CHAPTER 1
Paying Attention to theWeird and the Strange
To understand synchronicity you begin with baby steps, withlearning to pay attention. Paying attention is always easier said thandone. Paying attention begins with learning to listen to your ownthoughts. The dilemma is that listening does not come easily tothe majority of people. For the most part, we do not know how tolisten well, because we have never been taught. Also, listening doesnot come naturally to our present way of life. There are so manydistractions that call for our attention that we cannot focus for verylong on any one thought.
For many people there is the other problem of living insidetheir heads. It is increasingly difficult to turn off your busy mindwhether you are aware of what you are thinking about or not. Haveyou noticed that you live a lot of your life on "auto-pilot?" Everyoneknows what it is like to drive somewhere and barely be consciousof getting there. It can also happen when you are out for a walkand you miss seeing the tree that fell down in the recent storm, orthe new flowers that just bloomed. I often fall prey to this dis-ease(disease is actually a lack of ease) so I know how difficult it is to livein the present moment and pay attention to what is going on aroundme and inside of me. From the minute most of us wake up in themorning, our minds go into full swing. Have you ever become awarethat when you are in the shower, frequently you cannot rememberif you have used the shampoo and the cream rinse, or just one ofthem? That happens to me a lot. I'm sure that is why the "two-in-one"shampoo and conditioner was invented. These kinds of lapsesof thought are signs of not being present, living on auto-pilot orunconscious of the present moment, truly lost in your own thoughts.In the shower it may only mean you wash your hair twice, but in life,lost time is gone forever and missed opportunities that have escapedyou, can seriously affect you.
The remedy of course is learning to become present to yourthoughts and yourself. This is why I practice mindful awarenessas much as possible. I do that by simply talking to myself. "I amwashing my hair with shampoo. I am using the conditioner now."These exercises may seem silly and simplistic, but they truly helpme to live in the present moment and become more aware of whatI am thinking. If you have the same problem—losing track of yourthoughts— try these practices for yourself.
Normally it is usually only in silence that you can hear yourselfthink, or take notice of the wee small voice of spirit that dwellswithin your life. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is tocarve out some quiet for yourself. Your listening skills will improve.Turn off the television, your cell phone, your computer and all otherdistractions. Just try it occasionally and see how you feel and noticewhat happens. I guarantee that there are many benefits to a bit ofsilence in your life. Once you have learned to become more awareof your thoughts you will be able to listen better and connect withthe divine spark that lives within you. Eventually you will learn toreceive divine guidance, teachings, and healings that will enhanceyour life tremendously. Jon Kabat Zinn in his book on mindfulnesssays, "In wakefulness, everything inspires." In other words, livingin the moment will open up the spiritual realm.
I offer you this one piece of advice: of course people will disagreewith your experience and your spiritual way of thinking. It isimportant to know that listening to spirit can only happen if youhave an open mind and heart, as well as a clear mind. Be careful withwhom you choose to share your new experiences. Many people donot believe that we live in a world where the God-force pays attentionto our existence, let alone intervenes in our lives, because they havenever experienced this interface for themselves.
Not surprisingly then, the biggest problem is that most peopledon't know how to listen to, or interpret a message from spirit.Here is my first rule of thumb. Do not negate the divine withinyourself or beyond yourself. Spirit wants to communicate with youthrough anything or anybody. We just have to learn to pay attentionto the hints she gives us. The Hebrew word for spirit in the "OldTestament" is feminine in gender, so I have no qualms about using"she" to refer to spirit. We call a boat "she," so why not spirit?
Just remember, weird and strange incidents are big clues thatyou should notice and reflect upon. Don't just brush them off andput them out of your mind or consciousness. Weird and strangehappenings are mysterious in nature; that's the sign to pay attention.And believe me; I have experienced weird and strange incidentsmyself. The weirdest, strangest time spirit spoke to me, was througha pair of earrings. Now here is a story that doesn't happen everyday.
Earrings that Speak
One warm, ordinary, spring day, I was out browsing the main streetof my neighborhood. I enjoyed wandering in and out of the smallquaint shops, looking at whatever caught my eye. That day I didn'thave any particular chores to do and I found myself with a littlefree time on my hands. I stopped in at a tiny South American styleshop to look at their wares. It was filled with colorful cotton clothes,wooden musical instruments, small trinkets and a large jewelrycase.
