Do you enjoy repetition? Are you good at “sameness?” Does the word “practice” appeal to you or does it fill you with quiet dread? Are you good at sticking with things that may not have an instantly apparent outcome? Would you rather ignore these questions — hurry through this blog post to get to the comment section or so you can head over to Starbucks for a latte?
Is the pumpkin spice out yet, by the way?
Do you resist personal growth or do you actively seek it?
Can you imagine a flower that resisted growth and refused to bloom (even with sunlight, water, fertilizer)?
We would probably find it most mysterious.
We would wonder what was “wrong” with the plant — with the flower we were looking forward to enjoying. And we would research gardening sites online or ask around for advice. Maybe we would even give up on the plant, turning our attention to something else. To a plant that was already thriving or at least showing signs of growth.
Yet, when it comes to creating and committing to a daily spiritual practice, we make attempts now and then, but many of us are easily distracted. We seek novelty and ease. Sometimes we simply want to focus on anything but a spiritual practice. And, truthfully, many of us simply postpone such things. We procrastinate, willingly putting everything else first. And, yes, we live with a degree of spiritual resistance.
You cannot travel the path until you have become the path. ~ Buddha
So what is the answer. How do we create urgency around our spirituality? In a world that finds everything else to be a priority, how do we create and sustain a more enlightened routine — when it will nearly always mean going against the grain?
Of course each person has to answer this question in a way that is appropriate and realistic given life circumstances.
But I actually think our own internal resistance is more formidable than external pressures to conform — to meet the unspoken demands of a contemporary society that is restless, roving, malcontent.
Yet, there seems to be no valid reason to conform to a culture that rarely rewards spiritual endeavors. That seems to be growing more superficial and complacent each day.
Maybe we can’t change the world, but surely, we can change ourselves. We can explore our feelings of resistance more deeply, try to unearth whatever is keeping us from something we truly want to do, i.e., committing to a daily spiritual practice.
Another idea is to explore our need for novelty — for a new spiritual voice to follow, for a new method to try, and so on. Practice really does imply repetition, doesn’t it? So maybe that is why we stall out, because our culture has convinced us that something has to be “new” to be worthwhile or interesting or of value.
Now we’re getting somewhere, aren’t we?
What are your ideas along these lines?
How are you keeping your spiritual practice in place … how are you making it a priority each day?
There really are so many opportunities to be creative here, to discover unique ways to practice your spirituality without completely changing your life or lifestyle. Build on the possibilities. Start with small, but deliberate, steps. Stick to it. Make it something you look forward to — something your family understands is important to you. If you want to meditate each day, or enjoy periods of silence in your garden, or read a book by one of the many spiritual masters, or whatever it is that you find useful as part of a spiritual practice, carve out tiny pieces of your day — begin somewhere!
The great awareness comes slowly, piece by piece.
The path of spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning.
The experience of spiritual power is basically a joyful one.
~ M. Scott Peck
Blog posts by DazyDayWriter @ work in SunnyRoomStudio: all rights reserved.
