“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” ~ Joseph Campbell
Have you ever heard of a fire & brimstone sermon? Maybe you’ve seen one? My experience with it is in a Christian setting where the preacher, in a loud voice with bible waving in the air, describes the eternal damnation that you will suffer if you don’t repent your sins. It can be scary stuff!
When I received an email with a link to an interview of an “Angelic Reiki Practitioner & Teacher” I was interested. Angels, in my mind, bring a sense of peace and are filled with warmth and love. Reiki, I know from experience, takes my mind and body to a place of calm. The combination had to be great. However, the lady being interviewed came across to me as a ‘fire & brimstone’ preacher and I was completely put off.
To my friend, Roz, who sent me the link I wrote, “I'm sure in person she's very nice but honestly, I wouldn't be signing up to anything with her based on this interview.” Roz had a different view. She had done the class and replied saying, “It was an incredible nine days!”
A couple of weeks later, another email, but this one from the well-known motivational/spiritual speaker, Jean Houston. Her website says she’s a “scholar, philosopher and researcher in Human Capacities, is one of the foremost visionary thinkers and doers of our time. She is long regarded as one of the principal founders of the Human Potential Movement…She is known for her inter-disciplinary perspective delivered in inspirational and humorous keynote addresses.”
Not my experience – within ten minutes of listening to her recording I was feeling depressed and wondering if the world was going to survive. Jean sighs heavily several times and talks about the “challenging times in which we live,” “the complexities, the crises, and the challenges of our time” and that “these are the times of radical shift.” I turned off the recording. All that she says may be true but I think they have been true throughout all of history.
Yet these two speakers positively affect so many others that I had to admit perhaps my limited exposure was just that, too limited, and I needed to see or hear them in different settings. With a little more digging I found that both actually had very positive messages but I decided they just might not be the messengers for me. And so it is for each of you searching for your purpose in life, a way to manage your chronic pain, a new line of work, or a different way of relating to your children. There are many messengers or teachers with the same message but not every teacher will appeal to you.
The teacher that reminds you of your magnificence despite the drama, fears or chronic pain you may feel is the teacher that will resonate with you. The teacher that reminds you of your capacity for love and how much that love can change you, and through you the people in your world is the teacher you need. The teacher that asks you to look not only within but to also be the beacon of light for someone else is the teacher that will help you soar. It is through that teacher you will remember who you are and help you find the inspiration to rise every morning with hope. If you have not reached that point, or have outgrown your current teacher, don’t stop looking. As you change and grow so do your needs and your next teacher is out in the world waiting to help you to the next step.
Who has been your favorite teacher to-date, and why? Leave a comment on Facebook.