Embracing the "S" Word
"The cost of sanity in this society is a certain level of alienation." Terence McKenna
This wasn't going to be a Wise Words email and was originally the thoughts and observations I had recently while going through a 5 day juice detox. However with the recent tragic event in Manchester I felt compelled to modify my musings into a Wise Words message to the Tribe.
When I first started learning NLP (and still am) I launched my first website on personal development and started getting feedback from those friends and those nearest and dearest to me. One friend mentioned how she really liked the website but didn't like the fact I used the "S" word. She actually went as far as to say I should remove it as "as it may turn people off and lose you potential clients."
So what is the word that has the power to frighten people away just by reading it? I'm coming to that shortly.
As mentioned earlier while doing the Juice fast/detox there was a interesting side effect. I felt more empathetic and compassionate than usual, more sensitive to those who were suffering or feeling isolated/unconnected.
One example was a homeless woman who was asking (not begging) for money. I was in a rush to catch a train to take my son to football when she asked "do you have any spare change?", "Sorry, no." I said as quickly and politely as I could (as I usually don't have change) and continued my rush to the train and then remembered that I indeed did have change..
Now under normal circumstances I would have carried on to catch my train and get my son to football on time. I couldn't, I felt compelled to do a u-turn and give her the money, which I did.
The side effect I'm referring to was the feeling of being more "Spiritual!" Yes this is the "S" as you may have guessed. In my opinion the "S" word is misunderstood and misinterpreted as hippy, tree hugging, airy-fairy, pie-in-the-sky or something else of which I'm not quite sure. But it sure seems to unsettle lots of people.
For me spiritual means the awareness that everything is in essence connected, whether we can see those connections or not.
The fact we breath because trees produce oxygen and trees breath carbon dioxide which we produce. That the moon has influence on the tides of the oceans, the solar winds help to create the majestic aurora borealis or that we have food to eat because bees are busy trying to make honey is no coincidence. You see Everything is connected.
Let me ask you a few questions; when you see a rainbow do you see 7 different distinct colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue. indigo, violet) that are separated? Are you aware even though we don't see them, that infra-red and ultra-violet light are part of the spectrum of the all encompassing Light?
Just like the colours of the rainbow, we may seem separate and if it wasn't for a medium like water, glass or crystal you most likely wouldn't see the different colours, you would only see Light.For humans the medium that creates separation is the ego (our persona).
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Socrates
When we over identify with the ego or shun our spiritual Self we become disillusioned, disenfranchised, isolated, diminishing the ability to empathise and feel compassion. Consequently allowing terrible atrocities to be committed against each other (and other species) "man-ipualted" based on what we think we know in the name of religious, political, racial and patriotic ideologies.
However when we embrace our essential (spiritual) nature it is harder to hurt others and ignore their suffering, or feel lonely and isolated, because of our connection in a symbiotic world.
Our essence is Oneness through our connection and Spiritual practices (meditation, yoga, fasting/detoxing, walking in nature, sitting by the sea, volunteering, whatever does it for you) for Re-Membering that everything is this Truth. The ego is illusion of separation so we can relate to different things. The key is to maintain balance with our connection to all things through our sense of self as an individual. No matter what the the "S" represents I wish that people find balance and stop hurting each other and Ultimately our Self.
Be Well, Be Great, Be Inspired
Earl www.creativemuscle.co.uk Awakening and Inspiring.
