Spiritual living invites us to be with the world in creative and generative ways. Spiritual practice enhances one’s capacity for spiritual living by drawing inner life outward where it can be observed and developed.
I commit to writing as a spiritual practice but struggle to show up to the page. “I haven’t anything to say! Who cares if I write? What does it matter?”
I search online for inspiration and distill my findings:
- Set doubt aside, trust the value of practice.
- Do not expect to feel a certain way or have a particular experience.
- Pay as much attention as possible.
- Resist the temptation to judge or analyze.
Several months pass and my practice improves. I show up more regularly and when I don’t have a writing topic in mind, I write about my inner state:
I feel like a wild horse, corralled and restless to escape. My attention darts outward and away. I am adrift … until adrift becomes what I write about. In truth, I don’t know what to write! I feel anxious, like I should know. I yearn for assurance and certainty.
Can I bring sufficient attention to writing today? I hear tapping on a keyboard, cars in the distance, a groaning refrigerator. An invisible atmosphere seems to surround and permeate my body until I am no longer alone but within something alive. My mind becomes quiet--a receptive field of awareness. Soon uninvited thoughts conspire to move my attention toward activity, distraction, dissatisfaction … out of the present moment.
Improvements in practice spread to other parts of life. When uncertain, I remember I am not obligated to feel a certain way or have a particular experience. I pay strict attention to my inner state to avoid reflexive and insincere responses. I don’t rush into judging what pleases or displeases me.
Spiritual practice does not make Life perfect, but it does keep Life fresh.