Self-Knowledge

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”
-Henry David Thoreau

As a spiritual community, we talk a lot about “who we really are” and becoming “more of our Self.” But wanting it and actually achieving it are two different things. The first step is understanding what it is we’re really after. And it’s not fish! Self-knowledge is something intangible, and invaluable.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Realization

“I had become a new person; and those who knew the old person laughed at me. The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor: he took my measure anew every time he saw me, whilst all the rest went in with their old measurements and expected them to fit me.”
-George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Man and Superman, 1903

Every day we are growing and learning and changing. Physically, our bodies create new cells all the time, renewing each part of us. Mentally, we learn and understand more with every experience we encounter. Emotionally, we grow and mature through our relationships, which come and go and teach us, too. And since we are actively pursuing our spiritual growth, we can see the changes in ourselves spiritually – we are aware of the changes we create in our lives. So, we are new every day – and we can start fresh from right where we are. Since we know that about ourselves, we can also know that for others – we can let go of grievances and allow for the possibilities.
-Lissa Coffey

Service

“There is no greater satisfaction for a just and well-meaning person than the knowledge that he has devoted his best energies to the service of the good cause.”
-Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

All of us who have devoted our time and energy to worthwhile causes know the satisfaction that Einstein wrote about. It’s heart-warming. It’s validating. And in many ways, it’s addictive! There are so many good causes that it would be impossible to contribute to every one. When you find one or two that really speak to you, that you can really get behind, then go for it! Get involved, and be of service.
-Lissa Coffey

Sharing

"For we must share, if we would keep,
that blessing from above;
Ceasing to give, we cease to have;
such is the law of love."
-Richard C. Trench

This week the topic is sharing. By sharing we recognize the abundance of whatever it is we have and are content to allow others to participate in our good fortune. There's another saying that "love isn't love until you give it away." Blessings, like love, are meant to be shared. And whatever we share we seem to have more of!
-Lissa Coffey

Silence

“Thought works in silence, so does virtue. One might erect statues to Silence.”
-Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Silence is the single most important ingredient in our pursuit spiritual growth. Yet how much time do we spend in silence every day? Whether we meditate, or pray, or just sit with nature, silence is like a hallway that we need to go through for the doors of Truth to open to us.
-Lissa Coffey

Simplicity

“In character, in manners, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

Have you noticed that there is a whole industry out there now all about simplicity? There are books and organizers and coaches and magazines all geared towards making our lives more simple. How did this happen? How did our lives get so complex and confused that we forgot how to be simple? It’s crazy that we’ve now created more “stuff” to get ourselves back to basics – it’s kind of defeating the whole purpose. Let’s just make it simple today: Less “stuff,” more love!
-Lissa Coffey

Solitude

“Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character.”
-James Russell Lowell, Among My Books

Solitude, time spent alone, nourishes our soul. And yet, some of us associate time by ourselves with loneliness. Maybe it’s that we’re afraid of being bored, or that we’re so used to having company that the silence seems awkward. Yet solitude is necessary for our spiritual growth. This is where we learn, this is where we receive those valuable insights. Make a date with yourself today – and spend some time is glorious solitude!
-Lissa Coffey

Soul

“The growth of the soul may be compared to the growth of a plant. In both cases, no new properties are imparted by the operation of external causes, but only the inward tendencies are called into action and clothed with strength.”
-George Ripley (1802-1880)

Oftentimes when we talk about spiritual growth we compare it with the growth of a plant – planting the seed, allowing it space and time to grow with its own innate intelligence. We use this example because we understand how the growth of a plant “works.” We’ve seen seedlings sprout, we’ve had potatoes take root in glasses of water in our fifth grade science classes. And we need this kind of illustration because spiritual growth is not something we necessarily “see.” It is an internal phenomenon, something we feel, something we experience, something that goes beyond words or pictures.
-Lissa Coffey

Spirituality

“The spiritual quest begins, for most people, as a search for meaning.”
-Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy, 1980

The topic for this week is spirituality. We talk a lot about spiritual growth, as it is an integral part of the WISE mission statement, but lets look a little deeper into what that really means to us. I think it’s true that most of us found ourselves on a spiritual path because we were looking for “more,” because we instinctively knew that there was something beyond the material world that could sustain us, nourish us, and fill our hearts. And perhaps all of our questions aren’t answered, but we catch glimpses of profound peace, and joy, and that keeps us going. Each day is new, each day we learn and grow and bask in the glow of spirit.
-Lissa Coffey

Success

“Self-trust is the first secret of success”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Since this is the time of year that many people are graduating from school, or just finishing up the school year before summer break, I thought we’d look at “success” and see how that relates to our spiritual growth.

