A trend that is allowing us all to be able to have shared language about our experiences is a move towards talking about our spirituality vs. our religion.  

What is spirituality?  

Wikipedia points out that “in modern times the emphasis is on subjective experience of a sacred dimension and the ‘deepest values and meanings by which people live’.” 

For each of us that is different. For some this is about paying attention to intuition and that inner voice. For some this is about a personal connection to a higher power. 

What has me “musing” as I write this, is how much our own emotions come in to play here. Last week I wrote about why I love to cry. Perhaps this is my last point on that list of why. 

When I keep my heart soft, i.e. I experience my feelings instead of minimizing or stuffing them down, my spirituality is much easier to access.  Everyone “hears” differently, whether we are talking about intuition or “the divine”. Unprocessed or experienced emotions clog us up like peanut butter in a straw.  

How do we learn to listen? 

We have so many things competing for our mental energy. Listening to the quiet voice from within may be something you have stopped doing years ago. Setting aside times dedicated to checking in can really help. By planning ahead for listening times we can train our brain to anticipate a different kind of space. In a sense we give ourselves permission to put all of the other things on our "to do" list on hold for a set period of time.  

Like starting other great habits, it can be more effective to start with short periods of time if this is new to you. During that check in time you can choose to just be still. You can grab a pen and paper and write what comes to mind. You can use a question to get you zeroing in - for example “What has made me feel loved in the past day?” or “Who needs prayer (or energy depending on your paradigm) right now?” or “What are the emotions I’m experiencing right now - to notice and not judge?”. 

This is a skill that can be learned. Once learned it can be accessed on the fly.  

Highly intuitive leaders have learned to do this. People reaching their full potential, in my opinion, have learned to do this. It is about growing a level of trust in yourself beyond the logical cognitive decision making. 

The results of this kind of listening are varied. It can be about gaining insights, more intense emotion, a sense of knowing something that you can’t quite logically explain or simply a deeper peace. 

Here’s to your spirituality and finding time for peace at this hectic season! 

Until next week, 

Marilyn 

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