Spirit In All

“The Light of Spirit surrounds us; the Love of Spirit enfolds us; the Power of Spirit protects us; the Presence of Spirit watches over us; Spirit wells in us. Wherever we are, Spirit is, and All Is Well.”


Not too long ago I discovered a slice of Paradise near my house. I had arrived too early to meet a friend at a local park and, since it was a beautiful day, I decided to get out of the car and take a walk. As I ventured down the trail, I saw a wooden bridge breaking off the main path, so I decided to follow it. The bridge led to a swampy area tucked behind the woods, one I never knew was there.

The sight was breathtaking. Due to heavy rains of late, the body of water appeared swollen and pregnant with life of all different types. No matter where my eyes rested, something moved – from tadpoles to insects and even a few snakes quietly soaking the warmth of the day atop of rotten logs.

I sat on the bridge and listened. The many voices blended into a primal song, interrupted only by the incessant call of a lone bird perched on a branch nearby. The air smelled earthy and slightly musty - the result of decaying wood mixed with the fragrance of new growth exploding all around.

Somehow, although I was alone, I didn’t feel that way. I lied down on the bridge and looked up toward the skyline, noticing how some of the trees had bent and were now curving toward one another, their branches and leaves eager to connect - some of them close enough to resemble hands joined in a silent prayer.

Those trees piqued my attention. For an instant I felt protected and safe, tucked away from the rest of the world and able to open my heart to the beauty of Spirit manifesting all around, if only for a brief moment.

In that flash of time I knew I was one with all there is. No hierarchy or race supremacy – big or small, young or old, in that natural setting I was no different than the beetle carefully making its way around a thorn bush.

We are taught that the human race is superior to other animals, and we are able to control our environment to fit our existence, but in reality that’s nothing more than an ego fix. Viruses defy our advanced science and morph into new forms we can’t control, and natural events have the power to wipe away human structures –Nature only allows us to cling to an illusion of control, but reserves the last word to remind us that in the end, we are just another form of creation.

I was always taught that all life matters, regardless of what it looks like. Just because we can’t see the greater picture we can’t assume we have the right to decide the worth of another aspect of creation. We are all part of the One, and the One is part of All. And that is all we need to know.

Instant Reward vs Long-Term Benefits

“Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.” ~ Author Unknown

Yesterday I had the best time talking to my daughter and two of her little friends, as they were telling me what they want to be when they grow up. Although Princess was definitely on top of the chart, the next two hot personas on the “want to be” list were mommy and model.

That fun talk made me think about all the projects that we envision and give up because of obstacles and hardship. Are obstacles the main reason for abandoning our goals? Or could it be that instant reward often gets in the way of our allegiance to the original plan?

Humans are naturally creatures of comfort, and will choose the easy path that will cause the least amount of unease. Unless we are able to exercise a good dose of self-discipline, most of us are inclined to take the easy road and succumb to the temptation of instant reward.

Long-term benefits offer a reward which is often in our greater interest but might take months or years to solidify, while temporary satisfaction manifest immediately but is likely not what we need in the long run. When we give in to temptation we feel momentarily exhilarated, but quickly develop feelings of guilt as we feel that we have cheated ourselves. Instant reward can come in the form of indulgence or as a band-aid – regardless of which we act upon, we feel frustrated with ourselves and are more likely to give in on future occasions.

There are ways to build a stronger resolve. One of them is to set small goals for ourselves - not too far down the road - and stick with them, independently from the fires that erupt around us. We can increase the amount of time between the original plan and the reward and continue telling ourselves that it is only a temporary state of discomfort.

Everything can be overcome one step at a time, if we accept that life itself is dynamic and thus on a constant energy shift. If I was to wake up tomorrow morning and someone told me to quit smoking forever, I would find that thought overwhelming; if, instead, I was told to quit for a day, or an hour at a time, I could summon the resolve to follow through for such a short time. We can’t keep our mind focused on forever but everyone can sacrifice for one day.

Maybe, then, our long-term reward can become a much closer goal – one we can feel comfortable sticking with in preparation of bigger things to come.

Two Trash Cans at a Time

“It is a fact that in the right formation, the lifting power of many wings can achieve twice the distance of any bird flying alone.” ~Author Unknown

I love gardening. There is something very magical about watching a small plant grow and thrive, and finally bloom in an explosion of mesmerizing colors. I create a mental image of what my yard will look like before I even go to the store, and carefully pick out my plants to match the vision.

What I don’t like is getting the flower beds ready for planting. Once springtime approaches, I walk outside several times and sigh at the task ahead, often postponing weed pulling one more day. Needless to say, rain is my friend – not specifically because it softens the ground or helps the grass grow, but mostly because if it’s raining I have an excuse to postpone the work even longer.

A few days ago, my parents arrived from Italy. Those who personally know my mother also know that keeping her away from a yard in need of help is harder than keeping a child away from candy at the check-out line of the grocery store.

Today, after we spent the first few days after my parents’ arrival at home, she finally sneaked out into the yard to soak in the sunshine. And five minutes hadn’t passed before she kneeled down to pull the first weed.

It all escalated from that moment on – she called my father outside and asked him to help her out. When I walked outside with three steaming cups of coffee, both of them were deeply engrossed in the task at hand. As I stood there, I felt awkward just watching, so I finished my coffee and went to work with them.

We all worked together and filled the trash cans I normally reserve for yard waste in no time. I told my parents how much I appreciated their help, as images of a beautiful, manicured yard quickly began to race through my mind. I mentioned that we still had a lot to do, and my mom simply responded: “true, we still have more work to get done to get everything up to par, but two hours ago these two trash cans were empty. We are only in the beginning stages and it’s hard to see results now, but you can begin to imagine what it will look like once it’s finished. We are two steps closer to getting it done.”

We often give up when we don’t see tangible results, because we don’t realize that even if our goal is not fully achieved, things are still moving beneath the surface toward the realization of our hopes and dreams.

A little nudging from the outside and team work can easily motivate us to jump in and do our part. When working together it's easy to get things accomplished and realize that even some of the hardest work can be fun - moment by moment, and two trash cans at a time.