Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Staying Shallow or Going Deep

This thought has been on my mind over the last several months. Last night I was having a discussion with one of my students about my approach to things. How I have a tendency to both routine and change. And that I balance that (unconsciously) by getting in a rut. Rut, rut, rut (love that rut!). And then one day changing to a new rut. Mostly I'm fine with this and it seems to work to provide me both variety and stability.

However, that love of change can sometimes be a problem. And part of that is in my spiritual exploration. Exploring different ideas, different practices is a positive thing. Both from a personal perspective as well as a teaching one. So when does it become a problem?

When all I ever do is explore the surface of spiritual practices. When I just continue to putter but never really immerse myself. When I start to encounter something really great and then head off in another direction entirely.

A couple of months ago I made a conscious decision to explore a little less and delve a little more. My commitment-phobic "grass is always greener" brain doesn't love it, but I know it's the right move. I also know that choosing one path for now doesn't mean choosing it forever. I can still wander off to explore other paths; but I will also spend enough time exploring some of those paths to not cheat myself of the experience of going deep.

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