Life
Savers
“Many
years ago now, a wise old priest invited me to come speak at his
church in Alabama. 'What do you want me to talk about?' I asked him.
'Come tell
us what is saving your life now,' he answered.”
Barbara
Brown Taylor (An Altar in the World, p. xvii)
This Christmas morning, I
can't think of a better question to take into 2019. What is saving
your life right now? What, exactly, does your life depend upon? For
each of us, the answer would depend on our particular life stage, and
“conditions on the ground,” to use a military phrase. If we were
to contemplate this question, we might be surprised at the layering
of the answers. On the top, we would almost all respond that our
family keeps us tethered to the earth, or that our faith is our
constant bulwark against the storm. But it's kind of like trying to
answer the question, “Who are you?” As you dig deeper, you
discover more and more layers.
Eventually, we get down
to our interior truths—what is it within me that I depend
upon to get through the day? When do I feel most alive? For some,
that's found in the exercise of their innate intelligence. For
others, it's competence at their job, or being able to work well with
a team. For others, it's deep relationships, and emotional
connections. As we go deeper, our responses become more
individualized and personal. It may be our connection to the earth—we
are most involved in life when jogging, hiking, camping, or spending
time in beautiful, natural settings. For some of us, our daily
work-out is essential, whether in a gym or pedaling a bike along a
country road. For me, my creative drive keeps me alive—I am
perfectly content as long as I am making something—whether that
something is a wall hanging, or a pot of soup, or a rug, I depend on
that creative spirit to get me through the day. What makes you feel
most connected to your authentic nature?
What any of this requires
in order to satisfy our souls is awareness. It is paying attention to
details, and working with intention, regardless of what our special
connection to life happens to be. We can do any of it while
our brain is off somewhere else, making plans and solving problems,
but we won't feel the same satisfaction if we do. Being conscious of
what we are seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling, brings
us fully into each moment with our whole self, and not just a piece
of us. It's really important to know yourself well enough to identify
what nurtures your soul, and even more important that you make time
for that in your life.
As we wrap up 2018, and
begin a new year, let our commitment be to living from our souls in
brand new ways—consciously, and with intention. I wish for you all
the blessings of this sacred season.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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