Today we are more or less 3 weeks into spring and with the added boost of day light savings time, evenings are noticeably brighter. We have had the excitement of the solar eclipse, as well as a burst of frightening storms. As I write, I continue to check online news of attacks and retaliation between Iran and Israel. Yet, even with this background of escalation in world tensions, election politics, and the underlying pressure of a changing planet, spring returns with light and beauty. Consider that this may be a good week to lighten your load, a time to try a lighter touch with any and all that you strive for, and especially with your spiritual practice.
A few days ago a friend of mine, who is struggling with a grueling work overload, sent me a meme: "Today I'm giving it my some!" It took me a few beats to process; it sounded strange...my some? some what? And then it hit me, the play of words on the too familiar success advice, "give it your ALL." Work culture often prescribes--even demands--this as the ultimate formula for a happy, successful, and prosperous life. This push to "give all", all your effort, focus, time, energy, talent, relatedness, all your physical, emotional and mental strength to whatever the goal or challenge at hand, has spilled into a formula for the spiritual life as well. But is this realistic or even healthy? In the world of work, the research is clear--regular breaks improve efficiency. How do you define, "a break"? It's not about just standing up or sitting or taking a short walk. With any of these, you can easily take your "workload" along with you. That is not a break. The key is in a lighter load. You break free of the burden. You don't carry it in your body. You don't carry emotionally; you don't carry it around in your thoughts. When it is time to focus on task, you pick it up again. The load has lightened.
This is true of our spiritual work as well. If we are giving it our "all", "all" the time, (or imagining that we are), where is the space for something greater to enter in? Giving our all can actually become a way of feeding ego identity, re-enforcing a sense of our own importance in living from a spiritual level. Emmett Fox spoke to this issue in his essay, "Mental Drudgery Is Not Prayer", pointing out that "praying long and hard" leaves us tired and discouraged. This is true for both traditional petitionary (asking God) prayer and affirmative prayer (the use of affirmation), because underneath we are forcing an answer, realization, or healing as a subtle act of will. Rather, cultivating a quiet faith in our immersion in a larger field that is a Loving, Compassionate Goodness, an Intelligence beyond human capacity, and yet, simultaneously intimately connected to each of us as a unique expression, lightens the load. As a zen saying expresses it: when you have one eye on the goal, you have only one eye left to receive the gift. But isn't it all a gift? As your load lightens, the world's shadow lifts in measure. (Susan Nettleton)
For poetry and more: https://wordsfortheyear.com/.../its-dark-because-you-are.../ https://www.jendireiter.com/.../stephen-philbrick-dont.../ https://www.holidayatthesea.com/.../lightening-the-load... https://hillsidesource.com/daily-thoughts/2018/3/28/just-take-it-easy?rq=the%20light%20touch