Everyone seems to have a different definition of success. It means so many things, and each one of us relates to the word in our own way. For some, success might mean the attainment of goals. For others it might be fame or fortune. However you describe it, success, like spiritual growth, is an ongoing process. It is more a journey than a destination.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Knowledge

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.”
-Lao-tzu

There are so many things to learn in this life. We spend years in school studying algebra and history, science and literature. All of this is fascinating, and helps us to grow. And yet, when you know yourself, you know everything. It all becomes so simple. We can see the connections, we can feel the balance of it all. Garner wisdom from books and teachings, and also, look within.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Knowledge

“No one remains quite what he was when he recognizes himself.”
-Thomas Mann

Does the world change when we understand who we are? No, but we see it more clearly. Do we change when we understand who we are? No, but because we can see ourselves more clearly, we may start to make different choices in our lives. So our lives may change dramatically. Once we start this growth process, we can’t go back – like a flower reaches toward the sunlight we continue our journey within.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Knowledge

“A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Sometimes one single event is all it takes to totally wake us up to the Truth that is here all the time. But for most of us, it is a process that gradually unfolds, giving us clues, hints, and glimpses of Reality in small doses so that we can assimilate them into our lives. We become familiar with who we are, we get to know ourselves day by day, as we come to understand and accept that we are much more than the roles we play.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Knowledge

“ It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient, too.”
-Josh Billings

I guess from one point of view, life would be easier if we just had to get up and go to work everyday – we could pretty much be on auto-pilot and navigate through life without much effort. But what a waste of time and energy that would be. And how boring, too! Sure, spiritual growth takes effort – we need to make time to meditate, read, serve and take care of ourselves and the planet. But isn’t that the best part about this life? Once you get started on “the path” and see all the wonders that a spiritual life offers, you want to keep going. Sure, self-knowledge is difficult, messy, challenging, and inconvenient – but it is also the most magnificent and amazing gift that life has to offer.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Realization

“One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them.”
-Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

As we start learning more about ourselves, and realizing more and more who we really are, we begin to understand just how much we really have in common with one another. We’re all in this together, and there is so much we can each to do help one another. As time goes on, we naturally become more compassionate, because we can empathize with a more broad range of experiences.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Realization

“ King Henry: Presume not that I am the thing I was;
For God doth know, so shall the world perceive,
That I have turn’d away my former self.”
-Shakespeare (1564-1616) Henry IV, 1597

I like this because Shakespeare says here “I have made the choice- I have chosen to change” - and that is such a powerful statement. We always have that choice. We can always “reinvent” ourselves. And when we mean it, it works! There are a lot of people in the media who are examples of this – the former “loose image” actress turned mother and Sunday school teacher – the former rock-n-roller who is now a gospel singer. Part of this is knowing who we are – and understanding that how the world perceives us, how we present ourselves, is totally up to us.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Realization

“ Spiritual living is a fulfillment from moment to moment, in which the outer person is in a state of living rapport with the inner being and becomes an extension thereof.”
-N. Sri Ram (1889 - ?) Thoughts for Aspirants, 1972

A lot of times we tend to separate our “outer life” from our “inner life.” Maybe we’re working at a job we hate just for the money, while our heart aches for something more. Or we can’t seem to find that certain relationship we’re longing. We can come up with all kinds of justifications for these things. But there’s always a solution. To fully integrate ourselves, we’ve got to make our outer life an extension, or an expression, of our inner life. We’ve got to develop that rapport spiritually within so that we understand how much power we have to create anything in our lives.
-Lissa Coffey

Self-Realization

“ Most people are like a falling leaf that drifts and turns in the air, flutters, and falls to the ground. But a few others are like stars which travel one defined path: no wind reaches them, they have within themselves their guide and path.”
-Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) Siddharta

