Category Archives: spiritual practice

At the Center

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Writing this blog focused on spirituality is a daily practice for me, one I kept for 598 days during the years 2008 –2010, and one I committed to again at the start of 2022 for a number of reasons. My life in 2022 is way different than it was back when I made the commitment the first time. One of the big differences is that now I work a full-time job versus being a sole entrepreneur; that has made keeping the daily commitment challenging, but I’ve not missed a single day. Writing usually at night after a long work day doesn’t always yield as well-written a post as I’d like. However, the main purpose is to connect with Spirit, and in the process hopefully gain some insight or at least decide to contemplate an idea at some future time. However, this spiritual practice has also expanded my knowledge further about people, events, philosophies, music, and more. Due to my commitment, I’ve stretched myself to come up with a topic, to improve search engine optimization, to find interesting images, and to be more creative, resulting in me doing a lot of research bearing delightful fruits from that in and of itself. … Continue reading →

Closer to Us Than Our Very Breath

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Lazy day… I slept a whopping 11 hours! I allowed myself that gift since I’ve got a 3-day weekend away from my job and it’s my time. And even though I didn’t sit down for my morning sabbath until after 12 Noon, Spirit was with me anyway, of course. It didn’t matter the time nor place. “We must come to realize that God is not in some far-off place, but instead that God is an inward, intimate Presence closer to us than our very breath. God is not nor can ever be separated from us, but too often we separate ourselves from God.” – “365 Science of Mind: A Year of Daily Wisdom from Ernest Holmes,” May 29 I find myself in awe simply contemplating the very concept that Spirit is closer to us than our very breath. That’s pretty close, very intimate. It’s more intimate than I could ever be with any being. And, it’s reassuring, allowing me to feel I am not alone in this physical world. Spirit is always with me, and that is true for you as well. We don’t have to walk this journey solo—in fact, we can’t since the Divine is closer to us … Continue reading →

Thankful Thursday

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Today being Thursday, I was searching online for some writing ideas about this day of the week; I came across the site Happier Human which had a post about Thankful Thursday by Sarah Kristenson. I’ve not heard of that term before, although of course I realize the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving is always celebrated on a Thursday (fourth Thursday of November). So, it turns out Thankful Thursday is a gratitude practice based on Thanksgiving. Digging deeper, I learned that Thankful Thursday was introduced by Jeremy Watkin at Phone.com as a way to incorporate gratitude into the workplace. Every Thursday, anyone in the company could take a moment to share their gratitude for something at work or outside of work. Jeremy was the pioneer of this special day, and it brought many smiles to the faces of the team. Others have carried on the practice. Giving thanks and expressing gratitude is a profound habit that may create a more optimistic impression and appreciation for life. Much scientific research shows that practicing gratitude on a routine basis can profoundly affect your health, happiness, and success. I think it synchronistic that I learned of the concept Thankful Thursday this particular week. You see, … Continue reading →

Be Loving

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As I was in meditation this morning, the thought came to me to focus on the sentence “Be loving” throughout the course of my day. That uplifted me as I felt it surely was direct guidance from Spirit since I’ve been praying and asking to be more loving in my interactions. I was ready to chant “Be loving” all through the day. Then I checked my email and took notice of the subject line from my DailyOM message: “Sending Love Ahead to Your Day.” Wow, looks like Spirit is truly here helping me… guess I’m going to experience some synchronicity around this today. The message read, in part, “… While our lives are busy and frequently replete with challenges, they are also rich with joy and experiences worth savoring. We can attract this natural bliss into our lives by starting each day with a message of love. When you send love ahead to your day, that love will manifest itself in your interpersonal interactions, your professional endeavors, and your domestic duties. Tasks and circumstances once made trying by your own anxiety are transformed by your love, and you will find yourself approaching life’s subtle nuances with great affection.” – DailyOM … Continue reading →

Belonging

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“Belonging is a deep spiritual need.” — “Paths to Recovery: Al-Anon’s Steps, Traditions, and Concepts,” by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., page 270 I was reading about participation in groups, specifically as a volunteer giving service in a 12 Step program. It wasn’t until I became a member of a 12 Step group for eating disorders that I felt like I belonged. Of course, a 12 Step group is focused on spirituality, but I had no clue that a sense of belonging was actually a need, a spiritual need at that! Just like I didn’t know my eating disorder was about me trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, trying to fill a spiritual need (connection to Spirit) with a physical thing (food). I immediately felt at home in 12 Step meetings; I didn’t feel so alone. That was a tremendous milestone for me. But I think belonging goes beyond feeling not alone and may take some time to develop. Belonging, to me, feels warmer, is a stronger sense of closeness and bonding. I didn’t experience that sense of belonging in my family of origin, and, in fact, felt fairly isolated since I felt no one understood … Continue reading →

Spiritual Practice Takes Many Forms

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Yep, as Spirit is everywhere, in everything, and always present, then anything and everything can be a spiritual practice. I ‘simply’ need to bring the person, place, circumstance, activity, etc. into my consciousness, remembering it is all part of the One. Spiritual practice takes many forms. Singing, in particular, is a prolific one for me; depending on the song, it feels like prayer. I often say that when I was an atheist, singing was prayer for me, my connection to Source—of course, I didn’t realize it back then! Holding the door open for another… attentively listening to someone… meditating… cooking a meal… hugging a child…doing the laundry. Oh, let me count the ways of spiritual practice (some can seem more obvious than others, but it’s wherever one places their consciousness)— well, they’re infinite! As is Spirit. Wherever I am, I make a choice to focus on Spirit, and in so doing, practice the Presence. By the way, I too love eating popcorn while watching a great movie!

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