Before I begin, I have to warn you: Yes, this email contains my favorite Whitney Houston song! ;)
Okay, here goes...
Have you ever had a Spiritual Identity Crisis??
Or rather, you weren't getting enough out of your current (or past) Spiritual Tradition, + were yearning for something more? Like, something Meaningful??
.... Maybe it was time to get rid of the dogma, or the idea that there is this old guy "God" that is going to punish you for all your "sins...."
But maybe, you were a little bit afraid of what everyone else would think???!
Like, they would think you were crazy, or your family would disown you, or your colleagues would dismiss you as a Woo-woo, or something??
So, it's pretty brave + bold + out-of-the-box that I grew up Jewish, had a bat mitzvah, even wrote + published a Jewish book, + now am singing in a Gospel Choir (okay, a New Agey non-religious one at that ;)).
I grew up singing my heart out to Whitney Houston's The Greatest Love of All... + giggling with my friends secretly during Shabbat services...
I reached a point in 2011 or so where I knew I felt drawn to Agape (Michael Beckwith's - from The Secret - Spiritual Center), + particularly to singing in the Agape Choir.
Still, it was really scary, + didn't make sense to those "hypothetically judgmental people" in my mind.
Yet, all the way across the country from Atlanta to California, when I made my big move, I was comforted + inspired by the music of Rickie Byars Beckwith.
And when I stepped into the sanctuary at Agape for the first time, I cried: Tears of Joy. I knew this is where I belonged.
This was my Spiritual Home + I knew it.
I have now been attending Agape + singing in the Choir for One Year! The Choir is SO AMAZING for me + brings me Heart-Opening Joy. I LOVE the songs + they are so meaningful to me. They are all about Love, Living Your Dreams, + Forgiveness. Rather than religion, they are Spiritual Songs.
We are made up of people of many cultures, + we travel nationally + internationally to sing!
This past weekend I traveled to D.C. to sing with the Agape Choir at a large conference! I LOVE representing this "Beloved Community" as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of. I felt like we were spreading LOVE to our Nation's Capital + everyone there!!
I say all this to say, Be Bold. Be Brave. Be You. Let go of what other people might think. Because, when you're happy, you can't help but make "them" happy. (And if they're not, they shouldn't be your friend anyway... or at least, not someone you spend a ton of time with. ;))
So, I want you to do something:
Meditate on this: What's one way you can Free Up in your Spiritual Life??
Maybe it means checking out some new place or practice. Trying out meditation or yoga, or going to hear a Gospel Choir sing? Maybe it's checking out Judaism, Rumi poems, or Buddhist thought? Hebrew Yoga perhaps?? Maybe it means stopping doing something.
Go where your heart leads you. Practice breaking out of the (perceived) "Box" you think other people have you in.
Take a small step. (towards your own happiness...)
Do it This Week.
Reply in the comments below, or connect with me on facebook to let me know how it went! ;)
Oh! + P.S. The week before the D.C. conference, I went to a Jewish event, in a sexy sundress, with a home-grown rose in my hair. + Met some big-leagues. + It was awesome. ;)
Here's to your Liberation!
xo,
Debra.