You cannot be on any other path except that of spirit, for, as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin noted, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Who is more spiritual?  A devoted monk or a successful businesswoman?  A member of the clergy or a wilderness teacher?  ”Spiritual” is not something you do, it is something you are.  And we are all spiritual beings, regardless of the occupation in which we work or the belief system we’ve chosen.  We are always on a spiritual path.

(This post originally appeared in ACM)

And if you haven’t read Bird by Bird, it’s fantastic. I dare say “essential” for writers, but Lamott is so good, anyone can benefit from her insights on life.

closed before you,

the secret One

will show a

secret path

no other eyes

have seen.

~ Rumi

Greatness exists in all of us.

Lay one brick at a time.

Focus on making a difference.

Represent an idea.

You have to believe.

Nothing is unrealistic.

Be willing to die for the Truth.

Protect your dream.

And one of my favorite quotes: “Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity.”

The Question: What book – fiction or non – touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?

I’m re-reading Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love right now and it’s pretty much altering the way I perceive everything — again.  Of course there is the famous quote that is always a good reminder…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

But there are so many other, equally potent gems scattered throughout the pages.  My copy is already filled with underlines from the first go-around, but I’m finding new ideas on almost every page that somehow resonate with me in a way that is both novel and familiar.

Want to play along? Check out the list here and blog about your favorites for ’09 all through December:
http://www.gwenbell.com/blog/2009/11/30/the-best-of-2009-blog-challenge.html