I wanted to write today about the concept of a spiritual awakening. A good starting point is to Google something and shuffle through the responses, see if anything catches my eye. One of the frequently searched terms if you simply type in "spiritual experience" apparently is along the lines of "am I having a spiritual awakening or spiraling into psychosis?" Did not see that coming. (laughing, shaking my head emoji.)
Seriously, though, a spiritual awakening is characterized by a deep change in how a person feels, thinks, and sees reality. Those of us so blessed will often display a clear mind, one that allows us to feel a deep sense of calm, joy, and love. We feel grounded. We know who we are and we stay connected to everyday life in a meaningful way. We grasp the concept of humility in a deeply insightful way. We feel more humble and this allows us to be kind to other people. There is a profound shift in consciousness and a growing realization that you are not just your everyday thoughts, emotions, or ego, but part of a deeper, infinite awareness.
These spiritual awakenings may include a questioning of long-held beliefs and a strong need for occasional solitude. We find an increasingly heightened intuition and begin to feel a deep, genuine empathy which leads to giant improvements in our relationships. Peace in everyday life becomes not just a possibility but a reality. We lose interest in material things. OK, nobody loses all interest in material things - More money! More sex!! More power!!! - but we're able to keep those drives in a reasonable balance.
Here's a personal example of what I believe is a benefit of having some kind of spiritual awakening:
I always tip food service professionals. In my humble opinion it's ridiculous that wealthy corporations try to shift their employee's compensation off of their balance sheet and into their customers' wallets but when I am elected Ruler of the World I'll get that squared away. I bought a drink from a Starbucks that was inside a Kroger. I paid with a credit card and was confused that there was no way to add a tip to the charge. I opened my wallet which contained approximately zero dollars and then noticed that there wasn't a tip jar, either. I asked the barista about this and she said that because the coffee shop was located in a Kroger that their policy of no tips took precedence. I can understand this - you don't want cashiers and stock personnel hassling shoppers for money - but I wasn't thrilled with this policy. I talked with the woman a bit about the difference between a no tipping culture and a tipping culture and agreeing that every employee should be fairly compensated for their work. She was calm and reflective about the situation while agreeing that a little more money would be nice.
I left with my coffee. (I should add that I was only at the Starbucks because the line at my regular spot was too long and I'm a busy, important guy. That didn't stop me from using their bathroom before I walked home even though I didn't buy their product.) I went to the bank and got some cash and walked back to the Starbucks. I asked for some inspiration on timing and what an appropriate response would be. The barista was alone so I stopped and said: "Excuse me, miss, but when you turned around this fell out of your pocket" and I dropped ten bucks onto one of the inventory boxes. (Balance is my best friend! I wanted to give her $5 but I could have given her $20 so the tenner was a good choice.) She looked at me with a confused expression before she got it. A smile and a mouthed "thank you" and I was down the road.
This was a few days ago and I'm still living on the fumes of the experience. While the money was appreciated I bet that it was the kindness, the recognition that she enjoyed the most. It's wonderful to feel seen, to be noticed. I try to learn people's names and to remember a little, tiny speck of information about them so I can inquire after their pet or their family or their schooling. I definitely do NOT talk on my phone when I'm in line.
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