You are a star! You are a shining star! I wrote a song once with that title, and the rest of the lyrics in the chorus go: “You are my shining star, you are who you are, you are special to me! No matter where you are, if it’s near or far, you shine bright as can be!”
-Lissa Coffey

Service

“Serve self you serve society
Serve society serve yourself.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Besides helping other people, service has the added benefit of helping the person doing the serving! How could this be? Because service makes us feel good, it helps us to grow spiritually, it helps us to gain compassion. Service helps to make our society a better place, and it’s a place we all share! Because we are all one, what we do for others, we do for ourselves.
-Lissa Coffey

Service

“ In the time we have it is surely our duty to do all the good we can to all the people we can in all the ways we can.”
-William Barclay

I believe that it is our duty to serve. I also believe that it is our nature to serve. We are here for each other, we are here to help each other. Many times, I think it is easier for us to help someone else than to ask for help for ourselves. But when we need help, we absolutely should reach out for it. When we need help, we are providing another person with the opportunity to serve, and this is truly a blessing.
-Lissa Coffey

Service

“All altruism springs from putting yourself in the other person’s place.”
-Harry Emerson Fosdick

It’s all about empathy. We are all one. We share so much that we can understand another person’s heartache or sorrow. We can relate to each other. We want to do what we can to alleviate pain. This is how service begins.
-Lissa Coffey

Service

“If we could all hear one another’s prayers, God might be relieved of some of his burden.”
-Ashleigh Brilliant

We are here as angels, emissaries, to do God’s work, to help each other. We can hear one another’s prayers if we just listen. We are all one in spirit, and we all want the same things – love, respect, acknowledgment, a purpose. Think about all that we can do for each other to provide those very important things. It could be so simple, and so beautiful, and mean so much.
-Lissa Coffey

Sharing

" Sharing what you have is more important than what you have."
-Albert M. Wells, Jr.

Sharing is not limited to material things. We can share our memories, experiences, and knowledge for example. The beauty in this is that we aren't giving those things away - we couldn't if we tried! But they are so valuable, and they become even more valuable, when we share them other people. The most simple advice can be such a treasure. The fact that we are open and willing to share what we have learned can make this journey more beneficial for all of us.
-Lissa Coffey

Sharing

" Friends share all things."
-Pythagoras (580? - 500? B.C.)

True friends share things without even realizing it sometimes. When one of us feels joy, that joy is shared by our friends - we are happy for each other! Whether it is good news or bad news, it feels good to share it with a friend, with someone who will feel the emotions and help us through it.
-Lissa Coffey

Sharing

" Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed and hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world."
-John Lennon (1940-1980)

With the world in such a state of flux, it might be difficult to imagine ALL the people sharing all the world… but it is not impossible. There's a saying: "Think Globally, Act Locally." If we each started there, kind of a "grass roots" or "backyard" approach, imagine the impact we could make house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood, community by community.
-Lissa Coffey

Sharing

"No good thing is pleasant to possess without friends to share it."
-Seneca the Younger (5? B.C. - A.D. 65)

What's the point of having a big screen TV if you can't have some friends over for an NBA play-offs party every once in awhile? I don't think Seneca the Younger had that specifically in mind when he wrote this, but I'm sure they had something of the equivalent in his day! Whatever we have is more sweet when it is shared.
-Lissa Coffey

Silence

“Silence is the mother of truth.”
-Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)

Silence gives birth to so many wonderful things. It is from this space of infinite possibilities that all great works flow. It is from this realm of vast wisdom that we all learn and grow.
-Lissa Coffey

Silence

“Silence is the language of God.”
-Swami Sivananda (1887-1963)

Are we really listening when we are in silence? Or are we “thinking” and listening to our busy minds? Stop the chatter for awhile – breathe – get quiet – and allow those thoughts to pass as clouds drift across a blue sky. Then listen, and hear God.
-Lissa Coffey

Silence

“It [would be] vain for me to endeavor to interpret the Silence. She cannot be done into English.”
-Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

More can be “said” in a few moments of silence than in volumes of literature. Some things are beyond translation. I could go on and on about this… but I’ll be quiet and let you find the silence instead. You’ll see.
-Lissa Coffey

Silence

“Quietness is indeed a sign of strength. But quietness may also help one to achieve strength.”
-Franz Kafka (1883-1924)

