You Are the Prize
You are the prize in your life. The greatest prize you will ever receive. First, however, you have to do something intensely profound.
You have to be willing to do the work necessary to have a deeply spiritual life. Eating, sleeping, breathing and all those other physical things humans perform perfunctorily will not make you the prize you desire to be.
Neither will going to the right schools. Studying the right subjects. Being born from and knowing the right people. Getting the right job.
The world has enough women and men who consider themselves geniuses. Let them be happy thinking that. There are star athletes, business wizards, generals and politicians. All of whom are considered winners at life.
Telling ourselves we’re the world’s greatest at anything — and listening to others feed our egos — is standing right up to become the world’s greatest alibiologist. Humans make a science out of concocting alibis and lies. Unfortunately for us, we habitually lie to ourselves about ourselves. We follow this with lying to one person. Followed by lies and alibis to another and another.
It sounds scary because it is. Let’s just stop. Now. Immediately.
It’s fine that so many other people write more widely read blogs than mine. This is not a deal breaker. Neither my ego nor my life depend upon my books and articles being the most popular ever.
Thank heavens! I don’t know about you, but there are some writers who are so exciting that I can hardly wait to read what they will write next. While my work is obviously about spirituality, the cover a broad range of topics. Some writers are old friends. Some I’ve never met. But they challenge my incipient alibis with their truths.
I have been offered the prize. The Voice of the Spirit spoke to me. Over and over. Loudly, painfully loudly. Beyond the moment I began to listen. Right up to this moment as I sit writing.
The same as the Voice speaks to every creature that ever has or ever shall live.
Granted, that is an extraordinarily expansive view. This view is thought to be beyond human understanding. It’s not really, but that is just fine.
Why do I have to control everything? Have creation under my thumb? Try telling yourself you are in control of everything. Watch as those around you shake their heads and laugh in disgust.
Since the middle of August 2021 I have seen many more angels than normal. Countless more. It’s not that they’re showing up on my doorstep to tell me that God has some job or the other waiting for me. Rather, they came to offer support. To give encouragement.
They are here for two primary reasons, as a friend so wisely pointed out. One is the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Not only were the towers destroyed, the Pentagon damaged and farm fields torn up.
The world was ripped apart. Maybe the invasion of a foreign country came to an end. Yet, how we forget that all of our souls are disrupted?
This is where we are given the option and opportunity to line up to go through life with courage and kindness. Any of the disruptions and setbacks we have experienced in our lives are opportunities for growth. These are difficult concepts to swallow.
The truth is not always easy. It is hard as diamonds. Whether we put the truth from the Voice to work in our lives decides if the diamonds of our souls shine or if they crumble like soft coal.
It’s a fact that when one door closes, it’s closed. Don’t wait for another to open. Instead, move on. None of us has any idea what is to come next. Pretending that life will be easy, indulging in magical thinking, is a waste of time.
The Voice will tell you what to do when it’s time for the next step. The difficulty, on a very human level, is listening. It’s daring to hear what we need to know to move forward with life. And then performing the interior and exterior actions that advance our lives.
Sometimes when it seems like life is less than we expected it’s because we are unaware that it’s actually incredibly more than we could have imagined.
Everything that takes us to the prize exists. We must be willing to see it.
