Sharing what John wrote in June of 1998.

Hugs, Tracy - take what you want…find your truths…leave the rest…

The Power of the Individual
by John Arbruster

Central to any spiritual practice is the power of the individual to maintain a sense of clarity and integrity in his or her life. One can look at all ceremonial, meditative, and self-help practices as just that… practice. They are training programs to help us find our strengths and expand them. They will reveal our weaknesses so that we can better understand, compensate, and ultimately release them. We can do this with the help of our own discipline, a personal deep spiritual faith, and with a real feeling for the faith of those around us. So it is always advised to look for the power within even as you begin to understand the greater power all around you. You too are part of the Great Mystery. Your spiritual understanding breaks down the first illusion of being human. That illusion revolves around a widespread conviction that we are not divinely inspired in every thought, feeling, and action.

To bring light and harmony into our lives, we first learn to allow it in our lives. Once we choose to see our lives as a divine spark, a miracle of creation, we can begin to allow miracles to happen. We begin to see things in a different way. It is a productive creative way. It is a path of joy and revelation of the power of the spirit of life all around us. This is a power of laughter and good feeling for all those around us.

On the other hand, we can choose to allow fear, jealousy, and a sense of inadequacy to confuse ourselves into thinking that is not true. That is what spiritual practice can help us with. It can begin to clear our minds so that we might feel comfortable with choosing the power of joy. It helps us face with purpose the terrifying confusion of our mortality.