Post written Sunday, February 5, 2012
Today, I sat down for a bagel, coffee and a little Dalai Lama reading. I heard one sentence of a conversation between a couple of guys sitting next to me. "She is trapped like a spider in a web." This butchered metaphor is exactly what I needed to write on this topic. I'd been working on it in my head but just didn't have the words. The Universe provides, even in a bagel shop.
Life is hard. We struggle with everything sooner or later. We don't like our job, relationship (or lack of one), whatever Aunt Sue said a week ago Tuesday, the war that just passed through our town killing half the people we know, the weather, the ravages of disease and, of course, having our favorite television show being cancelled. We struggle with our self-worth, it's over-inflation or under-inflation. We seek the divine, which we may feel is often silent. We fight with the kids, the spouse and the guy that just gave us the wrong change. We are unhappy.
In most of these situations, we are trapped like a spider in a web. We think we make our living in these little corners of hell. We live our lives in the same intransigent way as our insane politicians 'debate' issues. If you think those people are crazy and accomplish nothing, turn to look to your own life, Spider, and see that painfully cozy spot from which you will not move. That spot is your web and you've trapped yourself.
We do this because we identify ourselves as our lot in life rather than by our souls. Stating that you are a Republican or that you ARE a Democrat is flat out wrong. You may share similar values to one of those parties but you are not a Republican. You are a human. You are a soul. When we identify as a party, we link our identity to it. If your very identity revolves around those ideas, is it any wonder how angry and angst ridden we are when the other side wins? That means over half the country has INVALIDATED who you are. Ouch!
This is the same in other areas. I am a banker. I am a computer programmer. I am a shop owner. Hogwash, you are a human being that makes his or her living in an occupation. You are NOT a computer programmer. This is explains why we often stay in jobs that make us miserable instead of getting educated enough to do something else. We are afraid of losing the core of who we are. As my father would say, "Horsefeathers!"
The core of who you are cannot be lost but it can be found. The core of who you are can be found in those things that you've always wanted to do but never did or merely attempted to in some half-assed way. Spider, abandon your web and do what you've been meant to do.
Part of doing that is learning to listen to your own soul.
And when you do that, you may learn something. You may learn that in all these years of looking without to gods, you've made a miss. Gods are fickle. Gods do you not have your immediate concerns in mind Gods are sometimes elsewhere. Chasing gods, their approval or their assistance, is a hit and miss proposition. This is not to say worship and relationships with gods is wrong, invalid or even incorrect. Those relationships are valuable.
However, by focusing on such things alone, you may have missed something important. You are trapped like a spider in a one paradigm web.
While gods are hit and miss, here and there, with you and against you, your soul is always hit, here and with you. No matter where you go, no matter how you got there, there YOU are. Your SOUL will respond in your life. Your soul is immortal; It is LARGE. It can create anything you desire. It is your teacher. It is teaching you every day if you'll just listen.
You are willing to put so much effort into praying to gods and finding relationships with them but neglect your own immortal soul. You can't see it while you're trying to trap a god to live in your web with you.
Tonight, say a little prayer to your own immortal soul. You just may be surprised by how it responds.
Upcoming Pagan Blog Project Posts:
D is for Dos and Don'ts for Teachers
D is for Dos and Don'ts for Students
7 comments:
I'm looking forward to your Do's and Don't's lists for both teachers and students. Since I'm both at various points in my day and year, I think that will be quite interesting.
The posts about listening to your own soul have been unsettling but comforting at the same time. I am Andrew, but there are a variety of processes which I perform which look like identities but may not actually be identities. Useful.
I am humbled that you have found my words of value.
I really enjoyed this post, as well as the last one on listening to your own soul. The concept of just being who you are is so simple and yet so difficult at the same time! I suppose many of us (myself included) probably cling to things and ideas in order to build up a false sense of identity because many of us are scared of what might be left if we let go of all the superfluous material.
Thanks very much for this post. It's both interesting and unsettling, but in a good way :) I've been trying to listen to my soul more, but perhaps I have not been listening lately.
Thank you for the reminder.
A thought provoking post. Sometimes I often feel as a spider trapped in my own web too. Takes a lot of introspection--a big concept with me lately--to untangle myself and grow. Enjoyable read. ~)O(~
You definitely bring up a couple great points to stew upon.
We all have our comfort zones that we need to come out of more often in order to experience life fully.
I also appreciate your words on honoring our immortal soul, beside our gods & goddesses.
Thank you for this great post!
Have a great weekend.
Months late again, but I had to tell you, this really, really resonated with me today. Every bit of it. Well said, and thank you.
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