As I was making myself a cup of joe this afternoon, contemplating a review I had just read on Amazon about an author I am intrigued by, this blog title came to me.
The author I’m referring to is Andrew Cohen. He is the founder of EnlightenNext (an online magazine and so much more…), and is credited with redefining the “best practice” for spiritual enlightenment for the 21st century. The book I was reading a review about is Living Enlightenment: A Call for Evolution Beyond Ego. And the comment from the review I found so thought provoking was “…If you’ve “got it”, you will know Cohen is speaking Truth. If you are in “seeking mode” and are not willing to shift, I predict you will just get frustrated and the words will just sound like a bunch of noise….” The reviewer is David Kamnitzer (review the rest of his review here). The reason it stuck with me is because “I got it.” I mean, I actually got his reference.
So, there is a bit of an “ego-ic” response to that, right? (Rhetorical 
…stay with me a little longer.) Right, I acknowledge this. But, there is also a celebration coming from deeper within, from my true Self, basking in the light of the acknowledgement it is receiving by me as I step into my spiritual practices more and more. This must be called “joy.”
The joy is coming from my connecting with sources of support along my spiritual journey that are in alignment with my path, in tune with my inner song. This includes my yoga teacher training course at Sattva Yoga Center in Dearborn, MI. As well as sharing time with a trusted spiritual leader, another trusted professional well-versed in psychology and close coaching colleagues. Most recently this joy has come from reading a book, “The Congruent Life: Following the Inward Path to Fulfilling Work and Inspired Leadership” by C. Michael Thompson. I was searching for a resource for a coaching client and happened upon this book, became so intrigued when searching through it that I was compelled to buy it for myself. Now, anyone who knows a “professional coach” knows that books are like crack, so you may judge that I was just getting a fix and this wasn’t a meaningful selection. Au contraire! I justify my ”meaningful selection” by informing you that I recently took on my life’s most challenging leadership role to-date, that of becoming the President of the Professional Coaches Association of Michigan (PCAM). This book seemed like the perfect resource to support me as I take on this new role, and it is.
While I was not conscious of it, this is also the book I’ve been looking for all of my life. Yes, that does sound a bit melodramatic, but I can justify this too. Through this book, I have found my voice. Better said, I have found my voice mirrored back to me . . . or my voice has found me. I am a Seeker. For those less familiar with archetypes, one definition of this archetype is “Amidst artifacts and shadows, the Seeker examines clues he hopes will further his quest for the one Truth. He believes that there is an absolute answer and he has dedicated his life to its discovery.” (Source: Archetype Storytelling Cards) The Seeker is the one that answers the call and the call is the signal that starts the Hero’s journey. This book affirms me.
I’ve always felt that I have been searching for the “truth”; it has always felt like a driving force within me, dare I now acknowledge it as a calling. At a very young age, trying to understand the purpose of suffering, of “God” (if even such thing existed), of faith, of man (human beings), of war, of dreaming, and so on. Born at the tail end of the “boomer” generation, you have to know, I am a product of the sixties: the Vietnam War on television, the peace-seekers everywhere, civil rights - desegregation at my school and integration in my neighborhood, astronauts in space, man on the moon, assassinations of Kennedy, King and X. My hero’s have been killed for sharing their wisdom and asking us to join them, but I didn’t realize that when they became my hero’s. This book affirms my voice.
As I develop in my spirituality, my union with universal source, in glimpse’s I come to experience the world from another place. It is a place where Ultimate Reality is known through that experience and wisdom is developed. There comes a knowing.
A knowing that my work in the world, being a professional coach, is serving my life’s calling. Simply put, as I assist others as they progress through their life’s journey of self-development and spiritual growth, I pick up things that allow me to progress in the same way. I deepen my experience, my knowing, my joy. I trust that I’m helping others in the same way. The following quote is attributed to HH the Dalai Lama and speaks deeply into my calling. Be Well, Kathy
“As we are all human beings living on earth among countless other human beings, our happiness is intimately connected to that of others. It is hard to imagine personal happiness detached or separate from the happiness of others. For it is certain that if we aspire to happiness, we must be deeply concerned about the happiness of all humankind.”
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