The Mystic's Message

Spiritual practices are subtle by nature, and the end goals hazy at best. So, how do you know if it's working? 

It's a reasonable question to ask, really. "Is this working? How do I know if I'm doing it right?" As if to say, "Show me the numbers! 

Well, I'm not sure about numbers. Your spiritual progress might not fit into a pie chart, but that doesn't mean it's not measurable. But first...

...A word of caution around "measuring"spiritual growth is in order: If you have to ask, it's a clear i…

Asking for help is a funny thing. Most people will wait until there is an emergency before they swallow their pride, as if asking is a shameful act.  

We don't want to intrude on others, and as a result, we wind up carrying everything ourselves. Heavier and heavier until something breaks. 

The body get's sick. 

Relationships fracture. 

Businesses break. 

And that's usually when it happens. Something magical, in fact...

Suddenly, your need is so dire that it becomes important enough to ask …

A lot happens in my head. It’s not at all uncommon for me to start a conversation in the middle.This drives Kisma crazy, and I always know I’ve done it again as soon as I see the looks of confusion; Eyes darting to find a stream of thought to follow.

I’m afraid I’ve done it again, this time with you, dear reader. Here we are 30-some messages in, and I've never mentioned a few important details you should definitely know about this little missive. 

The Mystics Message is (un)Common wisdom to qu…

Sure, I love it when I get a great start to my day- Up before the sun, a whole day of accomplished tasks before 9am. I love feeling productive and seeing tangible progress. Creative energy flowing.

But sometimes I sleep in.

Usually it’s because I need a little extra rest, but sometimes it’s because I don’t want to get out of bed. Not because I don’t love my life and my work. Mostly because I don’t know where to begin. And if I’m not paying attention, it might be 1pm before I finally get rollin…

Creativity can be a fickle thing when you don't understand how it works. Elusive and mysterious, like that friend that shows up to the party unexpectedly and then ghosts you for weeks. 

Like water, the harder you grasp, the more it slips through your fingers. Also like water, it needs to move to stay fresh and clear. 

Sometimes people shut down the flow because they have no practical use for creativity. It's easier to follow the rules rather than to reinvent the wheel. But when they do need it…

There's an old saying that goes something like this, "The first 100 years of the spiritual journey is really just about getting over disappointment." 

I thought it was kind of silly at first. Maybe they meant 100 years over lifetimes? Or they're just exaggerating to make a point. 

But then I started to think about it, and really look at all the ways disappointment shows up. How debilitating it can be, and how it sets us up for more disappointed; a classic self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Someone br…

Let me just say upfront that I'm kind of sensitive to the "Real Men" attitude. Hyper-masculinity has never been my thing; it squashes the idea of manhood into a little box that's far too limited for my tastes, and invalidates everything that falls outside of it as weak, bad, toxic, or wrong.

That's not good. It's not healthy, and it's definitely not "Manly." It's what children do in their playground power struggles. So, yeah, no thanks. 

All that being said, hear me out, because this is import…

How much goodness are you willing to receive? 

Everyone has a limit, and without even realizing it, most people are missing 96% of the amazing things this world has to offer. They're too busy being disappointed, and when they're in a really weak state, blaming others. 

When you're expecting to be disappointed, you'll always find something to complain about; something not quite right. 

When you're blaming others, or circumstances, or god or whatever, you're blind to the answers and solutions r…

I call it, "The in-between." One foot in, one foot out; It's the 'no-man's land' of decision-making. 

FOMO, self-doubt, obsessive over-thinking, overwhelm and catastrification are a few of the tell-tale signs. The longer you spend there, the more crippled you feel. 

This is where relationships go to die ever so slowly. And where opportunity vanishes like a ghost in the mist. 

The in-between is the most painful place to be, and the worst part is that we do it to ourselves by refusing to do thi…

It takes an enormous amount of effort to hold on.

Grasping tightly to the way things 'Should' be. Carrying the weight of old hurts and resentments. Holding onto the worry and anxiety that builds up.

And the thing is...

...most often, we don't even realize how much or how tightly we're holding on. The tension, headaches, fatigue, and inevitable exhaustion. A head so noisy that all you want to do is shut it up and numb out- trying to disappear. Never feeling quite like yourself. 

Until that ma…