Looking into the glass top of the jewelry case, I saw a pair ofearrings made of silver and gold pieces that crisscrossed each other.They looked a bit like pick axes to me. But before I fully realizedwhat they resembled, unexpectedly I heard some words of scripturecoming from within me. I wasn't even aware that I knew this versebut I heard the words very clearly: "Turn your swords into plowshares."(Micah 4:3)
I had read the Bible cover to cover a decade earlier, but I hadbeen distant from "God" for a long time and had not been attendinga church or reading any scripture. The last thing I ever expectedto happen that day was to have such a strangely weird, spiritualexperience. Even though I had no intention of buying anythingwhen I set out earlier, I knew that I could not walk away from thatshop without those earrings. After all, it's not every day that earringscommunicate with your soul, or speak in such a distinct way— soI bought them and took them home pondering what the messagecould possibly mean.
For days, I turned those words, "Turn your swords intoplowshares," over and over in my mind. I played with the words andtheir possible meaning. Could it mean that I was fighting somethingwithin myself, because I did not appear to be fighting with anyoneelse? What else could the swords symbolize? I really wasn't awarethat I had an internal battle going on and I certainly didn't knowwhat plowshares represented either. I looked up "plowshares" andlearned that term refers to the tools that till the earth, to preparethe soil for planting. At that point all I could say for sure was thatsomething was being asked of me by that knowing voice or presencefrom within and there was nothing I could do but live with thevagueness of the message. You too will have times in your life whenyou may feel baffled or unsure about your spiritual concerns. Youwill need to live with ambiguity while your questions and thoughtsremain unclear to your rational mind and your spiritual sense.
Today, I am still unpacking aspects of that first major but weird,synchronistic event in my life. I learned that the Peace Brigadesadopted that biblical phrase, "Turn your swords into plowshares,"as their motto. To have peace, the world must stop fighting andtransform our weapons (our swords) into tools that can till the earthand feed everyone (plowshares). I now understand this phrase bothliterally and metaphorically. There is often more than one meaningto spiritual truth. I must do my part to make peace in the worldand feed the hungry, but I now understand the spiritual aspect ofmy particular call or purpose. I must make peace with what I knowspiritually to be true. Despite the possibility of being misunderstoodor deemed controversial, over time I have affirmed that it is myunique privilege to strive to be a peacemaker and share spiritualnourishment with others.
The earrings were of course, just an incident that marked thebeginning of my spiritual awakening. Spiritual awakenings arealways unique. They may come about slowly, and build over yearsor they may appear to come "out of the blue." A spiritual awakeningwill always be true to your inner being, your personality, your needsand desires, and your highest self. It will somehow feel natural inthat it is authentic to who you are. It does not violate who you arebut expands on your true self—waiting to burst out of your cocoonand fly. Let me tell you a bit more about how my story unfurled fromthat first bizarre incident.
Some time passed and eventually other synchronistic eventscame together. I met a spiritual woman who was an ordainedminister in the United Church of Canada. She was very differentfrom my expectations of a minister. Her thinking was broader andher connection with spirit was palpable. In a short time I beganto attend church again and I got excited about the messages I washearing. She offered a meditation class that I loved and I quickly feltas if I was home in a new way. One evening I bumped into her onthe street. Co-incidentally, hours earlier, I was considering asking herhow I could become a minister. That "random" meeting on the streetwas the only time I ever saw her walking in my neighborhood. Thatmoment felt providential and I didn't lose my courage. I asked herabout setting up a meeting to talk about my desire to study for theministry. The idea was so small at that time, really just in its infancy,that I could barely believe that I spoke to her at all. But "right time"and "right place" collided with what I was thinking.
Within a very short span of time I quit my nursing job and wasenrolled in a full time Master of Divinity Degree at the Universityof Toronto. I had been thinking for a long time about returningto University to study something—I just didn't know what. I hadpoured over the syllabuses of further nursing courses for a couple ofyears, but I just could not get excited about them. I took some artscourses that I really enjoyed but I had no idea what I would do witha B.A., other than enrich my own life. The dilemma was that I knewthat I needed to further my education to fulfill a potential I had leftundeveloped, but I did not feel committed to any particular field.So when the idea to study religion presented itself, I was ready andwilling to meet the challenge. I was also excited about a mid-life careerchange that would follow. It took me quite a bit of time to discovermy own pathway but it could only happen by being true to me, bylistening to my inner knowledge and feelings. If you are thinkingabout making a career change or facing an important decision, askyourself about what excites you, what feels right intuitively and thenlook for those meaningful co-incidences that just happen by chanceand open the doors your way.
