Finding the Sacred In Everyday Life

By Nancy Ballinger 

"Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened.
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty you love be what you do."
Jalludin Rumi

What do you truly love?  Do you know? Are you waiting for something or someone to tell you what your life's purpose is and to make it happen? What is stopping you from beginning to manifest it today?

Rumi, the 13th century poet and mystic, wrote eloquently of the human condition and the unique and universal journey of spiritual awakening that is possible for all of us. He gives clear instruction about the process of rising above the ordinary to conquer our fears and overcome obstacles that keep us from living our dreams.  He supports us in opening to a way of knowing that brings joy and liberation. 

Words like "spiritual awakening" have vagueness about them. They aren't empirically verifiable or easily explained.  Although the spiritual journey of awakening is not exclusively physical, emotional, or mental, it may include all of them and has been taught as the way to live by teachers and prophets since the beginning of time.  Simply put, spiritual awakening is not an event, but a process of living from a perspective that is beyond personal ego (driven by likes and dislikes) and surrendered to the highest good for all.  It is letting the beauty we truly love be what we do.

You may ask,  "How do I discern whether my dream is from ego or some deeper and truer way of knowing what I truly love?" Rumi urges:  "Don't open the door to the study and begin reading" as a way of discerning what we love. He says looking to ideas, outward circumstances, or someone else's views are not the answer. We need to "Take down a musical instrument," meaning turn to our own intuition and inner guidance. From this place of knowing we are inspired by a creativity that isn't limited by our constrictive ideas or fears about our ability and ourselves

To do this we must quiet the everyday chatter in our heads. One way to accomplish this is through meditation, which is simply arranging conditions so that fleeting thoughts and feelings can become still.  We do this by setting aside time each day to begin to learn how to focus our attention on a single point, usually the incoming and outgoing breath. Doing this for even a few moments everyday and gradually expanding the time eventually creates a fertile field where the seeds of inspiration may take root and grow.

Meditation, although deeply relaxing, is also a place for opening the floodgates of creativity—like taking down a musical instrument to play. During meditation we resist the urge to think about our creative ideas, we just note them and file them to be explored later.

In meditation we humbly ask questions like "Why am I here?" and "What is the right way of living for me?," then close our meditation with an offering "I commit today to living a life of deep meaning and purpose." We courageously become willing to be led by a clearer knowing that is limitless and aware of our capabilities and noble desires. In this way we become less attached to our personal likes and dislikes. From this place we are free to manifest our hearts deepest desire, or what we truly love.

For me, the answer to my meditation, inquiry, and offering came in a quiet moment one morning. As I brushed my teeth I realized the reason I'm here is to do something in ministry. The answer often comes like that.  Not in some big way like we might expect. "Ministry?" My ego took a huge step back, looked at my life, past and present, and said "No way!" and "I don't think so." But my heart said, "This makes no sense. Show me."  I continued, in spite of fear and insecurity, to follow the path of faith that the highest truth would be revealed to me. With a deep commitment to being led to the answer to the question of what I'm here to do, in time, and through circumstances I could have never imagined, I found the teachings, seminary, and ministry that are the perfect answer to my inquiry, offering, and prayer.

Mary Mannin Morrissey's book, "Building Your Field of Dreams," inspired me during those years of discernment. She said, "The challenge is to not look to circumstances for the evidence of what's possible, but to look with the eyes of faith to that which we would bring forth." 

She also provided some concrete questions that have stood the test of time and been helpful throughout the process of discernment. Please don't take my word for it. Use them to explore your dream and move beyond wishful thinking to dream building.

1. Does this enliven me?

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Howard Thurman

Asking this first question is very energy efficient. If I'm enlivened by this undertaking, relationship, career, project, or dream, I will be able to go the distance and find the resources to be successful.  Life is to be joyfully lived and creatively pursued. If the answer is "no," it is just another "should" in life and not what I truly love.

"You are what your deep, driving desire is.
As your deep driving desire is, so is your will;
As your will is, so is your deed;
As your deed is, so is your destiny." Upanishads

I thought I didn't want to pursue ministry as my life work.  Yet when I found a ministry that was an expression of my deepest beliefs, I entered a stream that has brought joy beyond my wildest dreams.  Many of us assume we know what our core values are and so never really think about and list them.  That process of becoming clearer helps us determine the beauty we love.

3. Do I need help from a higher source to make this come true?

"Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God." St. Ignatius

If the answer to this question is "no," then we are thinking too small or have too big of an ego!  For some the higher source we need in this question is God. For others it is found in friends, poetry, love, and various sources of inspiration.  I could never have done four years of seminary and now ten years of ministry without the support of something greater than myself.  

4. Will this require me to grow into more of my true self?

Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, ‘Grow, grow.'  Talmud

What we truly love is always bigger than us at the outset because it is our true self or soul's expression. Every step we take that requires us to stretch moves us closer to realizing our true self.  Our desire to be safe and comfortable is our greatest obstacle to letting the beauty we love be what we do.  In my ministry self-doubt has been the greatest obstacle to overcome. Am I willing to be my greatest possibility?

5. Will this ultimately bless others? 

"My life is my message". Mahatma Gandhi

The final questions we must ask ourselves is "How or where does my heart's longing meet the world's needs?"  "Will this serve the highest good of others?"   We are here to bless our world and to participate in it's healing. We all bring special gifts to share. When shared freely and joyfully we complete the circle of life.

By taking the time to answer these five questions and keeping them available to visit regularly, we can live and participate in life more fully from a conscious, inspired perspective and let the beauty we love be what we do.  

Living the Eternal Way
Fall 2010 Class
With Rev. Nancy Ballinger 

Oct. 26- Nov. 30
6 Tuesday Evenings
6:30-8:30 p.m.

Textbook available at first class
Free-will offering requested
Pre-registration required.

Visit our website for class description and to register.

If you are looking for a loving, safe place to find the sacred in everyday life, Reverend Nancy Ballinger offers spiritual guidance counseling. With over 20 years as a licensed marriage and family therapist and studies in Eastern and Western philosophies she brings a unique, open perspective to her counseling. Sliding scale fee.

Rufous Hummingbird image on banner by Mike Baird.