photo from istockphoto

There are many spiritual lessons we can learn from anything we experience  in life.  I got inspiration for this topic from watering my flowers this morning.

How caring for our garden is a great metaphor for living an amazing spiritual life…..

1.  In order for your flowers to really blossom, you have to care for them everyday.
Do the flowers have enough water?  Do they need fertilizer?  Do they need to be weeded?  What is the condition of the soil?  What about pests and diseases?   Are they getting too much sun or not enough?  

To really blossom as a person, you have to put some time into nurturing  and caring for your spirit.   Whether it is prayer, spiritual practices or some type of meditation – cultivate this everyday.  Think of yourself as a spiritual being dressed with a human body, not the other way around.  Absorb yourself in Divine reality and move from that place.  Let  the Divine be the foundation for your day.  It takes both inner reflection and outer action to beautify ourselves and rise to our potential.

2.  The external conditions will always change.
When you look at flowers, they are in complete surrender to what God has for them, whether it is the rain, the heat, the cold or pests.

There will always be difficulties in life.  We grow from facing our challenges and walking through them.   Adversity shows you who you really are.  When we feel we are completely sufficed by Divine in any given situation, we can then respond beautifully to whatever we are facing. 

3.  Plants live in the earth and turn towards the light.  Are you turning toward the world to fill you with what you need or are you turning to Divine?  Turn to the One who made who, who loves you more than you love yourself.
 
4.  Flowers need to be cut back in order to grow, dead blossoms need to be trimmed.  The blossoms need to be trimmed, so the energy of the plant is not wasted on what’s dead and instead can be directed to what can grow. The plant grows bigger, stronger, produces more and is healthier with regular trimming. 

We need to prune ourselves.  We have to clear away the old baggage in order to really thrive and change.  Let go of what you don’t really need, so you can live a life you long for.

5.  Give Love.  Everyone and everything grows beautifully when given love.  Love something or someone for no reason at all.  When you are loving anything in God’s creation, you are loving God. 

6.  Plants, flowers, trees and shrubs are always giving.  They  provide food, medicine, shelter, beauty and so much more.

Be of service, really give of yourself.   When you really give, you also receive.   The more you give, the more you grow.

“Life is a journey sometimes walked in light, sometimes in shadow.”

This is a short story from
KEEP GOING
The Art of Perseverance
by Joseph M. Marshall III

 This is a wonderful story about facing our fears.    The author sets the story of a wise grandfather ( Old Hawk) talking to his grandson (Jeremy) saying, “We are all afraid of something.  But that shouldn’t stop us from going on every day.  We should not always walk in fear of the shadow while we are in the light.  It is certain we will not know when or how the difficult and bad times will come, but if we accept that they will come, then they are easier to face when they do.
“And always remember that anything that causes the shadow is smaller than the source of the light.”

To further illustrate shadows and sunshine the grandfather tells a story of two travelers.

Two men journeyed the length and breadth of land bathed in sunshine.  One was a woodcarver and the other was a reader of the law.  Their journey was pleasant.  The road was wide and there were inns at which they rested for the night.  Constables and soldiers frequented the road, so the two travelers knew they were safe from thieves and or anyone else who intended harm,  Therefore, though these things were blessings, the journey was without excitement or challenge.  After several days the road led into a tall, very dark and thick forest.  The reader of the law stopped at the edge of the forest and refused to take another step.

“We must go into the forest,” said the woodcarver.  “It is a part of our journey.”

“But I do not like the deep shawdow,” said the reader of the law.  “I do not know what could be hiding there in the darkness.  There could be thieves ready to fall upon us, or perhaps fierce, wild animals.”

“True,” replied the woodcarver.  “The forest is where many things do dwell.  There may be other travelers, or dangerous and unknown things.  Yet we will not know until we walk into these shadows.  But there is something in there that is the most dangerous of all.  That I know.”

The fearful reader of the law recoiled.  “Whatever do you mean?  What can be more dangerous than thieves or wild animals?”

“Your fears,” replied the woodcarver, as he enterd the forest.

He walked deep into the shadows.  More than once he hid from bands of thieves looking for people to rob.  Another time he climbed a tree to escape the reach of an angry bear.  Before he reached the other side of the forest he had to deviate from the trail to find water, and he became lost.  But he managed to find the trail once again and after several days and nights he emerged on the other side of the forest, and found the sunshine again.

The reader of the law, meanwhile, remained at the edge of the forest, afraid to face the shadows.
 
“What do you suppose happened to that man, the reader of the law,” wondered Jeremy.  Did he stay at the edge of the forest?”

“What do you think?”  countered Old Hawk.

“Well, I guess sometimes we ceate our own shadows,” reasoned Jeremy.  “So maybe he never figured out that his fears made the forest darker than it really was.  If so he could not have learned what the woodcarver did.”

“And what did the woodcarver learn?”  asked the old man.

Jeremy thought for a moment.  “Sometimes we have to endure the darkness, and what it holds. If we do that, we apprecaite the light.  So the man who wouldn’t go into the forest was trying to deny that shadows are a part of life.”  Jeremy decided.

“True.  Furthermore, he gave into his fears and denied himself the experience of facing them.”  replied the old man.  “So he learned the wrong lesson.  We all do that from time to time.  Instead of worrying how I will face life without your grandmother, I will make the most of the time we have left together, and thank Grandfather for the life he has given us.”

This story illustrates the point beautifully about facing our fears.  When we say yes, transformation happens and we move forward.  Make the decision to face your stuff and take an action, say ‘yes’ even when you feel like a ‘no’.   If you are needing some help on your journey, please feel free to contact me for help.

Sammy photo by Safa Sheehan

1. Joy!

My dog Sammy, a 4 year old Lab/Golden Retriever mix, wakes me up every morning with a tail that wags around in circles, like a helicopter ready to take off.  His ears move up and down, his eyes are wide open, his nostrils are flaring as he waits with anticipation of my response.  Whether it is the slightest movement to show him I am awake or I say the word, “breakfast” he then washes my face with a lot of kisses, gleefully jumps off the bed, grabs a toy and dances around me as we walk to the kitchen or go outside.  He is happy to  just be awake and start his day.

2. Wonderment.
No matter how many times my dog has walked the same path, it is new to him.  Everything is important and beautiful to him.  I would liken it to a child looking at everything with amazement and innocence that sometimes we adults tend to take for granted.

3. Live Simply.
Eat. Sleep. Poop. Play.  Need I say more.

4.  Community.
Dogs are pack animals, they are happiest when they can be a part of something.  They learn so much about each other and themselves when they are part of a group.  We all need one another, no one should go it alone.

5.  Affection.
My dog, Sammy is the most affectionate dog I know.  He gives me so many kisses throughout the day, I am surprised his tongue still works.  Wherever I sit there he is, on top of me, right up against me, cuddled up to me, always touching.  Everyone needs hugs and kisses.

6.  Live in the now.
Dogs live in the present.  They are honest about their feelings and will show exactly what is going on with them.  No repression of feelings, no playing games, no pretending.  Just be where you are.

7.  Love.
 Their love is unconditional and overflowing.

These are just a few observations.  If you have a pet, what are some of the things you have learned?  Please feel free to share your thoughts.