We all have a strength that we may not even realize. But it is there, deep within. It gets us through the most difficult times, it give us courage, and persistence when it seems that all is lost. We can tap into that strength at any time, and use it to achieve our heart’s desire. And we can find that strength in silence.
-Lissa Coffey

Silence

“Silence is the perfectest herald of joy.”
-Shakespeare (1564-1616) Claudio, in Much Ado About Nothing

Some people might think of silence as empty, or lonely – yet it is anything but! Silence is so filled with love and truth and wisdom that is fills our spirit to overflowing.
-Lissa Coffey

Simplicity

“When thought is too weak to be simply expressed, it is a clear proof that it should be rejected.”
-Luc de Clapiers Vauvenargues (1715-1747)

It’s not just our houses and our desks that are cluttered – often times our minds are cluttered, too! Let’s treat our thoughts, and our words carefully – let’s choose them as we would pick out produce in the market, discarding the ones that are stale or bruised and selecting instead ones that are fresh and fragrant and full of life. And let’s just take what we need for now, we can always go back for more. One thing at a time!
-Lissa Coffey

Simplicity

“Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.”
-Lao-tzu, The Way of Life

Another word for simple is “easy.” With ease, doesn’t that sound like a great way to live life? It’s our choice. We’re the ones who have been complicating our lives. Look at what’s really important. Sort things out, give yourself the space to see what is really there. You’ll be surprised at just how perfect “simple” really is.
-Lissa Coffey

Simplicity

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”
-Laura Ingalls Wilder (1917)

What’s real? Schedules, deadlines, hassles, arguments, conflicts, “fine print,” details? Those things sure command our attention – but are they real? Or do they take us away from what is really real? Where is the love? Put your attention there. Ahhhh, that’s better!
-Lissa Coffey

Solitude

“Solitude gives birth to the original in us, to beauty unfamiliar and perilous – to poetry. But also, it gives birth to the opposite: to the perverse, the illicit, the absurd.”
-Thomas Mann, Death in Venice

To appreciate solitude we need space and time. We need space to be by ourselves and time to enjoy our own company. And from there we can experience silence, and go beyond space and time! Here there are infinite possibilities for us; here is where we find inspiration and creativity. Here there is peace, and joy, and bliss.
-Lissa Coffey

Solitude

“I have never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”
-Henry David Thoreau, Walden

No one can know you as well as you know yourself. And yet, how well do you really know yourself? Are you your own best friend? Spend some time with yourself, just you, and pretty soon you’ll discover just how wonderful you really are!
-Lissa Coffey

Solitude

“We’re all of us sentenced to solitary confinement inside our own skins, for life!”
-Tennessee Williams, Orpheus Descending

There comes a time when we realize that there’s no escaping it, we have to live with ourselves! How do we treat ourselves? Are we kind and loving, do we show appreciation and forgiveness? Too often we’re our own worst critics! We’re hard on ourselves when we really need a break once in awhile. Let’s work on being the kind of person whom we want to be with – and spend some time being ourselves, by ourselves.
-Lissa Coffey

Solitude

“The secret of solitude is that there is no solitude.”
-Joseph Cook, Conscience (1880)

So the secret is out! When we understand that we can never be “alone” because God is always with us, then we will never be lonely. We will cherish our solitude, and consider it time alone with God.
-Lissa Coffey

Soul

“The soul of man … is a portion or a copy of the soul of the Universe and is joined together on principles and in proportions corresponding to those which govern the Universe.”
-Plutarch (AD 46?-119?)

Any attempt to define the soul inevitably brings with it a connection with the Universe. So it follows that each soul, while connected to the Universe, is also connected with each other soul – by association, if nothing else! We’re more than family, we are all One.
-Lissa Coffey

Soul

“ All religion, all life, all art, all expression come down to this: to the effort of the human soul to break through its barrier of loneliness, of intolerable loneliness, and make some contact with another seeking soul, or with what all souls seek, which is (by any name) God.”
-Don Marquis (1878-1937)

Yes! Our connection with one another is there, and we are seeking to experience it. And by experiencing our connection with one another, we can experience our connection with God. God expresses through each one of us. Do we notice? Are we listening? Each person we come into contact with has something for us, some piece of the puzzle large or small. We are searching for ourselves, so why don’t we make it easier and stop hiding from ourselves?
-Lissa Coffey

Soul

“ The soul of man is immortal and imperishable.”
-Plato (427-347 B.C.)

