October 15

DISCIPLINE MONTH: DAY 15: “The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies but its obedience.” ― Oswald Chambers

When I let up on something that makes my life feel good and right, I begin to decline inside. It may not matter to you or you or you, but I feel it and it takes me down a notch, then two, then three…and so on. I don’t necessarily relapse, but I become less happy and alive, both internally and physically.

I see this most often with exercise regimens. I don’t particularly like to go to gyms or work out on machines. There is some good evidence that doing so is a good addition to the work I do hiking and with yoga. Not all the time, but regularly.

I do it for a while and then get incredibly bored by it. I can tell. My body feels different. I don’t really like how I feel. There is something not quite right. So, I end up going back to it and beginning again.

The same things happens with my meditation practice, my yoga practice, my journaling, going to meetings, working with others, going on panels, gratitude pages, whatever my practice is. If I stop doing it for even one day, I feel it. And the feeling is one that does not make me happy.

So, I consistently do these things. Even when there is “no time” or I am “busy” or whatever story the Screaming Purple Monkeys come up with. I force myself to get through each thing and then I feel better. Sometimes this means I rush my breakfast (which I also never skip), or I write this piece later to go to something that I need to do. Most of the time (probably 92-95%), I can do it all and still go to whatever thing I am going to.

It all depends. But, for me, this is another of my spiritual practices. It is important and vital for me, because it plugs me in to a spiritual principle. I also find that there are several times during nearly each day when what I am writing about comes up in a conversation or situation that surprises me. Although, to be honest, I just don’t get so surprised by this anymore.

What I have learned around here is that my consciousness is governed by my focus. If I am focused on a spiritual principle, life will call opportunities to me for that to be part of my awareness today. It is really nice how this happens.

When I am writing about discipline like this, I will have (and do!) a lot of experiences and opportunities to practice this principle in higher awareness than I normally would. I must REALLY devote myself to doing those things that I write about, and get several chances each day to delve more deeply into what I specifically write about that morning. Such a cool thing!

It is as if I see a quote, choose to write about it, and then my higher consciousness calls that particular thing into my experience for several hours that day. No mistakes in this Universe, this I experience all the time. It makes me laugh and kind of freaks out others with whom I share it. Heeheehee…I am such a brat with this stuff…good thing I will never walk on water…I would make a spectacle of myself all the time!