We never know how high we are
…Till we are called to rise;
And then, if we are true to plan
…Our statures touch the skies.
The heroism we recite
…Would be a daily thing.
Did not ourselves the cubits warp
…For fear to be a king.
–Emily Dickinson
I’ve always loved to write, but never took my writing too seriously. As I got older and had my own business, I chose to write articles for professional publications of the people I served. I rarely got paid, but it was always a thrill to have an article published. I saw pieces appear in police, human resources, parks and recreation, and many other kinds of publications. My pieces were appreciated, but they were a marketing opportunity, not a vocation.
Then I took a leap and decided to write my own book. It was called The Deepest Spiritual Life: The Art of Combining Personal Spiritual Practice with Religious Community. I had a great time interviewing people from many different religious traditions: Christian groups, Jews, Vedanta, Muslim and Buddhist. In fact, I think I could have gone on interviewing people indefinitely. But I didn’t want to lose sight of my purpose: to encourage people to pursue spirituality within a religious context; to practice within a community with a teacher; and to take their practice of spirit seriously. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an audience for the book: people wanted to practice their own eclectic, mismatched ideas of spirituality; or they didn’t (or thought they didn’t) like formal religion; or they didn’t want to be accountable for serving in a community or working with a teacher. I think it was a fine book, but no one wanted to read it.
Meanwhile, I had been writing a monthly personal development ezine but felt I had written all that I wanted to say, and discontinued publication. I’ve also been writing an ezine that was intended to guide people on their spiritual paths, but lately I feel my enthusiasm waning for that project.
But then I found Ricochet. I saw the opportunity to be a “real writer”! It has been a wonderful match for me. My desire to write, to put together ideas, to challenge people on their own ideas, to seek input, to dialogue, has been a gift. Ricochet and its readers challenge me to question my own ideas, to investigate them more deeply and to explore my own values, hopes, and perceptions.
I write because I love to write. I write because I must. I write because of you.
What have you aspired to in the past? What aspirations do you hold now?
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