Daily Spiritual Practices

It is the discipline of consistency, even when the heart is not present, which allows natural gifts to soar. In the absence of natural gifts, the discipline of consistency develops the tools and the mastering of the skill sets to raise your abilities to whatever capability is possible. 

What begins with passion can only truly be forged with persistence.

In a rare moment the other day, I sat and actually watched TV. I don’t own one myself, and nothing I experienced that day made my current situation regrettable. However, I did learn something. After being constantly reminded of all the areas that I lacked, which I must immediately make a priority, I learned that in “just five minutes” a day I could have “killer abs” or a perfect body, have perfect acne-free or wrinkle-free skin, or learn a variety of languages. I could even learn all I need to know from any variety of popular books so that I could be perceived as the expert the book promised to make me…all in five minutes a day.

In my few hours of sloth I not only learned all the ways that I was inadequate, but I was guided how, for an unbeatable price which included countless freebies, I could become everything I was supposed to be. Opening the door to some poor slob like me, to achieve that wonderful combination of a fairy tale happily ever after and the ultimate achievement of the great American Dream. I could have it all in three easy installments and five minutes a day, per imperfection. 

I watched as each clock ticked down advising how much time I had left to rescue my poor, miserable life out of obscurity and become everything my mother told me I could be. In true fast-food fashion, I went from the depths of depression to unflagging hope in two minutes! Oh, life was good.

I jest.

In retrospect what did stay with me was “in just five minutes a day”, a phrase that I have often used, though sometimes pushing my luck to ten, when I am guiding my clients and students on the path of spiritual growth and empowerment. 

As one of my initial homework assignments, I ask them to commit to daily spiritual practices, doing things that will expand their consciousness, their self-awareness, and their skill sets. A small daily commitment will help them move forward on their journey. 

I sat back and wondered how many thousands or millions of those five-minute a day miracle products got sold. What if I did an infomercial promising a solution that would move people to a place of empowerment, spiritual awareness, and a happier self? All it would require from the person watching is to commit to daily spiritual practices for, you guessed it, five minutes every day.

How many people would buy? 

Would I sell as well as the latest ab torture device? Would people be as interested in improving their inner landscape as they are about improving either their looks or perceptions that the world has sold them? Then I wondered about how many ab torture devices, complete workout machines, and other miracle products or programs end up in garage sales or simply by the edge of the road?

So I have decided infomercials are out, at least for now. Who knows, maybe inner landscape work will someday have as much draw and as much interest as tight abs, killer thighs, and wrinkle free skin? Or maybe not. 

Besides they all came with a 30-day guarantee to see results. And I can promise that if you truly engage in well thought out and individually tailored daily spiritual practices, you will have results. The problem some encounter is that it’s harder to recognize how much you have accomplished in 30 days, sometimes creating the illusion that nothing has been accomplished and so the daily practice was a waste of time, or perhaps the illusion that the miracle cure has been delivered and no more work is required. 

In reality, it takes a lifetime. 

Then again it takes a lifetime to make a lifetime, so maybe that’s not all bad…unless you’re trying to sell a miracle product that is.