Possibly my earliest memory of a spiritual concept – at least one that gave me thought – was a rather profound sermon given by the minister of our local church just before Christmas. I was around 8 years old and going to church was the biggest bore. My mother would rotate us children to join her in this holy duty, so it was penance for me every 5 weeks. But I will always remember what the wise old minister said on this particular day. He quietly stated that Christmas was not presents and all the hoopla but listening. Take time out to appreciate the quiet. He didn’t use the word meditation, but if he was buddhist, I guess he may have. I can’t be sure, but it’s possible that at that moment, I understood a little bit about spirituality.

Spirituality calls forth a deft touch to everything that you do. It is graciousness. It doesn’t proclaim or proselytise. Spirituality is the big picture of your life. It brings everything together to create a meaningful existence. To be spiritual is not to be holy, but to be connected. If it’s lacking you can’t buy it, but you can massage it into being.

Whilst I often don’t have a clue about what is going on in my life, when things get a bit rough I can bring thoughts and actions together by focusing on my spiritual life – made up of mostly simple things that touch my heart: friends, family, nature, creative projects and urges, watching tele.

Recently a few people have said to me that they lack direction or meaning in their lives. They spoke of the world being mechanical and unfeeling which is very tiring. What to do? Spirituality and meaning go hand in hand. Without some meaning we are lost and we feel devoid of spirit. Without a spiritual connection to things we have no meaning.

There is no doubt that the world is more fragmented than it once was. And unless you live in a cave somewhere chanting your oms in complete bliss, then you are challenged by that fragmentation. Technology magnifies this. It has enabled us to have great freedoms of communication and travel, but due to the constant stimulation it can leave us a little overwhelmed and we lose our sensitivity.

And one doesn’t have to be married to technology. We all go through challenging periods where we feel disconnected from things and people around us. We are all pulled and twisted by forces outside of us. That’s natural. And no matter how much we try to control things – it will all fall apart every now and again. The fact that you get to experience things falling apart and coming together, gives you great dollops of meaning – served up on a platter. Whether you like it or not. In my mind this has got to be one of the great spiritual understandings.

But how do we consciously choose to develop meaning in a world that is seemingly getting ever more bonkers? A world where technology is so prevalent that it can render us insignificant and our actions pointless? We don’t have to understand the technology, but understand ourselves. In times of need we bring the disparate parts of our lives together. By seeing all these seemingly separate things as a whole, the meaning in our lives springs into being.

So for me it comes down to these simple concepts. Massage the meaning and feel the connectedness. The more we feel those connections, and the better we understand them, the more meaning we have in our lives.

A great little affirmation is “I give thanks and are gracious for the meaning in my life.

OK so what does that mean in a practical sense?

All our activities, can (or really should), have meaning – some more than others. Isn’t it true that it is easier to connect all the parts into a whole when you are in your element so to speak? Focus on those things that give your life a special zest but don’t be afraid to explore the new. These can be simple or more complicated things such as: reading this (hopefully), meditating, joining the surf club, having a special dinner for family or friends, taking the dog for a walk, travelling to Peru on an Ayahuasca journey.

Some of these things will evoke your desire for understanding – they pique your curiosity. And if you have a desire to understand the goings on of life, then you will know where I am coming from.

We also need to give thanks to meaning. Some people have meaningful lives through service to the community – the proverbial helping grandma across the street. They are lucky because there are plenty of grandmas to help develop meaning. We give thanks to them for being so helpless that they need us.

A great little affirmation is “I give thanks and are gracious for the meaning in my life.

Be gracious and give thanks regularly to people, things, and the energy of the Great Spirit – or whatever energy you desire to thank. That’s meaningful. That’s spiritual.

Maybe too simplistic, but such things are meant to be simple. Without meaning, a life is not lived. So go ahead and get massaging.

Godspeed
CJ Wild

Spiritual Quest by CJWild