Heed the Call to Spiritual Adventure
Perhaps you have dreamed about undertaking some fantastic spiritual adventure somewhere in the world, possibly to hike the sacred landscape of Machu Picchu in Peru, pray at the shrine of Mary Magdalene at Vezelay in France, trek the last twenty miles of the road to Santiago di Compostela in Spain, or see the caves of the ancient Anasazi in New Mexico. Don't let self-limiting fears of being too old, being out of shape, or being alone limit your experience.
Abraham's Journey
Remember that Abraham, the Jewish patriarch, was seventy-five years old when he received a divine call to leave Ur to undertake a journey to Canaan, a strange and distant place. When you get the call to do something spiritual, don't let fear and old patterns of doubt and negative self-talk hold you back. Feel jubilant that you know from the depths of your being what you are now supposed to do. You, not someone else, have received the gift, the inspiration. Be grateful and make the most of it. Old Abraham might have wondered if he weren't just hatching some crazy plan in his daydreaming mind. Did he think about possible negative consequences of just pulling up the stakes of the tent and setting off toward that strange land? Nope, he heeded the call and felt blessed to be on his way.
Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. So Abram departed … and went forth to go into the land of Canaan. — Genesis 12:1–5
What spiritually great things could you accomplish if you, like Abraham, believed that you were being guided, inspired, and blessed in all your endeavors by the greatest power in the universe and you had only to be quiet to receive direction? Abraham's clear inner vision and outer action were perfectly aligned. “Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (Genesis 15:1) What tremendous power those words must have had for Abraham. The everlasting covenant between the God of Abraham and the Jewish people, through the rite of circumcision, endures to this day. In the history of humankind, Abraham stands as a spiritual giant because he did not hesitate to follow the guidance he received.
Some individuals seem to set upon their spiritual path early in life. For others, aimlessness and a vague sense that they are not yet on track with their destiny impels them to seek spiritual meaning. Sometimes they discover that when they pursue their spiritual work, it dovetails into their chosen career path.
Wilberforce's Crusade
When you see something you know is morally wrong, whatever your spiritual traditions and beliefs, do something, say something, and be an advocate for right thinking and action. Hold tight to your convictions, for they set up a pull for the Law of Attraction to draw to you other like-minded people who will help you in the cause. It's not always easy to know what to do when you see the tide of public opinion unopposed to something you feel is spiritually wrong. For the eighteenth-century English parliamentarian William Wilberforce, for example, that's just what happened. Yet, he found an alignment between his thoughts and actions, his spiritual work and his business, and that set the Law of Attraction into motion to draw helpful people to him. Wilberforce regarded the slave trade as inhuman and vowed to do everything possible to suppress and abolish it. Branded as a dangerous radical, Wilberforce persisted, the power of his spiritual stand igniting moral outrage in the hearts of fellow Englishmen against the slave ships. He prevailed and England abolished the slave trade.
Whatever your path, your efforts to deepen your spiritual experience, increase your knowledge, and raise your vibration can be done in all types of environments and conditions. Find your path. You'll know you are on it when you see how easily your thoughts, spiritual desires, and actions align. These things synchronize your soul's call with the Law of Attraction to manifest your spiritual gifts.
Gandhi's Work to End Social Injustice
Do spiritual work with a single-minded focus and you will be following your true nature aligned with the Divine. That is dharma. Effort in harmonious alignment with dharma will unify. A good example of a historical figure following his dharma is Mohandas Gandhi. He was simultaneously a spiritual giant and a diminutive man in a loincloth who brought Great Britain to its knees and secured India's independence. His life serves as a spiritual model for social change.
You don't have to hold degrees from the best schools, wear this season's haute couture, speak six languages, or serve in the diplomatic corps to be a spiritual force for social change. Gandhi began to study religion and eat a vegetarian diet while he trained as a lawyer in England. Unable to find work after returning to India, he went to South Africa where he encountered racism and social injustice. There, he successfully spearheaded nonviolent resistance to help Indians fight a law aimed at forcing them to register. Returning to India, he again used civil disobedience in the Quit India campaign to expel the English. He became known as the Father of India. Some called him a saint trying to be a politician, but Gandhi rejected that idea, insisting instead that he was a politician trying to become a saint.
If you think your spiritual work can only be done in private, think again. Abraham, Wilberforce, and Gandhi found their spiritual work in the world, in the milieu of their time. You don't have to go off to an isolated cave in the Himalayas. You don't have to join a Carmelite convent. You don't need to go outside of yourself to find spiritual understanding, insights, and peace.
