True Holiday Spirituality in Action

My spiritual routine requires a level of empathy towards others and working to understand my own levels of privilege.  I am grateful for the things I have, the opportunities I have to be self sustained through hard work and I am able bodied to do so.  I know that there are many people who are not able to do what I am to take care of myself, nor do they have the resources or support.  it is important to acknowledge what we are grateful, and gain empathy for a system that should encourage hope but often does not.

In the process, I think it is important to extend our support, when possible, to support others.  In a spiritual system that believes in the interconnectedness of all things, we are not truly in isolation with our successes or our failures.  All lessons become our individual lessons on this path to spiritual self actualization.

For the holiday season, we should all be thinking about what we can do for others.  It does not require money to do something, to give of yourself to another person.  A conversation could mean the world to someone that is otherwise forgotten.

I offer some simple thoughts and actions that could make a more spiritually balanced world around us.  These are the things I am trying to do, one day at a time, one moment at a time.

• Smile.  It is something simple that does not require an explanation or much pre-planning.  Smiling is not just something that makes you feel better but it can brighten the world around you as well.  Sometimes a smile is all I have to offer and yet it has been the gateway to conversation, intimacy  understanding or even hope.  Your smile might be someone else’s tool on a bad day.
• Being present. When you are present in the moment, you are able to recognize people around you differently than when your mind is somewhere else.  People often communicate in non-verbal ways that are subtle and can be hidden.  When you are present with others, you are open to the many possibilities that add to the quality of your engagement.  It can be a true gift to have someone be in sync with you.
• Donate.  If you have things you no longer use or do not need, donate them to someone else.  There are plenty of places that you could donate to that would benefit someone else who might be less fortunate.  There are places like Goodwill and the Salvation Army all around, in every city, but there are also shelters, soup kitchens, youth programs, toy drives, coat drives and other programs that need things for their participants.  It is a blessing to have too much when others do not have enough.
• Your time.  If you are not able to donate money or goods to a charitable cause, donate your time.  There is always a need for people to come and be a part of supporting the structures that help others.  Good volunteers are hard to come by.
• Prayer.  The power of prayer or sharing energy with others is good for everyone’s soul.  It is something that is inexpensive, takes little time and does not run out of supply.  However you extend your well wishes towards others is an acceptable personal, spiritual choice, but it is an important tool we all have at our disposal.  Lending energy to another person, or a group of people, can change the energetic trajectory of their path and it can also be humbling to remember what we have.

I hope that something on this list feels supportive to you, gives you choices you can access and reaffirms the spiritual conviction of extending ourselves in service to others.  Through service, self examination and spiritual connectivity, we are able to affect the world around us in positive ways.  This is important in my personal self actualization as a Wiccan, is it for you?