What is your highest aspiration for your own life contribution? What do you most want to be able to give to the World, Life, Humanity, the Cosmos, or God?
Certainly a question that begs contemplation.
I recently began Craig Hamilton’s 9 week online course called “Integral Enlightenment: Awakening to an Evolutionary Relationship to Life. “ This was our opening discussion question. Virtually, of course. There are 1200 people from all over the world taking this course.
I’ve been thinking along these lines for quite some time, especially since returning from India. What exactly are my highest ideals? What kind of imprint do I want to leave in the world? How do I want to do it? Where do I want to do it?
I’ll admit I’ve been a bit restless at times, living in LA. In the back of mind, for many reasons, I’m thinking I should be working with Doctors Without Borders somewhere in Central Africa or India. I ask myself wouldn’t my life be more meaningful there, wouldn’t I be making more of a significant contribution? The West has everything it needs and more. I could serve the world better by being anywhere but LA. I’m not attached to it and I’m happy to leave anytime.
However, everything that unfolds for me throughout the course of every day, indicates otherwise. In addition, I’ve had enough spiritual teaching in my life to know better. It’s just been something that has been annoyingly persistent in the back of my mind. Or more honestly the forefront of my mind. Until now.
So if my highest ideals are service, giving, loving, healing, inspiring, then the only question , really, is…does my life reflect that today, here, now? Are my activities of daily living consistent, and in alignment with these ideals? Such a great question!
Of course there are days when it doesn’t feel that way, but in general I feel overwhelmingly blessed by getting to do the things in life that bring me the most joy. Here in LA. Seeing my yoga classes grow, seeing the healing power of mantra in the lives of people as I lead kirtan, coming in contact with great spiritual teachers who help me to unveil hidden inner wisdom and compassion, are the things that charge me, excite me, and propel to keep evolving. To keep giving, serving, loving, and inspiring.
May all of our lives be in alignment with our highest ideals. And as my dear teacher Max Strom often ends his yoga classes, “May we teach peace in the only way it can be taught, by example.”
Namaste
