Under the hood

[Guest guest]

Under The Hood

 

 

It's easy to get caught up in examining our actions instead of really

deeply examining ourselves. This can be deceiving because our actions

may be very spiritual—we meditate, are nice to people, take care of

ourselves and others—and yet, we may not be penetrating to the issues

below the surface. It's as if we've washed and shined the surface of

our car without taking the time to check under the hood. We may

appear to be in great shape, but if we aren't engaging in the deep,

inner work of self-examination, the chances are good that we are not

deeply aware of the real substance of our lives.

 

We live in a very appearance-oriented, externally focused world, so

it makes sense that we place a lot of value on how our lives look,

sometimes to the detriment of noticing how our lives really feel.

When we get too caught up in what we are doing and lose track of our

core, we sometimes begin to feel dissociated, as if we are not fully

awake, alive, and grounded. This is a sure sign that it's time to

engage in the hard work of going deep within to rediscover the

foundation of our lives. Without the substance that comes from

looking at ourselves deeply, and working through the difficult things

we find, our spiritual lives can start to feel hollow or shallow, as

if there's nothing at the center holding it all together.

 

Of course, the peace that comes with meditation and spiritual

practice is an essential part of the whole picture of our

development, but it serves us best in conjunction with the less

settling, more chaotic work of digging around below the surface to

see what needs to be healed, owned, or released. Then our actions are

more than just an attempt to keep everything in control, looking

pretty and nice. Fueled by the energy of a life in transformation,

they become powerful expressions of courage and faith, further

inspiring our own inner work and that of those around us.