I Know the Way Back

Making Peace Between the Spiritual and the Earthly

Everything in our world seems designed to pull us outside of ourselves. There are emails to answer, decisions to make, people who need us, bills to pay, schedules to manage, problems to solve, and approximately 437 things that apparently need our immediate attention. Meanwhile, somewhere underneath all of that noise is the quieter part of us.

Our soul.

And some days, mine seems to be saying, Hello? Remember me?

I've been thinking a lot lately about how difficult it can be to stay connected to our inner world while living a very real, very busy human life. I sometimes feel as though I'm straddling two worlds. There is my spiritual world—the part of my life that asks me to become quiet, listen, trust, surrender, and be of service.

And then there is my earthly world—the one that apparently didn't get the memo about becoming quiet and surrendering.

That world wants decisions.

And answers.

Preferably by Tuesday.

Isn't It All Spiritual Work?

I often remind myself that it's all spiritual work.

How we treat people is spiritual work.

How we respond when things don't go our way is spiritual work.

Learning patience, practicing kindness, setting boundaries, navigating difficult relationships, and finding our way through uncertainty—surely all of that counts.

I believe that.

Still, lately I've found myself wondering whether I've become so busy doing the work that I've lost touch with why I started doing it in the first place. That feels like an important question.

My work has always been about service. Creating spaces where people might experience healing, hope, understanding, or perhaps recognize something within themselves they hadn't noticed before.

But even work that begins with purpose can eventually become surrounded by responsibilities.

Something that started with a calling suddenly has a calendar.

And paperwork.

And expectations.

And occasionally a very long to-do list.

That's when I think it's worth becoming quiet enough to ask:

Does the way I'm doing this still reflect why I began?

Not, Should I throw everything away and move to a cabin in the woods?

Although I can't say the thought never crosses my mind.

Just:

Is there another way?

Maybe I Don't Have to Choose

There is this conflict that I believe I need to somehow find the perfect balance between the spiritual and the earthly. I'm beginning to suspect that perfect balance doesn't exist. Maybe some days Spirit gets more of my attention. Other days the earthly world wins by a landslide. And perhaps neither means I've lost my way. Maybe the goal isn't to perfectly balance the spiritual and the earthly. Maybe the invitation is simply to stop fighting with myself for living in both.

Remembering the Sacred in the Ordinary

Spirituality isn't something separate from ordinary life. It's right in the middle of it.

In the conversation where we choose kindness. In the moment when we finally say no.

In noticing the sunset while we're driving home. In laughing when absolutely nothing is going according to plan. In helping someone. In allowing someone to help us. In remembering to stop for a moment and notice that we're here.

Maybe that's where the two worlds meet.

Not somewhere far away from everyday life, but right in the middle of it.

I Know the Way Back

The more time I spend Sitting in the Power, in reflection, and in personal development, the more I realize that even in those moments when I feel stuck or lost, I know the way back.

Back within.

Back to Spirit.

Back to God and that Divine Power that can shine the brightest light on whatever is needed in the moment. That doesn't mean the answer always comes immediately. And it certainly doesn't mean I won't occasionally wander down a rabbit hole first.

I'm human. Apparently that's part of the deal.

But I'm learning that I get to choose how long I stay down there.

A very wise woman, Janet Nohavec, once told me: "No matter the question, the answer is always more Spirit." I've carried those words with me. Maybe that's what making peace between these two worlds looks like. Not choosing one over the other.