My home page: SpiritualShow.com
I’ve said this before and I think I’m going to start saying it more often, again and again: Trust what feels right FOR YOU, no matter what any guru or spiritual leader or anyone else says. Unless you are completely mentally unstable to the point where you are not able to think clearly for yourself, ALWAYS trust your own inner guidance above what anyone else says.
You know what is best for you, you are the one living in your body and you alone have the perspective that is YOU.
I have to confess that I have been thinking of wrapping up the show for a number of months now. I am waffling and undecided, because there are so many things that I love about hosting a spirituality show. The wonderful people I’ve connected with, the amazing listeners. It is such a joy to get a phone call or email or tweet from someone who says, “What you said or what your guest said today was EXACTLY what I needed to hear.” I love knowing that, even on a small level, I’m making some kind of positive impact in the world.
However, through my spiritual journey and through all the requests of people who want to be on the show, or people whom I approach as potential guests, and in my own studies and spiritual interests, I keep coming across this inconsistencies & hypocrisies.
Then I hear about the James Ray incident, where 3 people have died so far from their participation in a sweat lodge. I don’t know all the details, as I wasn’t there, but being a person who can read the warning signs you see on any commercial sauna you step into, I know that there are very obvious risks involved with a sweat-lodge scenario.
Personally, I’d never participate in a sweat ceremony because I prefer a cool climate and get sick from the heat. But a bunch of people paid James Ray thousands in order to participate in this event. I think it’s a little harsh that the media is calling him a murderer. I’m sure it wasn’t his intention to harm anyone, he just screwed up– big time. This post isn’t directed at James and whatever mistakes he has made. It’s simply that this situation has made it even more obvious how important it is for us all to understand that we need to take responsibility for our own lives and the decisions we make. No amount of criminal action against James Ray is going to bring those people back. Ultimately, whether those people made the decision for themselves or if they were blindly following what they were being told to do, they are the ones who are dealing with the consequences of those actions. (I don’t want to discount the pain of the families in this situation and it’s not my place to judge, I wasn’t even there)
But people also need to understand that we can’t put our faith into another person and expect them to lead us to greatness, nirvana, whatever your goal in life is. It is up to US to do that for ourselves, and while it can be helpful to have people motivating us and guiding us along the way, the only person we can really depend on to make a decision on our behalf, is US.
I don’t care WHO this spiritual guru is. I don’t care how famous they are, how many times they’ve been on Oprah, how many dozens of books they have, how many millions of dollars they bring in ever year, and how many celebrities they hang out with. None of them know enough about YOU to tell you how to live your life.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t study and learn from the people you admire. There is so much to learn out there, and there are so many wonderful and inspirational teachers who have helped many, many people. But they are human. Each one of them is fallible. Each one of them has days when they say things they didn’t mean to say. If you look closely at the personal lives of many people who we all look up to, you will see that even they are not everything they claim to be.
I keep wanting to say, that doesn’t mean you need to discount everything they say. It just means, THINK FOR YOURSELF. If something doesn’t sit well with you, don’t do it! If you disagree with something a teacher has said or written, it doesn’t automatically mean you’re not enlightened enough to understand. Seriously. Anyone who says that, notice it as a BIG RED FLAG.
It’s true, sometimes there’s information that we might not be aligned with at one point in our lives and at another time it will make perfect sense. But that doesn’t mean you were wrong to disagree from wherever you were at the time.
Yesterday, I had an altercation with a popular guru that left me in absolute tears. I was so upset, as I was shocked at the behavior of this person who I have admired and respected. This is the second such incident I’ve experienced, with two different very popular, very well-respected spiritual leaders. I will not mention names as this is in no way meant to tarnish their reputations. It’s just meant to show you that even the most respected, the most powerful, the most intelligent, well-connected, “spiritual” people have bad days and make mistakes.
That is why it is SO, SO, SO incredibly important that we take what they say and use what feels good and let go of the rest. When we put our faith in another human being (even if that human claims to be channeling a spiritual entity, talking to angels, God, or anyone else), we need to understand that we are ALL human. NO HUMAN IS BETTER THAN YOU ARE. We are all equal. Some people may have made better life decisions or be in a better place of influence, but that does not elevate them to the point where their teachings are what you should base your life on.
I send this message to you with love and respect. It is just so important to me that we all are able to experience the love and light that is available to us all. Just, please, follow your instincts and do what feels right to you. If your spidy senses start tingling and your BS detectors start ringing, take notice. Don’t ignore those indicators.
If God or the Universe or evolution or chance or whatever you believe is responsible for you being here… if that force wanted you to blindly follow what other people tell you to do, it wouldn’t have supplied you with your own instincts and intuition. That indicator system is within you for a reason. So use it:) (even if you think what I’ve written is complete crap, good, think for yourself and use your own judgment!)
Love & hugs! Thanks for reading, I’m so looking forward to your comments!!
My home page: SpiritualShow.com
