Sunday, June 19, 2011

Show, Don't Tell



            You’ll find the new trend stalking every street corner. Most people walk past, eyes glued to the pavement, hoping they find someone else’s ear. If I weren’t such a believer in the base philosophy, I might stand in a corner out of sight hiding from them myself. I can’t do that anymore. (So, for better or worse, here I go opening my big mouth.)
I’m over the long speeches and quick jabs about how we’re all lost people. The self-proclaimed spiritual leaders can take their mantras and sell them on a different corner, because love and light wasn’t meant to be a commodity. I live by the same philosophy in life as I do in my writing: Show, Don’t Tell. Yeah, I could tell you how meditation brings peace, the way a hug and an ear sooths the soul, or how God’s love (yes, I used the G word) heals a heart, but how does that really help? Isn’t better to show you how these things work in my life?
There are many people in the world throwing out clichés about living in spirit and light, but how many listen? The first reaction I see from those scrolling their timelines is the classic eye roll followed by a quick click of the refresh button. That is, if they stop at all. Because no one really wants to be told how to do something or, and I really don’t like when spiritualists do this, told that they are broken.
This journey is personal and custom crafted to fit each one of us. No one has the formula. So stop acting like you do. This isn’t a club people join. If you want to reach the masses, show them how your personal spirituality has transformed the way you love people and see life. Be there when they stumble and fall, and then hope they are there to do the same for you. Because no matter how evolved we become, everyone stumbles eventually.
Light, love, and spirit aren’t exclusive; everyone carries a piece with them. So next time someone shows up on your step, stop and repeat this 10 times or 100 times or 1000 times until it sticks: Show, Don’t Tell.

7 comments:

  1. Lovely post. You are so right.

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  2. I take these words home: "This journey is personal and custom crafted to fit each one of us. No one has the formula."

    "Show, don't tell."

    Bless!

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  3. I can tell you may have had some trepidation in sharing this article but I am so glad you did, some things NEED to be said.

    When I was 24, I reached a heightened state of spiritual consciousness, in which I realised I am / we are an infinite essence of love that exists in all things. After the experience, I began spiritual teaching in earnest, which included meditation, healing, etc.

    What I came to understand was, there is no frame of reference in Western society for this level of spiritual consciousness. What's more is, most people in the main stream don't care! I am not trying to be negative, rather realistic.

    It became clear that if I wanted to validate who I was and what I knew, I needed to be here as a human being and not an elevated 'guru'. As a result, people sometimes think I am not an authentic spiritual person. Yet I am totally aware of the vibration I carry and make available to others, just by being who I am. That's how I Show and don't Tell! XO :) Loved the article.

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  4. yes ma'am. Show, don't tell. Don't cram, don't judge. Have compassion, be gentle. Show kindness, and mercy. Love people. Just love them. Where they are.

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  5. Great post, so true your words...don't judge, and definitely show them compassion, love and most all Listen! You can't force these things down people's throats, they generally don't listen like you say. It's ONLY when they go through their own earthquakes of life that they do...

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  6. Bravo.
    There is neither a magic pill nor a one size fits all approach.
    Viv (Guineapig 66 on twitter)

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