Spiritually minded people won’t be too surprised to hear me say there are huge lessons to learn during this unprecedented time in history. However, what are they? How do we learn them? And, do they really need to be so friggin’ dramatic?
Even those most committed to a Higher Consciousness path may find it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain the “it’s all happening for a reason” attitude during this time of political commotion. Some are pulling further away from living in the physical world, while others debate whether their spiritual discipline is practicable at all during this challenging period.
We all know the pigeonholed category for us spiritual types: Passive, peaceful, pensive. We’re myopically perceived as spouting “Everything happens for a reason,” and “It’s all good,” without reading much past the headlines.
Because of these stereotypic views, along with the standard notion insisting we must renounce worldly concerns to attain transcendence, it’s paradoxical to imagine seeing us as social or political activists. After all, we’re supposed to just close our eyes and go within, right?
When I began dabbling in spirituality, I thought it a requirement to pull away from living ‘of the world,’ and focus all my energy internally. I relinquished my ‘70’s peace marches, substituting meditation, prayer, creative visualization and positive affirmations. It was a 360 move to trust I’d be able to manifest anything I want, attract my soul mate, lose twenty pounds, and change the world without getting off my couch or carrying a picket sign.
All by sitting in a candlelit room in full lotus position.
Sometimes it worked, and, just as often, it didn’t. My frustration inspired the creation of my own techniques, and I soon started teaching others my own brand of spiritual thought. I began noticing that doing inner work and having transformational experiences, but not taking Real World action with the realizations, could to some degree nullify them.
It would be like reading a cookbook, imagining the yummy taste of the food, memorizing the recipes, but never buying ingredients, cooking them into something delicious and feeding the result to your family.
Further frustration led to the discovery of another key to the focusing within equation: It’s imperative to discover our unique, divinely bestowed Purpose and take whatever action we feel intuitively led to take with it. Like selfishly keeping that special birthday present purchased for a friend, this gift given from our Higher Consciousness must be given away or it becomes a guilt-ridden burden.
Living purposefully doesn’t mean having to do lofty or grand things, like discovering the cure for cancer or saving whales. It can be as simple as lovingly, joyfully, consciously, gratefully living our day-to-day life, doing whatever assistance is put in front of us.
However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Higher Consciousness Beings are supposed to be venturing out in the world, lovingly, largely and purposefully taking a stand.
On a spiritual level, we choose every aspect of our life – parents, family, society and the circumstances we are born into. Our choices are to present lessons and challenges that will best spur our awakening evolution.
Difficult as it may be, once we accept that concept, it means that, even if we didn’t vote for someone, on some level we chose them. Even if we aren’t toting a gun, if war exists, we are agreeing to it. Even if we drive an electric car and recycle religiously, we are complicit about pollution.
There are many who have chosen to be on this planet during this time to do extraordinary things. Why? Because only extraordinary beings would choose to be here during these tumultuous times. We have purposeful gifts that can become critical mass that assists the world.
We’ve also chosen to be here to get whatever lessons are standing in the way of manifesting our purpose. For example, until enough of us get that war doesn’t ever really solve a problem, it will continue. Until we resolve our “inner war mentality,” the part that spontaneously strikes out when something bothers us, war will continue. War is a physical version of what we do to ourselves (internally and externally), falsely believing it will stop something.
Just as students can’t advance to geometry until they pass basic math, our life lessons repeat until they’re mastered. On a grander level, history repeats itself until enough people pass the Big Lessons presented. Only then will the consciousness of the world fully shift.
Here are some Big Core Lessons being presented to us during these interesting times:
- The big one we’ve been trying to master for centuries: “How can we get along with others who seem different from us?” We are here to experience that we’re all the same – same fears, same desires, same purpose – manifesting in unique ways. Having people in powerful positions who seem opposite from us is a great way to learn this one.
- To see that human issues bridge both political and spiritual concerns. Hunger, health care, equality, abuse, war and ecological respect are all ethical and spiritual issues.
- To understand that we attract others to perfectly reflect (“mirror”) whatever we are suppressing or denying about ourselves. Whatever it takes and however long it takes, mirrors awaken us.
- When we feel a strong pull toward helping others, that particular issue may be something we’re trying to resolve within ourselves. Like the person denying their addictive personality becoming a drug counsellor; the relationship therapist who can’t commit to marriage; the accountant who can’t handle finances. Until our personal issues are resolved, we will subconsciously come from self-judgment, which only intensifies the situation.
Here’s my ongoing fantasy I’m putting out to the Universe:
I’m in a room filled with people in powerful positions, explaining in detail all these spiritual concepts. Once they achieve left brain understanding, I have them close their eyes and lead them in a deep, guided, inner process. Each experiences huge inner shifts, totally seeing that everything is a mirror.
They open their eyes and all agree it’s time to stop the wars and change all the divisive, destructive policies. Immediately. They hug and start singing Kumbaya, wondering why in the heck it took so long to find that love is the obvious (duh!) answer.
I like believing that’s possible.
Until then, I preach to the choir, hoping to inspire more of us to keep sitting in full lotus position looking within, learning our personal lessons, and making sure to take a purely loving, purposeful stand in (not of) the world.
We need us now more than ever.
