Full Aliveness: Sharing My Love for Writing as a Spiritual Practice

In my March 20 post I wrote about our first Soul Scripting class through our local Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in glowing terms. I told you about how doing what I love brings me fully alive. This week the six-week class came to an end.

Turns out it was not smooth sailing throughout. I knew that “plumbing one’s depths” and sharing that with another is not for everyone. I learned it wasn’t even for every person who registered. A few did drop out.

My experience reinforced what I already knew … I much prefer circles of equality to standing before rows as an authority.

I became aware that I am still “unaware of the impact I have on others” … feedback I received from a dear Seminary professor some forty years ago.

• my words carry more weight than I give them
• I sometimes speak as though “this is the way it is” when I am pondering something or speaking from “the way it is” in my experience
• I need to be more conscious about the way I communicate

I didn’t anticipate …

• the reactivity when I expressed myself
• how hard it was to just facilitate and not be a part of the class … not hearing stories and the wisdom they contained
• the loss I felt at not connecting personally with the participants

I learned …

• With my vast involvement in experiential groups, I am fairly comfortable sharing my depths
• After publishing my  memoir, I’ve come to relish the “freedom” afforded by vulnerability
• I highly value and regularly listen for wisdom in what I hear or read

I did not fully appreciate the participant’s …

• unease in sharing their stories with a classmate
• challenge in generously listening to another
• struggle to clearly identify and relate the wisdom in the other’s story

I owned up to my inept communication and tried to turn it into a teachable moment. I reworked the design and found a better method. We moved forward.

This is some of the written feedback I received:

• You caused me to go beyond what I thought I could do and for that I am most grateful!
• Interesting introspections.
• Your class helped me look differently at the life I am creating.

And the thanks:

• … for helping us learn to share our stories and our wisdom.
• … for challenging me to examine my spirit and for sharing so much of your true self with us – you are a gifted soul.
• … so much for leading us on this soul-searching journey.
• … for helping me see my life in a different way.
• … for inspiring me on my “soul” journey and continuing to write.
• … for such an interesting and useful class. All classes had so many “aha” moments.
• … for taking the time to explore these spiritual/soul issues and sometimes difficult emotional issues with us – you are a kind soul.
• …for encouraging us to step out of our comfort zones … to stretch and see how rewarding it is. I really did enjoy the class so much and did get a lot out of it.

If I facilitate this class again, I plan to rework the design so I, too, can profit from hearing the stories shared and the wisdom revealed.

I’m grateful for all I learned about the design corrections needed and for the opportunity to see myself more clearly.

I made a difference sharing my love for writing as a spiritual practice with others. Despite the hiccups, most of the participants see their lives and the wisdom they have to share with others more clearly. They benefited. And I contributed to that. For that, I am full of gratitude. Isn’t that what being fully alive is all about?

What do you think?