“Spiritual enlightenment does not have to be found in meditation at the top of a mountain, it can be found in the daily tasks of chopping wood and carrying water”

There is a favorite book I own. Called Chop Wood Carry Water – and no it isn’t the handbook for an Alaskan girl who grew up in the sticks either, though now that I think about it I should write one. I have many fond memories of toiling daily, and to be honest I’d go back to that in a heart beat as most of the time I’m one step away from becoming a hermit and moving to the sticks to live in a cave. For those of you who live in Alaska, you know that summer is the demanding season; our constant daylight fuels an energy fire that keeps us going when we should sit still and take a break. But we know that we have all winter to hibernate and we keep ourselves going. We lose sight of things that we need during these times, sleep being one that I can readily say I miss quite a bit, maybe we don’t eat well enough (or for a few of you reading this not at all!), we ignore aches and pains (I too can relate to this, I’ve found with summer also comes a regimen of Advil) but let us not forget our spiritual bodies and our quest for enlightenment as well. Your soul and your higher self needs to be fed cared for and loved just like the rest of you. Sadly this part of us is the first to go starved when times get chaotic.

I would like to hope that everyone who reads this is like me in the sense that every single day I work at bringing myself closer to believing that I am not separate. I am part of the whole. I am a being of light. It sounds silly, but it’s true, every day I work at that, even if it’s just a little. True I meditate every day, and mainly it’s meant to secure those I love on the planet in love. However; since I live a life on the go, I’d say about 90% of my enlightenment is experienced doing the everyday tasks that I’m required to do both at work and on horseback, or even in conversations throughout the day. The Sufi believed that in life, we are constantly moving towards enlightenment and god, as opposed to say Christian or Catholic that believe you only get there when you leave the planet. I’m sticking to the Sufi here as it makes my life seem so much more like art in progress. Which makes that daily journey of finding enlightenment in your day to day tasks seem like a less daunting chore.

If you truly seek enlightenment, live it don’t just practice it. Make it part of how you see your daily world. Slowly if you start small, your perception will shift. I hate to refer to it but start out a day with gratitude and you will be surprised just how many things come your way when you’re grateful. Keep your list of gratitude longer than your grievances, keep your eyes up on the heavens not plodding with one foot in front of the other (even though at times, you have to look down to see how far you’ve come). I promise you, enlightenment in the grandest of ways can have a larger space in your life – and no matter how hectic life may seem, you will walk in peace and serenity.