I have learned a lot from reading the works of several great spiritual leaders and teachers.
You'll see me reference the New Testament, particularly the parable of the mustard seed. I also trust in the Golden Rule, which can also be translated as Karma. What you put out in the world is what you get back.
More modern teachers I've learned from include Henry David Thoreau, Ernest Holmes, and Julia Cameron, as well as Clarissa Pinkola Estes. I also count Richard Bach and Leo Buscaglia among my spiritual teachers.
I find spiritual inspiration everywhere - in people I've met, places I've been, things I've seen. Nature herself is a constant source for me with her annual themes of toil and rest, death and resurrection. Just this weekend, I saw our native California Buckeyes going into their summer hibernation - called aestivation - and know that, while they appear to be dying back now, they will come out in leaf and flower again in late winter/early spring of next year.
Just this morning, I was reading Julia Cameron's "Finding Water," the last part of "The Complete Artist's Way," and she quotes Thoreau - "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Wow! This quote accompanied her essay titled "Companionship," which reminds me that we are never truly alone.
And that reminds me of a poster I've seen since probably the late 1970s. Perhaps you've seen it as well. The poem on it is called "Footprints," and the image is that of two sets of footsteps along the beach becoming one, as if one make of the steps is now being carried by the other.
We are never truly alone in this world. We are all connected to each other and to every living thing on this great blue ball that we call Earth, that we call Home.
My challenge to you this week is to notice and acknowledge the connections - big or small - in your life every day.
Next week's message on spiritual health is no quite clear yet, but I know it will come when I put pen to paper.
Until next time, Namaste!
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