Posted by: Jan on April 12, 2009
Categories: Spiritual Exercises // Comments Off on A Simple, Focused Approach for Living a Spiritual Life
Whether you’re talking about spiritual awakening and enlightenment, or living a spiritual life with practical everyday mysticism, you’re going to want to know this.
A profound piece of wisdom says: “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”
What makes this a terrific practice for a spiritual exercise is this:
“Tell me and I’ll forget” lets you know right up front that no one wants to be preached to. No one wants to hear how you think they should be living their life, where you think they made a poor choice, or what you suggest they must do to fix it.
Whether you are training your children at home or working with study groups or support groups, “show me and I may remember” doesn’t accomplish everything you expect either. You can be one of them, among them, and walking your talk. But there is still a distance to go to reach into the psyche and soul of others.
What they mean to say to you is, “involve me and I’ll understand. Walk with me as one who wants to know and support me – not ahead of me to lead me, and not behind me to push me.”
“Involve me and I’ll understand – ask for my ideas, give me some responsibility, rally around me and help me succeed.”
Don’t think you’ve got to do it all by yourself. Don’t assume you’ve got the only answers to their needs. Don’t think that you’re the only one who can take care of their concerns. Involve them in understanding the greatness of their own spiritual selves, and what they already can do for themselves because of who they are as soul.
Living a spiritual life and bringing others into spiritual awakening and healing are not as difficult as you may think. Keep it simple – no show and tell. Keep it focused – involve them and give them time to learn and understand. Start with this proverb as a daily spiritual exercise and see where it leads you.
Does this give you a new insight or affirm what you’re already doing? Please drop a line in the response box below (or click on the comment link in Facebook) and share your thoughts with us.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Janice M. Puta
Author of Pathways: Tales for the Spiritual Seeker
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