The physical world is temporary and transient. It is ever changing. What is true and constant and utterly reliable is that God is ever-present. And our connection with that Source remains even when the physical fades away.
-Lissa Coffey

Soul

“The soul unfolds itself like a lotus of countless petals.”
-Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Our spiritual growth is such a beautiful thing. We bloom into ourselves and extend loveliness and sweetness out into the world. Like the lotus, we become more soft and gentle as we unfold into more of who we are– and we also become more “layered” in our experiences and challenges.
-Lissa Coffey

Spirituality

“Peace is a necessary condition of spirituality, no less than an inevitable result of it.”
-Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

Peace is reason enough for each of us to pursue our spirituality, and to encourage and support others who wish to do so, also. We experience inner peace through prayer, meditation, and spiritual activity. And that peace radiates outwards to affect our homes and communities. The more of us who live spiritually, the more peace there will be in the world!
-Lissa Coffey

Spirituality

“Nothing in all nature is so lovely and so vigorous, so perfectly at home in its environment, as a fish in the sea. Its surroundings give to it a beauty, quality, and power which is not its own. We take it out, and at once a poor, limp dull thing, fit for nothing, is gasping away its life. So the soul, sunk in God, living the life of prayer, is supported, filled, transformed in beauty, by a vitality and a power which are not its own.”
-Evelyn Underhill, The Golden Sequence (1932)

We are spiritual beings, and in this human existence, where we encounter conflict and stress, we often feel like a fish out of water. We must immerse ourselves in our spirituality, and let it be our home. We find solace in our spiritual practices, whatever they are for each one of us. And then we can bring that good energy into all aspects of our lives, so that feeling of spirit is always with us.
-Lissa Coffey

Spirituality

“ Although I try
to hold the single thought
of Buddha’s teaching in my heart,
I cannot help but hear
the many crickets’ voices calling as well.”
-Izumi Shikibu (c 1000)

Sometimes following our spiritual practices can be a challenge because we are so distracted by the demands of everyday life. This is true for everyone – there never seems to be enough time, or enough quiet, to set aside for prayer, meditation, or contemplation. It is so worth it when we do! And yet, spirituality does not have to be a separate experience from the rest of our lives. We can choose to hear the beautiful song of the crickets’ voices as a gift from God. We can choose to express gratitude for the full and exciting lives we lead, however busy we may be!
-Lissa Coffey

Spirituality

“We cannot take a single step toward heaven. It is not in our power to travel in a vertical direction. If however we look heavenward for a long time, God comes and takes us up.”
-Simone Weil, Waiting for God, 1950

Spirituality takes less effort than we think. We don’t have to try and try – we just have to commit to it, recognize it, embrace it! It’s all about connecting with God, and knowing that God is the One really doing all the “work.”
-Lissa Coffey

Success

“If a man wants his dreams to come true, he must wake up.”
-Anonymous

Dreams might come to us, but success is something we must go after. Inspiration strikes, then it’s up to us to take action. We could buy all the great works of literature, but it we don’t actually read them, what is the point? I we feel that success is eluding us, then now is the time to evaluate our activities.
-Lissa Coffey

Success

“ I am not the smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeeded because I keep going, and going, and going.”
-Sylvester Stallone

There is a lot to be said for persistence and perseverance. How much drive and enthusiasm have we put into our efforts? When we pursue something “whole-heartedly” then we simply can’t give up. When we invest our Selves into our plans, we can’t help but succeed!
-Lissa Coffey

Success

“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
-John Wooden

With this definition, it doesn’t matter what industry you work in, or how much money you make. It doesn’t matter where you grew up or who you know. This says that success is all a matter of our own efforts, and how we see how we are doing. And it leaves room to say that we are “becoming” – which is great, because we are all changing, and growing, and succeeding every day, every minute!
-Lissa Coffey

Success

“Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed”
-Corita Kent

Present-moment awareness. Being awake and aware and alive to the beauty and abundance in and around us at all times. Wow. How could that be anything less than success?
-Lissa Coffey