057: The Sacred Art of Finding Inspiration in the Ordinary

Too often people try to change their lives by using the will as a kind of hammer to beat their life into proper shape. The intellect identifies the goal of the programme, and the will accordingly forces the life into that shape. This way of approaching the sacredness of one’s own presence is externalist and violent. It brings you falsely outside yo

Our experience of life is an exact reflection of who we are within. Wherever our lives are constricted and unfulfilling, we need to go deeper into our inner territory, to uncover where we have frozen our potential for a richer experience of life. Every time we expand our inner territory, our outer lives will expand. Our best spiritual teacher is al

If you have unconsciously fallen into a life that does not inspire you, it’s crucial that you find out what you’re going to do about

Wisdom traditions worldwide say there's no greater blessing than to live the life of your soul, the source of your deepest personal fulfillment and of your greatest service to others. It's what you were born for. It's the locus of authentic personal power — not power over people and things, but rather the power of partnership with others, the power

This is the quiet art of living well. It does not demand that we abandon the world, but that we engage with it more mindfully. It asks that we slow down, that we look more closely, that we listen more carefully. For in doing so, we discover that much of what we seek—clarity, peace, even strength—was always within reach. It was simply waiting for us

Notice when and where ideas and solutions tend to enter your being. Maybe it’s when you’re talking to a particular friend or roaming the art gallery (interaction); when you’re driving down the open highway or cycling to work (movement); walking among trees or napping on a dock (nature); or