By Beth A.

I once had the misfortune of being on a blind date. This was a double date, dinner with my friend Kate, her boyfriend, and Dan, the guy Kate thought was perfect for me. As I arrived at the table where the three of them were seated, I said to myself, Just be yourself, and just don’t drink.

Katie got the ball rolling. “Beth here is very spiritual.”

“Really?” Dan said. “What does that mean?”

I took a deep breath and thought, It’s all downhill from here.

Well, what does it mean to me to be spiritual?

Being spiritual means making a place for the sacred, living my life on the highest level of consciousness possible. Being spiritual means doing things that nurture that part of me that I can’t see, that part of me that is timeless, eternal. Being spiritual means nourishing my soul and the spirit of those who cross my path.

How to live it?  Here are the steps I take.

1.    I give unconditional thanks upon arising. Before I decide whether I have anything to be thankful for, I just give thanks. Thich Nhat Hanh says, “I breathe in, merci. I breathe out, merci.” The very first thing I do in the morning is thank the Divine for giving me this day; for giving me the opportunity to be an instrument of God’s peace.  Before I have even a moment to decide whether I am dissatisfied with what I have, worried about what I might lose, fearful about what the future holds, I thank the Divine for this day and for this opportunity to co-operate with him.

2.    I meditate on one line of a prayer I like each day and think of ways I will put it into practice for a week.

3.    I tell others to practice the sacred rituals of their religion if they have one. If they don’t have one, I suggest they make up a ritual to honor the Divine and practice that. “My religion is simple. My religion is loving-kindness,” says the Dalai Lama. Some people’s rituals involve walking their dog in the woods. Others chant. Cultivate rituals of reverence. Whether to the Divine, to animals, avatars or the “lilies of the field.”

4.    Be ready: Life is a team sport and God is the Coach. I try to pay attention. Everywhere around me someone or something is looking for acknowledgement, help or loving-kindness. I try to be ready to be of service, smile at the checkout lady, volunteer, send a friend an ecard for no reason, compliment a difficult person. Feed the birds. “Make myself an instrument of God’s peace.”

5.    Create something. Anytime I make something that didn’t exist before, I am emulating God — writing a song, baking brownies, making a bouquet, painting, writing in my journal.

6.    Be quiet. If I’m making the noise, I stop. I listen. Listen to the birds, to the wind. I try to listen more than I talk.

7.    Be humble. I accept that there is something more transcendent than my ego, and today it just might be God in the form of an ant. How do I put humility into action? For starters, I don’t think about my achievements, my possessions, my friends as if they belonged to me. They don’t. They are on loan to me from the Divine.

8.    Be teachable. I choose to perceive both pleasant and difficult/challenging people as a facilitators from the Divine who have been placed in my path to help me with my lessons on Earth. They are serving me.

9.    Stop pursuing happiness as if it were a thing I could acquire if I only did such and such. When I am “in pursuit,” I am coming from a place of lack.

I try to enjoy the blessings of the material world without being possessed by them. We are spiritual beings, living in a material world. Why do people think it’s spiritual to enjoy a sunset, a puppy but not a racy sports car or a beautiful designer dress? Being spiritual does not preclude material abundance.

10.    Have unwavering faith. In all times, through all the vicissitudes of life regardless of what is happening, good or bad. If I feel I don’t or can’t have faith, I pretend I am a person with faith. I keep pretending until I don’t have to pretend any more.

To be spiritual means to honor the divine in everything. Honor yourself. Honor others. See yourself and those around you as a serene and gentle Buddha to Be. Each of us on this earth has chosen to suit up, show up and participate in the dance of Life. We are dancing with each other. It is the dance of the spirit in me honoring the spirit in you. It is the Dance of Namaste.