New
Eyes
“As I
get older, I get smaller. I see other parts of the world I didn't see
before. Other points of view. I see outside myself more.”
Neil Young
This is how aging should
be. As we move through the decades of our lives, we tend to take one
road or the other—either we become more entrenched in our ways, and
refuse to allow any other perspective to change us, or we take the
more expansive but less traveled road. Our ego becomes less
prominent, and we grow to appreciate differences. Even if we don't
agree with an opinion, we have enough respect to listen. We may even
learn something in the exchange that changes our mind. My take on
this is quite simple—people who do their soul work, that is, who
look at themselves deeply and honestly, take that road less traveled.
Honestly, I wish I could
say that learning the Bible and being able to talk the talk is
sufficient, but it isn't. If we don't also walk the walk, it means
nothing. And it's not easy to walk the walk. Following the example
and teachings of Jesus is extremely difficult. It has nothing to do
with memorizing Bible verses; it has everything to do with ditching
our ego along with our certainty about our own righteousness. Loosing
our camouflage-persona feels exposed and dangerous, but that's what
we are asked to do. We are asked to become smaller in our own eyes
and to see outside ourselves more. Who knew that Neil Young would
turn out to be a spiritual teacher!
Young said, “One new
feature or fresh take can change everything.” There is a crack
that lets in the light. It's the crack in our certainty of our
rightness. Once that chink in our armor is made, things begin to
happen. We may try to patch it up and pretend it's not there, but
patches rarely stick. Once we look into the eyes of our soul, we are
forever changed—there's no going back. It will pursue us and not
let up. It takes courage to turn and face it, and to ask, “Okay,
what do I need to learn?” Learning soul lessons can be a
frightening experience, but one that, brick by brick, gives us a
solid foundation. The soul is deep and wide and encompasses all that
is. It is a road worth taking.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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