Externalising the Inner Light

Still on Dan Joseph's newsletter. The second question is related to the first. How do we bring our insights into the real world?

Q: I have somewhat of an opposite issue. I find it very easy to access my inner light. I can sit in a state of bliss for hours. But I find it very difficult to deal with all the challenges of the world – making money, dealing with roommate conflicts, and so forth. How do you deal with all the demands of the world, without losing a sense of peace?

A: This is a common question for people on a spiritual path – and one I ask myself a lot of the time!

Let me return to a theme I discussed earlier in the year. Peace is one facet of our inner light. Wisdom is another. Our inner light is peacefully comforting; it is also endless in its practical wisdom.

When you access your inner light, you might want to seek out the wise, inspiration-filled facets of the light as well. These facets can yield what A Course in Miracles refers to as inner "guidance."

Your inner light can inspire ideas for career paths, relationship resolutions, and any other needs. As you allow the wisdom of the light to expand throughout the aspects of your worldly experience, you may be amazed at the results.

To illustrate this, let me share a story that I have shared several times in the past: Helen Schucman liked to shop in Manhattan, and often she would spend quite a lot of time visiting various stores. I believe that shopping was something of an avoidance practice for her.

One day she received the inner guidance to ask about which store to go to. So she essentially said:

"Fine, I want a new coat. Where should I go?"

"Try Klein's department store," her guidance told her.

Now, Helen didn't like Klein's... apparently it was closer to a Target than to the Macy's-like stores that she preferred. But she went that day.

When she entered the Klein's coat department, she was greeted by a salesman who helped her find exactly the type of coat that she was looking for. But perhaps more importantly, she learned that the salesman had a developmentally disabled daughter who was struggling – and Helen (who did volunteer work in that area) happened to have expert knowledge of New York City resources for children like her. She got her coat, shared resources with the man for his daughter, and received a lesson on the power of listening to her inner guidance.

Our inner light can guide us similarly, no matter what the situation we find ourselves in. To the light, there is no difference between quiet peace and active wisdom. We can open to both facets simultaneously.