Not what you do
Life is busy as it seems there is always so much to do. On the go, to and fro, where and when, how and why, and trying to get it all done by the time it’s time to go home. High levels of stress abound as goals are aspired to and attempted, deadlines are given and accepted, and the act of ‘making it happen’ is implemented. During all of this one thing that is sort of thrown around at convenience is the word ‘spirit’. Where does it fit in and how does one maintain a feeling of spirituality while attempting to meet all of these deadlines in life? When does one have a chance to be spiritual? And, does it help you to get ahead in life to be more spiritual? What does it all mean anyway?
One Answer
One possible answer is that it doesn’t really matter what it is that you are doing. Whether you are working at a restaurant serving food, sitting in a cubicle answering phone calls, attending a corporate board meeting deciding the fate of the company, or sitting on your couch playing video games, the ‘what’ doesn’t really matter. What matters is the how? How are you doing it? This does not mean by what physical means, which physical senses that you are utilizing to accomplish the task. Rather the meaning here is how are you engaged in this activity? Is it with reverence and patience that you undergo your day to day activities no matter how seemingly important or trivial? Or, is it with impatience and reluctance that you engage your day to day activities, from the drive to work, shopping at the mall, to making dinner at home?
Spirit IS
Spirit is in the how of what you are doing, not the what of it. In other words, if you are playing video games, spirit can be as present as you are. It could be a way of bonding at a deeper level with the people you are engaged with. Or, it could be a way to appreciate the artistic creativity and genius of the game designer. Does it transport you to an altered state of consciousness? Or, it could be a way to escape your life and be absent from your problems. In this way, there becomes the absence of spirit rather than the presence of it.
The same could be said of the executive board meeting where the future of the company is being decided upon. Spirit can enter in when respect, reverence, and honor are made present within. If you are in the moment and connected to all of the people in the room, spirit has entered into the meeting with you. Now, your meeting has become your spiritual practice. In this instance you will be assured of the highest possible outcome of the meeting as well as the fact that allowing spirit to enter any situation transforms it instantaneously into something much grander and greater than previously possible.
Reverence
Do you revere your interactions and meetings with the people around you? If so, it is quite possible that your meetings and interactions with people are spiritual in nature, in that spirit is present in these interactions. Spirit is everywhere and it is only resistance which keeps any interaction or activity from being a spiritual one. To label an activity as spiritual or unspiritual is a human concept, not a godly one. Spirit is present within each molecule of the Universe and every physical thing that is manifested on our planet. It is the human attention placed upon it which gives it the ability to become spiritual or not. Thus, to revere, is surely to honor the spirit within and enter into a spiritual agreement with the present moment.
Native Americans
The Native Americans inherently revered every interaction they went into. They believed that to revere a thing or a situation was to be one with it. Thus, when the Native American killed the deer or buffalo, it was prayed over and given thanks for before it was even removed from the scene of its death. This reverence, this honoring of the animal for what it offered brought spirit into the scene of its death and thus transmuted the entire interaction into one of a spiritual nature. Thus it was that in this way the Native Americans lived a completely spiritual existence without ever trying to. It was simply within their nature and consciousness to revere that which nature provided.
Practicing Spirituality
You needn’t meditate or worship at an alter to be spiritual. All you need to do is honor the present moment with your presence and awareness. In any moment there is spirit and the absence of it. The activity that you are engaged in is neither of those but will always have a spiritual force latent within it, awaiting your acknowledgment of its existence. To do this, simply take the time to notice where you are right now in this moment. Stop, look up from your computer, look around the room and look at the people around you, what do you see? Do you see strangers and a room that you use for a specific purpose? Or, if you are present, do you see spirit smiling back at you? Spirit is there awaiting your acknowledgement in every person and every activity that you enter into.
Written by Chris
Christopher Pinckley is the author of Reality Creation 101, a ground breaking spiritual self-help book about healing your unconscious and learning how to become the conscious creator of your own experience. He is also a spiritual teacher, blogger, and life coach. Look for his break through coaching program at the start of 2011.
