Who Takes the Lead?
We have a menagerie of animals at our house, almost a Noah’s Arkful! Our most recent addition is a brother/sister pair of huskies. I confess a moment of Christmas parental weakness. Who wouldn’t want a couple of cute puppies around the tree? What were we thinking? Huskies have a lot of energy and need to constantly move. Many afternoons, the kids and I will take them for a long trek around the neighborhood. Inevitably, one pulls forward and takes the lead. I find this a great metaphor for how we humans walk in the world. In any given moment, encounter, relationship, who takes the lead? The selfish ego or the generous soul? In my quest to live a meaningful life, one rich, deep and full, I have to regularly check myself, especially as the world constantly rewards ego performance. Soulfulness demands courage, vulnerability and sacrifice. More than I would like to admit, my ego will slyly slip into the lead. So much is missed, or lost, when I allow this. I let people down, especially myself. But when I dare to approach the world from the gentle, intuitive, vulnerable, I dare say, the divine in me, the experience is exponentially different. Suddenly, I view the world through the kind eyes of God and it becomes a canvas brimming with goodness, beauty and crazy possibilities! I desire to operate from this higher version of myself, good for me, and also for every person who crosses my path.
Always we are given the choice of who we will take out for the day’s walkabout! Who will you choose today?
Dear God,
Today I took my ego out for a walk.
At a fast clip, I could barely keep ahold of her.
She blindly barreled through the endless motions and minutia of the hour.
She missed the hummingbird’s benediction at the window,
And the tug of a little hand on her sleeve.
Her glory was measured in tasks accomplished and she relished the world’s acclaim of worth.
No wonder she is always out of breath, bone-weary.
Fear has her ear, and can make her life feel very small.
She naively believes she holds the reins.
I never hear my ego speak of God and sacred things.
At the close of the day, my ego leaves me wondering what’s the point of it all.
Dear God,
Today I took my soul out for a walk.
She moves so slowly, not to miss a petal, a whisper, a touch.
She talks to the trees, smiles at the grocery clerk, and brings empathy to every encounter.
You won’t find her chasing status or over-stocking barns.
These leave her feeling empty and wanting more.
She is hungry for beauty and love and holiness.
So she follows her intuition (why not use a superpower if you have one)
And it leads her deep beneath the surface,
Where the Truth is.
In these moments she can feel the light drop into every cell of her being.
She is convinced the Almighty Plan is good and can be trusted.
Tonight she will dream about all the possibilities around the next corner.
Amen.
In preparation for today’s “walkabout” in the world, try this five minute meditation:
Take a comfortable seated position in a quiet space, absent of your phone. Take in three deep measured breaths through your nose and energetically out your mouth. Next take a deep breath in, slowly let it out and then see how long you can comfortably wait before you take in another breath. It is the momentary “not breathing” that signals to your mind, body and soul to relax and relish the peace.
Next, as you breathe in, allow your spirit to silently say: Be still
As you exhale say: And know.
(Repeat three times, with 2 count breath measure)
Next, as you breathe in, your spirit will silently say: Be still and know
As you exhale say: I am God.
(Repeat three times, with three count breath measure)
Now, sit in this timeless, supple space of inner quiet. Every time your mind begins to latch on to a thought, return to the mantra: Be still. And know.
To close the meditation, say aloud: Thank you God for the soft landing.
Until we meet again.
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