Second, the soul wants to commit to values. It wants to walk this earth in total integrity. That's the Soul Vows course and I'm writing that book now. Third, the soul wants to serve a purpose. Your soul carries the knowledge of your divine purpose, but humanly we struggle to hear it. It's no accident that the most common question asked in Akashic Record and angel guidance readings is "What is my purpose?" Fourth, every soul wants to express itself. As John O'Donohue reminds us in Beauty, "We were created to be creators." And finally, the soul wants to create life, not be buffeted by life. And it can. As souls, we come from the factory wired with all the talents and skills we need to create a beautiful, abundant life. We just have to remember what they are and how to use them. That's what The Lotus and The Lily is all about.
Has your life become more beautiful and abundant?
Oh my, yes. The moment I read the Buddha's teaching, "When conditions are sufficient, there is a manifestation," I felt everything shift 180° inside of me. Then and there, I took asking and wanting out of my vocabulary and just focused on living my conditions. I've done this now for three years and the results have been amazing for me and for everyone in The Lotus and The Lily telecourses. Many of their stories are in the book.
We have a tendency to measure success in terms of income, so to answer that aspect of your question, yes, my income started an upward trajectory the moment I shifted my attention away from asking for anything and on to living my conditions.
But, much as I enjoy the freedom monetary flow provides, income isn't the primary barometer by which I measure the abundance of my life. This may sound simplistic or even silly, but I know I'm living an abundant beautiful life by the way I feel in the morning. I used to wake with a knot in my stomach feeling the stress of the day before it even began. Now I can't help myself; I wake with a smile on my face. The first words out of my mouth are, "This is the day the Lord has made. I am grateful and rejoice in it."
What's your religion?
Three years ago, I was giving a talk on Writing Down Your Soul to a packed room in Raleigh when someone ask me that question. I sighed. I wasn't sure how to answer because although I attend a Unity church and feel comfortable under the New Thought umbrella, I can't and don't limit myself to a label. If you could see my spiritual library, you'd see books on Celtic spirituality, Mary Magdalene, Black Elk, and Jesus in Aramaic. You'd see Dark Night of the Soul, Autobiography of a Yogi, The Sufi Book of Life, and multiple translations of the Tao Te Ching. You'd see books by Catholic priests, Buddhists monks, and quantum physicists. But more than anything, you'd see tattered books of mystical poetry.
I'd just read the crowd a poem from Love Poems from God by Daniel Ladinsky. I held it up and said, "This is my religion. Mystical poetry is my religion. Because the mystics of every tradition all say the same thing: It's all God. It's only God. And it's only love." So that's my best answer to your question. I think if we hang out long enough with the mystics, we can't help but stumble upon God.
What is the one thing you want people to know?
You are a soul. Your soul is brilliant, creative, powerful, and overflowing with joy. Your soul is not wounded or afraid. As a soul, you have direct and immediate access to limitless divine guidance, wisdom, beauty, and grace.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In