Let me reassure you that not many of you will follow the routethat I took (nor do you need to), to develop your spiritual or naturalpotential. Your career path may just be a stepping stone towardsreaching your goals and desires, or may not be important to youat all. Achieving a degree is not necessarily the destination or theend of a journey either, but only part of the process, as it was in mycase. Completing all the requirements for my degree and trainingto become a minister did not automatically make me spiritual. Infact, all that preparation was only the beginning of my spiritualawakening. It was what I needed to do at that time for my ownindividuation. But my journey did not stop there. It has continuedto be filled with many twists and turns; all leading me to my uniquedestiny. It really all began with the earrings that somehow broughtme into a new space. So beware: follow your hunches no matter howpeculiar they may seem and don't pay attention to what anyone elseis doing.
Making Sense
When I think about the series of events that led to my change-of-lifedirection, I am able to make sense of the "whys" behindthem. I have always been a deep thinker, enjoyed journaling andreading spiritual books (long before spiritual reading was culturallyacceptable). Although I read everything I could to enlighten mymind, it was still difficult to affirm who I really was at my core.Ultimately, those earrings became the catalyst that released andstirred up a dormant potential inside of me, although I didn't knowit at the time. I had to live through it to make sense of what aspectof my life was looking for transformation. Embarrassingly my newfound spirituality was not main stream and I worried what peoplewould think of me. The first time I shared my "talking earrings"story, I thought that I might be revealing that I was foolish or"mad as a hatter," but actually a lot of people nodded their headsin accord or shared their own extraordinary stories. They gave methe courage I needed and I made the decision that no matter whatanyone else thinks, I would much rather be aware of a guiding innerspirit directing my life, than have no connection to a higher, internalawareness, presence and power.
Now let me tell you about another strange episode that may havehappened to you too.
Falling Books
If a book ever falls off a shelf as you walk by it, no doubt it is meantfor you. Buy it or borrow it, but be sure to read it. It happened tome. The book, The Four Fold Way: Walking the Path of the Warrior,Teacher, Healer and Visionary wasn't a book I was looking for at thetime it fell off the display case in the book shop. I bought it becausein the moment it happened I was standing nearby and watched itfall— and knew instinctively that spirit was getting my attention.No one bumped the shelf as it fell off. Not surprising, the book hasbecome an important part of the work I do. Wouldn't you agree thatanything as strange as a falling book deserves some attention?
Similarly, and I must admit, much more often, my eye is drawnto a book that somehow pulls me in or begs for my attention. Iknow intuitively that it is the one I should buy or borrow rightnow. If you pay attention you will find that there is an "energy ofspirit" that draws you to what you need at the right time. It seemsalmost magnetic. When this happens you will feel a quickening oran excitement that holds your attention. Trust this energy and gowith it. Notice how you feel when you read the book. Really learnto recognize those inner cues that your body gives you when it istrying to tell you something important or to get your attention. Tuneinto that feeling and you won't go wrong. Also, note and rememberhow you feel when a book inspires you or give you joy. You will beled where you need to go. Never second guess your intuition. We allhave different life-experiences and need different words at differenttimes in our lives. Sometimes the words may come before you evenknow that you need them. Like the old saying: "When the studentis ready, the teacher arrives."
Tips to Develop Your Spiritual Consciousness
To develop your spiritual consciousness, you must learn to reflecton your life from a spiritual point of view. It is helpful to take a lookat your spiritual history: You need to know where you have been tounderstand where you are now. By discerning where small changesbegin, you start to see how the design of your life comes together.Without reflecting or thinking about the events of your life, you canmiss some of those early clues. You must learn to ponder what you donot understand. Pondering is like allowing a stew to slowly cook todevelop the best flavors. Once you become more adept at this skill,you will find it easier to discern the important spiritual offerings thathappen in the moments of your life.
I suggest you start by writing down any strange and unanswerablethoughts or events. Not only will you hone your journaling skills,but you will become more aware of what is on your mind. You neverknow when some unexpected spiritual experience will be offeredto you. Perhaps my stories will remind you of something that hashappened to you that you may have ignored or didn't know what orhow to think about it. If so, give it a second look.
