Matters of the Spirit, matters of the heart are not an intellectual exercise. It is a delicate balance between what is out there to be read and what is put into practice and felt.
Inevitably the pendulum swings in both directions, never quite settled in the middle. I read a lot, you may also read a lot and we have been conditioned to believe that reading a lot is a badge of honor. To be well-read, to learn, to converse with the great writers of our time, it is an intellectual exercise. It can also make you feel and can certainly guide your improvement.
Combine this with the simple fact that everything you need to guide you on your spiritual path has already been written and can also be found within you. The texts exist and you should fill your library with what speaks to you. You should read them, you should converse with the writers, as through this you will also be conversing with yourself.
Therein lies the challenge, as pouring over pages is not enough. If you are studying it academically, then you are not practicing it. In similar way, the writings (also including guided meditations, podcasts, etc) are necessary. These are guides that open up your Spirit in ways you have forgotten.
You have more opportunity to improve through practice and feeling the Spirit than by reading. Every breath is an opportunity and breathing is inevitable. There are 86,400 seconds in one day and an infinite number of “nows.”
When you close that book, the ego will jump in: “Hey, you sure learned a lot. I’m satisfied.” The opportunity here is to acknowledge that, set it aside and simply be present.
We all have a lot of work to do and that balance will never be quite right. Until it is. And then at that point it will no longer matter.
See yourself in Love, as I see you.
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