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Living with Reverence

–A Fast Track to Living a Spiritually Grounded Life

By having a reverence for life, we enter into a spiritual relation with the world. By practicing reverence for life we become good, deep, and alive.

~Albert Schweitzer

Florida blesses us with a year-round climate that encourages growth of just about anything planted in the ground. With a plentitude of rain and a plethora of sunny days, there is a preponderance of green showing up everywhere. As I sat peacefully in my meditation garden this morning, I drew my eyes to some weeds that were popping up among the rocks surrounding my beautiful statuary. My first inclination was to pull them out because I didn’t want weeds to encroach upon and spoil the “perfectly groomed sacred space” I had dedicated to my meditation practices. Thankfully, before I could act, that ever-present, quiet voice within gently whispered, “Be still and know, this too is sacred.” So I sat with the weeds and invited them to be my teacher. What was it I could learn about myself and life from the intrusion of a few errant weeds in my meditation garden? Emerson was on to something when he said that “A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Point taken; perspective is everything. In an instant, what, one moment earlier, I perceived as an inconvenient, unsightly nuisance, instantly became another opportunity to practice reverence.

Reverence is the act of seeing through the form and recognizing and honoring the Life Force at its center, as well as its circumference.

In my work as a spiritual mentor, people often ask if there is a “fast track” to living a balanced, fulfilling spiritual life. Easy-peasy: Seeing the sacred in a weed can be a spiritual experience if we are willing to look beyond form and see the perfect Life Force therein. No less true, to see the sacred in ourselves and others can, likewise, be a spiritual experience; in either case, the only thing required of us is to deepen our perception by dropping our judgments. Our judgements are the primary thing that separates us from the awareness of our oneness with all of Life.

Practicing reverence is how we transcend our judgments, which sets us free from the tyranny of the ego-self.

The ego thrives on fear and separation by labeling everything and everyone as good or bad, desirable or undesirable, right or wrong, and so on. It’s easy enough to transcend our judgments with those people we love, like, and respect. However, it can be a bit more challenging with certain others, especially if they hold core values and beliefs that differ from our own. Between pandemics and politics, we don’t have to look too far for ample opportunities to practice reverence beyond the circle of our comfort zone.

While we may prefer roses over weeds, it doesn’t mean one is more sacred than the other; the divine imbues itself equally in all living things. What value shall we place on all that our eyes gaze upon today? Where and when might we begin the conscious practice of reverence? We don’t have to wait until we die to have a spiritual experience; it awaits us in the present moment. Above and beyond all appearances, opinions and circumstances, know there is a light, a sacred Presence, within you right now. Recognize It, honor It, and revere It, and It will set you free to see it in the world. A spiritual experience awaits you in every moment of this day if you have eyes to see and it begins in the mirror. Reverence yourself first, remembering, as within – so without, and your life shall become the sacred journey you came here to have—and that’s a beautiful thing.

Peace, Dennis

Dennis Merritt Jones
Dennis Merritt Joneshttps://dennismerrittjones.com/
Throughout his lifetime, author, speaker, and mentor, Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones has been on a quest to inspire and lift people to a higher expression of life. His vision is to guide people to their purpose, knowing that when one fully awakens to who they are and why they are on the planet, they share their gift to humankind and create an enriching life for themselves and the world around them. Dennis is the award-winning author of six books—three of which are recipients of a Nautilus Gold or Silver award—and hundreds of articles and blogs. He has written and released the following books: The Art of Abundance - Ten Rules for a Prosperous Life; The Art of Being - 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life; The Art of Uncertainty - How to Live in the Mystery of Life and Love It; Your ReDefining Moments - Becoming Who You Were Born to Be; Encouraging Words - Proof That Who You Are Matters, and; How to Speak Science of Mind. Dennis believes we each have the capacity and, ultimately, the responsibility to contribute something positive to this world, leaving it a better place than it was when we arrived. Reflected in his writings and presentations, his teachings promote a contemporary life-affirming, spiritually logical, and positive outlook on life. As a keynote speaker, Dennis is equally comfortable addressing an audience seeking spiritual inspiration or those seeking a purely secular motivational message. He uses his understanding of universal principles to draw upon wisdom from both eastern and western philosophies. As a mentor, Dennis works with individuals and non-profits to assist them in clarifying their vision and mission. He believes that there is a deeper consciousness of unity, cooperation, and reverence rising in humankind where the value of all life, regardless of ethnicity, geography, culture, or sexual orientation, is sacred. He believes this consciousness of unity, cooperation, and reverence for life and the planet will be one of the most significant influences upon society as we approach the challenges of 21st-century living.

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2 CONVERSATIONS

  1. Spirituality in everyday life means transforming common things into spiritual experiences, through the awareness that we do not have a life, but we are Life and that we must fully live the present, moment by moment, considering everything that arrives as an opportunity for growth.
    Over time we will experience, through our experience, that there is no division between everyday life and spiritual practice: everything we experience is spiritual, as evidenced by the life of the saints and mystics and what changes is only the attitude, the awareness.

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