I didn’t want to be “spiritually lazy”.
This morning the words “spiritually lazy” flitted through my mind.
I had just dropped off my son to his Kindergarten classroom and stopped to chat with the principal outside of the school. As a constant and enthusiastic volunteer at the school, I interact with her frequently and had been in touch with her via email in the last couple of days regarding plans for Teacher Appreciation Week next week, so we touched base about that. Then we gabbed about the fact that several teachers were gone today, and with it being a beautiful Spring Friday, the principal predicted that today would be a “busy” day for her. (She did say this with a laugh! Humor is such a great tool!) I chuckled too and told her that if there was anything I’d be able to help with, to just call. She remarked, “Why don’t you just go ahead and get your substitute teaching license?” I laughed and said I had thought about it, and then waved and went on my way down the sidewalk.
As I started off, quick thoughts rolled through my mind about it. I honestly had thought about getting the substitute license and had looked at the requirements and training registration website several times. Each time, I had decided that it just isn’t the right time, and maybe not even the right thing for me. I preach alignment, and I try to live by it too. Every time I’ve tuned into that possibility, it just hasn’t felt aligned. A big reason is that if I choose to do it, it will undoubtedly take my time, attention, and energy away from my own work. It will take me in a different direction, and Heaven knows a Gemini like me is always in a constant state of flux as it is!
My business is my spirituality.
The two are so intertwined that I often can’t distinguish between them. My business tends to mirror my exploration through this vast, wild existence. (In fact, recently I have been amused at a very clear parallel between my spiritual business and my literal house. More to share on that in a bit.) I love that I can use my spiritual and personal exploration and development in my work, and that the simple act of moving through my journey can become of service to others. Always as I’m processing through something personally, my business ebbs and flows along with it.
Anyway, back to the sidewalk this morning…
During that once-again tug-of-war in my mind about the whole substitute teaching thing is when the words “spiritually lazy” floated through.
I think it was my own inner judgment popping in that decided that if I took time “away” from my business-work to substitute teach, therefore taking me “away” from my spiritual work, I would be acting lazy in my spirituality. Because substituting is not spiritual?? And because we need to be on a strict regimen of spiritual practice?? Haha!! Oh, that inner judge needs a cuddle and a beach resort vacation, doesn’t she??
In my work with students and clients, I have witnessed this come up a bunch.
Sometimes we forget the “spirit” in “spiritual” and we assign ourselves to a regimen of practices: meditate every morning, do Reiki every evening, pray every night, eat this or that, avoid eating this or that, cleanse our crystals every Full Moon, smudge our house every New Moon, the list goes on and on….
And this is all for the sake of what? Being a “spiritual” person.
Being spiritually connected.
Well guess what?
You CAN’T BE spiritually DIS-connected.
You can’t!
You ARE spirituality. You are SPIRIT! You can’t NOT be Spirit!
Therefore, no matter what you do, no matter what “path” you take, no matter what decision or action you make, YOU ARE BEING SPIRITUAL. You ARE spiritually connected. Everything you experience is all part of your piece of the All That Is pie.
✰ You can change your career and still be spiritually on-path.
✰ You can adorn your body with tattoos, piercings, fat, scars, make-up, clothing, accessories and still be spiritually on-path.
✰ You can pray to Creator or pray to flowers and still be spiritually on-path.
✰ You can eat or drink whatever you choose and still be spiritually on-path.
✰ You can feel bliss, grief, and rage and still be spiritually on-path.
✰ You can claim political, religious, demographic, and any other kind of labels and still be spiritually on-path.
All That Is is not concerned with which directions you choose to go. You can never NOT be part of the All. You can never be banished from it; you can never be removed from your connection to Spirit, because you ARE Spirit. One tiny, beautiful, blessed little crystal in the lattice.
Give yourself a break.
You don’t have to work so hard to get “back on path”. You don’t have to worry about taking the “wrong” turns. You’ve never left the path. You’ve never taken a wrong turn. There IS no wrong turn. There IS no path. And anytime you feel otherwise, circle back around to the idea of alignment. Ask yourself, “Does this [fill in the blank] feel aligned for me right now?” If it doesn’t, make a different choice.
You are spiritual and you are doing just fine at it.
❤ Amber
Oh yeah… that earlier reference to the parallel between my business and my house? Well, they are both in the midst of big big BIG structural tune-ups. Great stuff coming! Keep your eyes peeled.