April 25, 2009

I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there.
Mother Theresa

Newly graduated from university, I took a temporary position at General Motors headquarters in downtown Detroit. As a secretary/assistant in the Marketing department, I learned a great deal about the inner workings of a vice president’s duties, along with practices of a huge corporation. My boss, well paid and successful, asked me to write a letter of recommendation for one of his former interns. I drafted the letter feeling quite satisfied with the short but sweet sentiments. He returned it to me with a correction: "I cannot recommend Mr. Jones highly enough." Daringly I lightly knocked on the doorframe and asked to speak with him. I pointed out that his edit contained a negative connotation and the statement carried more power if he retained my simple, "I highly recommend Mr. Jones." He thought about my suggestion and chuckling, commented on my courage as a fledgling marketing assistant approaching a Sr. Vice President. Nonetheless, he accepted my original endorsement and mumbled that he saw my point in offering forth a more solid, positive statement to reinforce his recommendation.

Often we take for granted the words we use to convey our thoughts and feelings. While some may consider the choice of words mere semantics, when we pay closer attention to their true meaning – both consciously and sub-consciously – we see the spiritual impact of language carries with it great power.

When we revolt against our humanity, we notice the blades of passion sharpened by the steel of opposition. Cutting through layers of experience and maturity, the honed attacks against our spirit results in a failure of our expectation for success. Fighting against anything in your life results in more of that against which you fight. It never, ever brings for the result you truly desire.

The war on...
LBJ, in the 1960s, instituted a "War on Poverty." Time proved the ineffectiveness of that battle. Societies worldwide, including America, still wrestle with poverty and hunger. The "War on Drugs" escalates daily with no hope of solution or even remediation. And so, it continues not only politically and legally, but personally and spiritually, as well.

When we do battle on cancer or any other terminal illness, we empower the disease by focusing our energy on it. With laser-like intention, the object of our disdain grows from the very energy it receives! From "self-fulfilling prophecies" to the "worst case scenario" whatever we struggle against appears in our lives with regularity and promise.

Inner Conflicts between our humanity and spirituality

Fallibility
As human beings, we make mistakes. Sometimes a series of mistakes in blessed succession, repeated until we finally "get it" is necessary. We waste time focusing on our errors and shortcomings and exhaust ourselves in self-flagellation instead of concentrating on improving our choices and behaviors. We get lost in the cycles of doubt and anger and forget our earthly life experience offers us an opportunity to get things right.

As spiritual beings, we learn from our mistakes. Sooner or later, the 2x4 of life hits the perfect spot and we finally get it! Spiritual beings don't wallow in self-pity, grudges, or "shoulds." Moving forward with new information and an invitation to try something different propels our spirituality.

Age
Human bodies deteriorate with time. Our culture rewards youthful appearance and shuns the signs of aging. I've always chuckled, "time and gravity get us all." It's only a body, and its temporary. What we look like and even how we physically feel reflect little of who we truly are.

Our spiritual age remains indefinable. As we move from one incarnation to the next, we see that many times we take with us the wisdom we gained from prior attempts. We all know of young children who express worldly insight and we also know of adults who never grow up.

Love
As we experience love in the human condition, we take for granted that the exchange and expression of love are limited to the physical body. As physical beings, most of the time we cannot fathom that love exists outside of our five senses. We share love with our mate, our family and friends, our pets and even our community. Seldom do we consider that love transcends time and space.

As spiritual entities, we love on a soul level. We recognize the soul through a physical form, but most of the "love at first sight" testimonies relay a soul connection rather than a facial or bodily kinship. Entertaining the idea that true spiritual love knows no boundaries, our limitations evaporate on the physical plane.

Death
Death of the body marks the end of earthly experience. We mourn the loss of our loved ones and fear our own final breath. If we constrain ourselves to the limitation of the human body, we live in a short-prism of understanding our timeless existence.

Most spiritual believers understand our Spirit never dies. Many differing hypotheses lead us to varying beliefs of what happens to the human soul once the body no longer lives. Some believe the soul goes to heaven (or hell) while others hold faith in a continuation of the souls birth and rebirth in the path to enlightenment.

Whatever your earthly experience, know that the limitations of your human body may be overcome though an understanding of the vast possibilities of your spiritual power. From seeing colors, to hearing more music, to sensing beyond the familiar five, to opening your heart, mind and spirit up to the Infinite power, you are, and always will be more than a body.

Embrace your humanity – don’t argue with it, or against it. Our spirit lives in amazing vehicles meant to propel us through life with learned limitations. Working with and not against spirit, you bring to your life experience greater joy and understanding and ultimately meaning, through your humanity.



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