your food.

Listen - When talking to another person, take a moment just to listen, appreciating the person's experience of the world, though it may be different from your own. Try not to begin formulating your own repsonse until they have finished speaking.

Walking - Practice mindful walking, consciously placing your attention on each foot as it connects with and leaves the ground. (As I did on the snowy steps!)

Standing - When standing in line or waiting, use the time to feel your feet on the ground and notice how you are holding yourself.

I'll add - Completing Chores - doing repetitive chores with awareness rather than rushing through them to get finished. I have a friend who loves to wash dishes and another that folds laundry more peacefully than anyone I've every seen!

Once, while cleaning green beans [with my laundry folding friend] we seemed especially in the moment and enjoyed the actual process of cleaning the green beans together. This reminds me of how families came together in the past and prepared food together. This is something our fast-paced society misses out on in the drive through world of today. My suggestion this month is to do as Eckhart Tolle suggests in the quote above and give your full attention to the step you are taking at this moment, no matter what that step is.

I would love to hear your feedback as well as any questions you may have or topics you may be interested in for the future. You may comment at the bottom at the blog where it says "comments."Simply Spirituality or http://simplyspirituality.blogspot.com/

To continue reading next month's post on The Voice.... click here.

Until next month....
Keep it simple!
Penelope

Photo of the month:

This one step.... Florida, May 2001

What is Spirituality?

Quote of the month:

I have lived with several Zen masters -

all of them cats.

-Eckhart Tolle

When I started this blog, I promised myself that I would only post things that I know as Truth for myself and only write what comes from my heart. Often, I will wake up in the middle of the night with ideas about what to write....and I get up and jot them down. Other times, insights come after meditation. Though I have several ideas of what I want to write about next, many of you know that I recently started working again. It has not left as much time as I'd like to write or to meditate (though I still do at least some every day!)

This month, my thoughts about what I want to write are not as clear as I'd like them to be. So I have decided to borrow some material from a recent show on spirituality in which various guests discussed what spirituality meant to them. I wrote about what spirituality means to me in the Introduction to the first post of this blog. That definition continues to grow and change over time.

Below....several spiritual leaders explain what spirituality means to them. As you read each one, see if anything they say resonates with you. If so, it may be helpful to you on your own journey to look into what they have to say further. Happy trails.....

Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, says that to be spiritual is to live in a state of openness. With that openness, a far greater power comes into your life. So to be spiritual is to be in touch, connected with that dimension of depth in yourself.

Eckhart says that you need to become more aware of the aliveness of this moment. The aliveness that is all around you no matter where you are. To become aware of that, you need to become a little bit more alert than you usually are. Increasingly, you become rooted in the aliveness and the fullness of the present moment. That's to lead a spiritual life.

Spiritual author and lecturer Marianne Williamson says that spirituality wakens when you become still and humble. There are forces inside you—forces of fear and limitation and chaos—and they live inside us saying, "You can't do that." Spirituality is where you lay claim to a ground of being within yourself where you say, "I want to be that. I really do. I want to be that person that I'm capable of being."

Marianne says that people aren't happy because of what they aren't giving. The most important thing is that we learn how to forgive each other and that we learn how to love each other. How to live in the spirit of blessing and not blame. The spiritual path doesn't mean always an easier path, but it means a choice. A choice that we're making to try our best to be as loving as we can be.

Michael Bernard Beckwith says that love, peace, harmony and wisdom are everlasting qualities. They're real and they're eternal, and so when an individual is connected to those qualities and begins to exude them and express them, at that moment, they're in the spirit. And when an individual is mature enough to express that on a regular basis, we can say that they're spiritually mature. Regardless of the temporary problems you may be experiencing,

Michael says that the connection to love, peace and harmony stays with you. That which carries you when you're going through tough times. By letting go of what we think life is supposed to be, we can find greater spirituality. As a matter of fact, all spiritual growth is really about letting go of something. It's not about gaining anything. That's what it means to be spiritual.

Elizabeth Lesser is a leading spiritual thinker and the co-founder of Omega Institute, an education center focused on wellness and spirituality. Elizabeth says that everyone has a spiritual side, but she says it can be hard to tap into that part of yourself. Spirituality is an instinct. We have our instincts to eat and sleep and work and survive and thrive, but we also have a spiritual instinct. When we talk about a "spiritual path," what we're talking about is already there inside us, this instinct that we are more than our mind and body. The path is just getting obstacles out of the way.

Elizabeth says that spirituality is often simply accepting where life takes you. We all can relate to the feeling that life is happening to us. We're in this stream of life, and instead of relaxing into it, we're swimming as hard as we can against the current. That's sort of the opposite of the spiritual instinct. The spiritual instinct is to relax into the mystery of life as it's happening.

Gary Zukav was not on the show that I mentioned above, but I wanted to include his ideas briefly since he has been such an influence on my own path. Gary uses the term Authentic Power to describe the alignment of the personality with the soul (aligning with harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life). When someone lives in fear, the frightened parts of their personality are the parts that act (e.g., anger, jealousy, superiority, inferiority, vengefulness, etc.)

With awareness, in the present moment of all that you are feeling, moment-by-moment, one can learn to challenge these aspects of themselves, and move towards Love.

An authentically empowered personality has the characteristics of humbleness.. this means that one is free to love and to be who you are, with no artificial standards to live up to. Also clarity... which means one has the perception of wisdom and the ability to see the soul in action in the physical world. And forgiveness.... which means that one does not hold others responsible for their own experiences.... and love.... the energy of the soul. This includes gratitude, contentment, appreciation and awe.

To continue reading next month's post on Fear, click here.

I would love to hear your feedback as well as any questions you may have or topics you may be interested in for the future. You may comment at the bottom at the blog where it says "comments."

Until next month....Here's hoping you keep your spirituality simple!
Penelope

Photo of the month:

Flowers in Alexandria, VA, August 2001