Once upon a time, I learned of a mystical treasure chest buried deep in my soul. As I turned inward and followed the clues, I started finding gems and gold nuggets on the path. I kept walking, looking, and listening, and bright streaks of sunlight broke through the clouds. As I picked up the treasures, more appeared and the path widened. Colors became richer and the air sweeter. Everything around me began to glisten and come alive. This, I discovered, was part of the treasure.
At first it was tempting to label the treasures I found, but over time I realized that their inherent beauty and radiance surpassed labels and definitions. This awareness expanded to my own sense of self which had been caged by judgments, comparisons, labels, and expectations. As I absorbed the glow and glory of the treasure chest, those limitations began to melt away, revealing my true nature as divine love. A new sense of freedom and wholeness began to emerge.
The treasure chest is like a whole world of wonder and infinite possibilities living inside me, beckoning me to open it and step in. What I have found is so grand that no words can capture it. I am learning to let it live and move through me, as me. This becomes as natural as breathing when I am present and aware. The treasures spill over into my environment, my relationships, my work and play. All that I do, all that I am, and all that I desire unfold in the glistening light of Love. This is living in spirit, or inspired. To paraphrase from the Bible, “In Love I live and move and have my being” (Acts 17:28).
Mystical treasures are all around us and within us, ready to enlighten and transform us. The Universe uses a variety of channels and experiences to deliver these nuggets. Times of deep pain and despair can break us open to the light of divine love and the treasures that await our discovery. Lessons and insights gleaned from adversity are gems of great price. I often discover jewels of wisdom in books, music, stories, art, meditation, and writing, anything that touches my spirit and opens my awareness a little wider. As I notice and receive, I can become a creative channel as well.
Living and growing from the inside out stretches us and increases our capacity. It is a lifelong process and a spiritual path that leads us Home to our truest selves. It is lined with clues, insights, ideas, and wonder. This path takes us beyond religion, which is an outer structure, to the realm of spirit, which is unrestricted, unbounded, and eternal. Through the spirit we are illumined, inspired, and guided along the treasure-laden path to wholeness. As tempting as it may be to name and define it, we do best to just live it.
When Gandhi was once asked what his message to the people was, he replied, “My life is my message.” I have been inspired by the lives and works of many throughout my own. I believe that we are here to share in the grit and grace of humanity and unveil the divinity within us all. When we focus more on fitting into the outer world than finding the inner one, we miss the deep, rich vibrancy that life holds. We forget our beauty and bounty and dim our own light. We need to remind each other of our true nature by living from a place of Wholeness, the holy ground from which we came. As we recognize and treasure the Love that indwells us, our lives become a source of hope, inspiration, and healing.
