Spiritual journey

A river symbolizes the power of nature and the concept of a boundary.

Crossing the river

Spiritual growth requires confronting your own demons. How hard can it be?

BY LYNDA CASEY

Entering the spiritual journey is never about thinking it is something we should or must embrace, or a “to do” to tick off a bucket list. In fact, we often enter it via a door that doesn’t even have the word “spirituality” marked on it. The universe is clever that way! Those of us who have been on the path for some time may have entered while we were intuiting there had to be more to life than what we were experiencing. Or we became curious about why we were really here. Or, perhaps, we wondered what our true purpose on this planet could actually be. Then, all of a sudden, a person, a situation, a book, a something appears, and before we are conscious of where we are going, we are on a spiritual journey. No one I met, and this includes me, thought in the beginning, “How difficult could this be?” Because at the start we are too interested in solving the mystery of what sent us on the path to begin with. However, whether we are conscious of it or not, the ways people are entering the spiritual journey are shifting. More often now, the entrance happens because we are getting glimpses of the extraordinary that are telling us there is something beyond the familiar that many have believed to be the confines of reality. A growing number are beginning to recognize two things. First, there are laws beyond the laws of science, and these laws operate externally and internally. Second, while spirituality can be based on a connection to a traditional religion, today it is becoming seen more through the lens of what mystical teacher Caroline Myss defines as a “bioeco-organic spirituality.” We are learning that what is in one, is in the whole. We are learning through experience beyond the five senses, that absolutely everything is connected. This includes what we do, what we say, and what we think. We begin to understand, from a place beyond our mind, that we are co-creators of everything that is happening. But here’s the rub. If we want peace and goodness and a healthy environment for all, then we are each responsible for contributing to that effort. If we claim to any degree to be on a spiritual journey, no longer can we be a bystander to what we witness and not ask the difficult question of how we are contributing to it. “Oh,” we might say, “that’s not me! I’m a good person — kind, generous, caring.” Some might add that we meditate, volunteer for worthy causes, are vegetarian — whatever perception we feel should be on the list. I know I certainly could have ticked a few boxes and was quite content in my spiritual journey until I faced not so much what I was doing on an outward and larger scale but who I really was on an inward and personal scale. And how that was impacting everything in my life from my health to others close to me, to people or other forms of life that I would or could never know or imagine.

Spiritual teacher Caroline Myss is an inspiration.

Here is where we come upon the proverbial Rubicon, the river that Julius Caesar crossed that eventually led to the fall of the Roman Republic. It was the point of no return. First, let me say, it is easy to stay where we are, and many will indeed decide to do so. No one will judge. We make serious efforts with lots of quality and positive actions toward all areas of life. And while we can live there, and do, the energetic field of the world is rapidly shifting, internally and externally, and we are now being called to cross the river and do the work none of us really wants to do, which is the examination and alteration of ourselves.

The roots of most of this, of course, are firmly lodged in our past: our personal past, our collective past, our tribal and ancestral past. But we are blind to that when we become triggered by something in the present moment. For example, it was Don Miguel Ruiz who said, in his book The Four Agreements, “Don’t take anything personally.” This is a good one to start with as you dip your toe into the Rubicon.

One might say, “They insulted me,” or “They insulted my intelligence,” and “How can I not take that personally?” But that is rooted in an archaic belief system. That is all it is, a belief. How many times have you changed beliefs in your life, or at least questioned them? There are no doubt many things you believe now that you didn’t believe when you were 20. But as we investigate ourselves more closely, we begin to realize that nothing anyone does or says that triggers us is ever personal. What we learn is when we get anywhere on the scale from mildly upset to in a rage, something from our past — personal, collective, or tribal — creates a type of inflammation.

The resulting angst or anger, which we believe is the result of another person or situation, comes from either our own unhealed wound or a held unconscious belief. And the more frequently we recognize this, the less we become impacted by “others” and are able to realize their behaviour is coming from an unconscious wound or belief too. And that is why it is never personal. However, note that once we see this and become conscious of it and use our trigger to examine our own unconscious wounds and beliefs, it is never a one-shot deal. It will happen again and again, as many times as it takes. If we have the willingness to go through the process, each time we will see it quicker and find our own unhealed wound or unconscious belief faster. Eventually our own anger, resentment, hurt, intolerance or what have you, will begin to emerge as understanding and compassion. Yet this path is difficult for one simple reason. It is great to read about it or think about it when all is smooth sailing in our life. But the moment we become triggered, let’s see how easy it is then and how much willingness we have to examine ourselves and make the changes necessary to really cross the Rubicon and continue on our spiritual journey. In the words of Ghandi: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Is that hard? Hell, yes! Is it worth it? Ask yourself. The river that needs crossing is already flowing at your toes!

Lynda Casey holds a master’s degree in Wisdom Studies. A cultural evolutionary, public speaker and playwright, she is creating a theatrical production called Feminine Rising. You can contact Lynda online to tell her how you became involved in a Spiritual Journey or to share your questions or comments: lyndacasey@boldbutterflyproductions.com