Blogging as Spiritual Growth
by Aley Martin
In 1970 the search for my spiritual self took hold. I was 15 years old and interested in astrology! There was little in the way of books on the subject and it was more of a pop culture interest than a true field of study for me.
As time would provide me with more and more experiences, my spiritual self actively sought out information on different religions, philosophies and subjects with the intention to expand my heart and mind.
Over the course of the next 37 years I spent time reading, journaling reflecting, rejecting, accepting and integrating spiritual ideas in my life. Each new thing held me in rapturous attention! And then….there was a new window that opened in March 2007. Blogging.
I have been actively blogging now for over 15 months and it has literally changed my life. Having been a writer for many years, there was no place to put the thoughts I held dear until I found a new way of entertaining them, in a blog.
For one to watch the growth of their blog posts and the subsequent comments made by others that take those thoughts and move them in a new direction, is an epiphany for the spirit!
There is nothing one cannot ask of ones self or another that does not provide information or insight into the state of mind one is currently experiencing. And the most fascinating aspect of blogging in community is the synchronistic similarities others reading the blogs state in their comments and responses. It is as if we are all walking down the same street at the same time viewing the world with the same eyes, but differing lenses!
Even when we blog and no one comments or responds, we still leave a trail of where we are our spiritual progress. There are certain feelings we express and ideas we let germinate that we come back to later with surprise and great relish!
To see how you can assess your spiritual temperature, try blogging for a month on a series of questions about your feelings on subjects you may not have considered before. How did you come up with your value system? What does the word intention mean to you? Are you reactive or do you find yourself a more passive interaction person? What is your idea of God? Who are you when you are alone? With others? Do you find discomfort in solitude? What makes you sad? Happy? Have you ever thought about death with respect to how you live your life with meaning?
The key is to remain ever open minded and clear in your musings. When you blog do not fear reproach. This is the toughest thing to do when offering your words to the world. Not everyone is going to agree with you, but who cares? If we all agreed, it would be a pretty boring world, and no growth would be possible if we were all in agreement about everything….
Challenge yourself to use this opportunity to reach beyond the normal limits of everyday journaling. Growing means stretching yourself in new ways…beyond the clouds if need be!
And remember, your growth can only be measured by you yourself. No gurus are needed to find you way to the source!
Blessings,
Aley Martin
enlightened.thinker@gmail.com
Aley,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article about your process with blogging. I know that when reading it, I felt a permission being granted to allow one’s own uniqueness to show up and flow onto the page.
hugs,
Zoey