Hello and welcome to the Fearlessly Feral Living podcast! This is Rev. Karen speaking to you from the back 40 of rural Northern Nevada, on my woogie ranch, where I’m a half hour away from the nearest grocery store! Today’s podcast is about being a spiritual warrior, but first I want to remind you of our reason for being over here in Fearlessly Feral land:
Our MISSION is to facilitate successful living.
Our PURPOSE is to Transcend! In other words, to live beyond the ordinary.
Our VISION is a world in which everyone lives wild and free.
Ok, off we go on an exploration of all things spiritual warrior:
I got to thinking about Spiritual Warriors the other day. I’ve been called a Spiritual Warrior, and I’ve witnessed many others call themselves the same. And I’ll be honest, a part of me gets ruffled feathers at the very idea of being considered anything warrior. I’m a Religious Scientist, and in the words of founder Ernest Holmes, “We never associate warriors with the Divine Kingdom.” I’m also a 12 stepper, and we are told - no - we are actually promised - that we will cease fighting anyone and anything once we complete step 9. And I can tell you from personal experience that promise has come true for me and it is a good way to live.
NOT being a warrior is my foundation for living. Fighting keeps me miserable, fighting keeps me in the problem. So you might be able to understand why I get a bit ruffled at being called a warrior, spiritual or otherwise.
But the term keeps coming up, and when that happens, I know it is time to do some investigation. Perhaps my literal, black and white thinking is, once again, getting in my way.
So I did some investigation.
Mark Nepo said, in his book Falling Down and Getting Up, “war derives from the Indo-European word wers, which means “to confuse, mix up.” All war and conflict stem from confusion. And so, a Spiritual Warrior is one who remains committed to the removal of confusion within us and between us.”
OH MY GOD.
Ok, so yeah, all my ceaseless strong suggestions to go spiritual practices are based in a foundation of the removal of confusion within ourselves, and between ourselves and others.
Alrighty then. Given that definition, I’m definitely a Spiritual Warrior.
AI says a Spiritual Warrior is a person who battles their own inner demons instead of other people. Tibetan Buddhism says a Spiritual Warrior is one who combats the universal enemy: self ignorance.
Again, I’m all about this. I teach going within. The entire body of my work is based on one thing really: going within to change and tweak and nurture and make a more improved version of self in order to function more effectively in the world.
So yeah, I guess I’m a Spiritual Warrior, given those definitions. But wait, there’s more!
I live and teach Science of Mind. My “battlefield,” if you want to call it that, is consciousness. Except I don’t consider life a battle. In fact, words like battlefield, combat and enemy make me prickly. I don’t see life as a battle, and I certainly don’t believe in enemies. Rather, what others see as enemies, I see as catalysts, as invitations, as those inner calls to facilitate within us a willingness to face those so called enemies and befriend them and learn from them. In doing so, they become allies. They actually support us in our life journey to become a more compassionate and empowered human beings.
What others might call an enemy, I see as an opportunity. Especially those inner enemies, such as low self esteem, or being dishonest with ourselves. The outer enemies? Well, let’s face it, these days, there are a lot of folks that I don’t trust. Folks that I simply do not feel comfortable being around. I’ll admit it, these days I’ve reverted back to a very old defense mechanism of being hyper-vigilant. Ever aware that one of those folks wearing one of those red hats might decide they are over it with powerful women and attempt to use me as a punching bag. I always have an escape route these days, and if I can’t escape, I am prepared to defend myself.
Spiritual Warrior indeed. Sigh. I try not to live this way. I gave this way of living up when I got sober and stopped running the streets. And yet, I believe it would be foolish to naively go through life thinking that I am safe from harm. Not when there are people running around being told by a “leader” that it is perfectly ok to grab women by the pussy. Not when said leaders supports public figures who publicly demean powerful women in some very ugly ways.
Sigh. Again. Life is so complicated isn’t it? How are we supposed to be loving and compassionate Spiritual Warriors when there is true evil manifesting in very unpleasant ways that are threatening to people like me, to gays and lesbians and non Christians and people of color? Spiritual warrior indeed. I don’t know about you, but I keep coming back to principle because to not do so means I go back to a way of living that is miserable, and I can’t be effective nor happy nor at peace in life if I am miserable.
From a Fearlessly Feral point of view, a Spiritual Warrior is someone with spiritual grit, which simply means I refuse to abandon the principle of Love just because there’s a bunch of people running around who are sorely misguided to the point where they’ve joined a cult and become somewhat dangerous. I might be a Spiritual Warrior, but I must remain open, loving, kind and compassionate, even if some of the love I practice is tough love.
I must adhere to the spiritual principles I have laid down for myself, no matter what. This, in my opinion, is what living life on life’s terms is all about. I must behave in integrity with my own truth, no matter what. No matter if those people out there are not doing the same. No matter what happens out there, in here, inside of me, I must live in spiritual principle.
Perhaps you have the same desire. Or perhaps you simply want to be free of the feelings of angst, dismay, betrayal, or fear you might be feeling these days. If so, I’ve got some suggestions for you. I believe these to be the characteristics of a Spiritual Warrior, one who lives Fearlessly Feral:
1. A Spiritual Warrior chooses awareness over reactivity - Instead of being driven by anger, fear, or old wounds, they pause, become present and aware of feelings such as anger and angst, dismay and betrayal. Spiritual Warriors look at those feelings head on, with full acceptance and love and compassion, and doesn’t react to them, but listens to them instead for the lessons they want us to learn.
2. A Spiritual Warrior faces inner shadows honestly - and is not afraid to seek assistance with doing that difficult, but very necessary, shadow work.
3. A Spiritual Warrior is willing to examine limiting beliefs, unconscious patterns, and emotional defenses rather than deny them. And more importantly, is willing to change those limiting beliefs and patterns, not just admit they are there. Change is where it is at for a Spiritual Warrior.
3. A Spiritual Warrior lives from spiritual principle. Ok, I get it. Just how the hell does one live from spiritual principle? That’s a nice jargony phrase that means nothing unless one can attach some meaning to it. So here’s the deal: take a look at some spiritual principles. Things like love or abundance or the creative power of your thoughts. Do some research about those things. Take some time to contemplate what those things mean to you. Then live that way. Period. Just do it. When we live from spiritual principle, we use those principles as our guides. If you have made a commitment to love it all, for example, then why on earth would you vote for someone who doesn’t? If you have made a commitment to practice abundance in your life, then why would you limit in any way? If you believe in the creative power of your thoughts, then why would you allow negative patterns of thinking to run your life? This is what it means to live from spiritual principle.
4. A Spiritual Warrior acts with courage. Courage may mean speaking truth with kindness, setting healthy boundaries, making difficult changes, forgiving, grieving honestly, or following a calling despite uncertainty.
5. A Spiritual Warrior serves the greater good. The warrior spirit is directed toward healing, inclusion, justice, and the upliftment of life. Service is seen as an expression of spiritual realization. Oh, and while I’m on the topic, a Spiritual Warrior knows the difference between serving and helping and remembers that helping usually isn’t helpful.
OK, ok. I guess I’m a Spiritual Warrior. If you are listening to this or reading it, maybe you are too. Or maybe you are wondering what it would take to be a Spiritual Warrior. This is why I wrote the book, How to Live Fearlessly Feral. Well, I wrote it for a bunch of reasons, but this is one of them. Go on, be Fearlessly Feral. I dare you.
I thank you for listening and for your support, and I am knowing fearlessly feral living for me and for you!
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