I am drawn to spiritual practices that align with my natural proclivities. I feel comfortable in the verbal world of words and ideas. Speaking and writing come naturally. So, no surprise, I enjoy reading, journaling, contemplating, and discussing religious and philosophical themes.
Paradoxically, I am also drawn to spiritual practices that are the opposite of verbal, or at least its compliment. I seek out mystical experiences where my perception expands, my awareness intensifies, and my connection to others, and everything, swells like the tide. When this state of being takes hold, I am not thinking about expansion or reflecting on connection. I experience them directly, immersed, standing beyond the ability of words to observe and attempt a description.
Spiritual work is personal, different for each of us. We are here as individual lenses, each refracting light into a splashwork of endless shapes and colors, adding to a larger mosaic. For me, as with many, the work of both thinking about and immersing with starts on the inside. But I know that my inner work is only the first half. If it doesn’t percolate out, then the inner work has failed to manifest its beauty. I am, truly, hiding my lamp under a bushel.
Maybe that’s why I write the Stumbling Mystic blog, to hold myself accountable, to witness the changes in my nature, and share what I see along the way. When it’s flowing, the inner and the outer reinforce each other. Another piece is polished and revealed. As an individual, I grow into ever better versions of my natural proclivities. As a collective, we share more and more of our better selves. When we participate, the cycle advances, the world grows with us. When we hold back, the wheel slows.
What are your natural gifts and strengths? What spiritual practices call to you? How do you share the beauty of your ever-changing nature with the world?
These questions are worth your time. Take a moment, feel your breath, and sit with them. When hear a reply rise within you, note it, let it seep into your daily life. The world is waiting to see what you become.
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