April 26: Day 116

STONE FOUR CONTINUED
 
Discern: It is my responsibility to discern what works for me and what does not, always remembering that what may not resonate with me today may resonate at another time.

Instruction: Be open to another try.

If you give up on the experience of riding a bicycle because the first time you tried you failed, then you deny yourself the pleasure that comes from riding down a country road with the wind at your back, a song in your heart, and a smile on your face. There are spiritual practices you might have tried and given up on after a few attempts, or maybe after only one try. Just like riding a bicycle, had you continued trying, who knows what wonderful experiences you might have encountered. Stone Five isn’t about perseverance as much as it is about listening to our gut instincts. We do, however, need to separate our fear from our discernment and be willing to take a chance when our gut is telling us the risk will be worth it. Returning to our bicycle illustration, you might have been afraid of falling and scratching your arms and legs. You might even be afraid of breaking a body part, but when you watch those who know how to ride, you might want to experience the fun they are having.

There is a practice called auto-writing in which we are instructed to take a blank piece of paper, close our eyes and our minds, and write whatever comes to us. The first time I tried this exercise, I wrote nothing but gibberish. I was taking a class at the time, and I was embarrassed to have to tell the leader that I, who had written and published books, had failed to produce a single understandable sentence. I felt as if a voice was saying to me, “It isn’t time.” I had not written anything of note for about four years, and I was fine with that. I thought my writing life was over, and I had written all I had to say. About two months later, I sat down at the keyboard and decided I wanted to write. I wrote a little every day, and two months later I had the first draft of my next book. Was it auto-writing that worked for me? I don’t think so, at least not in the sense that I expected. What I found was that I had developed a spiritual connection to a degree that my words were not just my words, but I was receiving help from some Higher Source of inspiration. My point is that auto-writing didn’t resonate with me at the time, but I remained open to trying it again, or something similar, at a later time. I was fortunate to be able to discern what didn’t work for me, but also lucky that I was open to trying it again later.

Today’s Assignment is to ask yourself if there are things in your life that you have been afraid to try even though you think the experience would be enjoyable. Or, are there things that you tried once or maybe even a few times, and you just didn’t seem to get the hang of? What about spiritual practices? Have you tried and given up on meditation, fasting, or memorizing portions of literature that have power to transform your life? Maybe it’s time to try again. You might be ready for it this time.