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Wouldn’t it be great to have a “spiritual barometer” — a gauge you could check that would let you know the condition of your spiritual-religious health on any given day?
I think we all have such built-in devices, it’s just a matter of taking the time to figure out exactly what they are.
So far, I have discovered a few of my spiritual barometers: architecture, my students, Jane (my wife), and traffic.
· Architecture – When my spirit is a bit low, awful architecture infuriates me. But when my spirits are higher, I will see the very same goofy looking edifice and laugh out loud.
· My students – There are days when a kid asking to go to the bathroom in the middle of my lesson upsets me and there are days when a kid asking to go to the bathroom in the middle of my lesson amuses me.
· Jane – Sometimes I find Jane’s foibles (like her inability to return library books on time) endearing. However, there are also occasions where late-fee accruals exasperate me.
· Traffic – There are days when traffic is unbearably annoying to me and other days when I am at peace with it.
In the preceding examples, the variable that changes is my mood – not the building, my students, my beloved, or the blockage of cars. In other words, the world is the same, my spiritual barometer reading is altered.
When I keep track of the readings on my spiritual barometers it allows me to make adjustments in the way I react to the world around me. When I find myself annoyed by a set of circumstances that wouldn’t bother me on a different day, I know I must take great care to be kind to both myself and others.
How about you? What are your spiritual barometers? What can you monitor that will inform you as to the state of your soul?
The antics of your pets or relatives? The cost of things? The sounds around you? When you can’t seem to remember things? When you find yourself asking God for something? When you find yourself leaving more generous tips? The ego of people? The toilet seat being left up or down?
See if you can’t find a few.
Finally, let me advise that we shouldn’t try to use our spiritual barometers as indicators that we need to change anything about our self, (others,) or our perception of the world. Instead, let us use them to note, with amused detachment, whatever state of awareness we are currently experiencing
Our spiritual barometers can be the greatest of tools to help us find the willingness to be mindful our feelings and explore greater consciousness.
Spiritual-religious advice: Learn about your spiritual-religious barometers.
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