Twelve lessons from the great spiritual teachers of the past.
(Published in Atlanta's Aquarius in October 2001)

We are all called to lead in our lives. It may be a family crisis or to help a friend; it may be to become a voice for human rights or the environment. We are all subject to disillusionment when the outcome doesn’t turn out. There are valuable lessons to be learned from the great spiritual leaders of the past.

The first challenge is to embrace love not fear; to stand FOR something not AGAINST something. Mother Theresa said, "We fight abortion with adoption." In standing for adoption not against abortion she became part of the solution. The outer activity looks identical but the long-term result is different. The Dalai Lama said, "a positive future cannot emerge from the mind of anger and despair."

Sorrow and rage are normal in the face of cruelty. But actions performed in anger and fear usually lack integrity and are counter productive.

The second challenge is not to be attached to results. Mahatma Gandhi said, "the victory is in the doing," not the results. We rise and fall with success and failure; an attachment to results is a sure path to burnout. Holding a clear intention, and letting go of the outcome recognizes that a larger wisdom is always operating. Remain flexible in the face of change.

The third challenge is to work with integrity. When our work has integrity it protects us from negativity. Honesty and transparency allows the circumstance to pass through us without effect. Similar to Aikido, the Japanese form of self-defense, we can make use of the attacker’s own movement without causing injury.

The forth challenge is to achieve goals through noble means. The end does not justify the means. Integrity in our work cultivates purity in the fruits of our labor. A noble goal cannot be achieved using ignoble means.

The fifth challenge is to love not demonize enemies. Jesus asked us to not judge others because whatever measure we use will be used against us. He said love your enemies, bless them that curse you and forgive so God can forgive you.

Demonizing an adversary makes them more defensive and less receptive to our views. People respond to arrogance with arrogance creating rigid polarization. Becoming open and flexible helps challenge our views.

To love our enemy does not mean indulging in corruption. It means moving from "them" to "us"; to be hard on issues and soft on people; to seek cooperation not separation. If we can’t love our enemy we can at least have compassion. Humankind is more alike than different.

The sixth challenge is to stand in our truth and find and fulfill our true calling. The Bhagavad Gita says, "It is better to tread your own path, however humbly, than that of another, however successfully." Remember—we are all unique.

The seventh challenge is to work for a higher purpose. Our work is for God’s creation not for us. The full harvest of our work may not take place in our lifetime, yet our efforts now may improve the lives of future generations. In doing service we are working for others. Fulfillment comes in gratitude about being called to work for others with compassion, authenticity, fortitude and forgiveness.

The eighth challenge is to recognize that selfless service is a myth. In serving others we are serving ourselves. It is in giving that we receive. Service is enlightened self-interest because it cultivates an expanded sense of self that includes others.

The ninth challenge is to allow ourselves to feel pain. Shielding ourselves from heartbreak prevents transformation. As Kahlil Gibran says, "your pain is the medicine by which the physician within heals thyself." When we open ourselves to the pain of the world we become the medicine that heals the world.

The tenth challenge is to choose carefully where we place our attention. We become that which we focus upon. If we engage in battles, we become embattled. If we give love, we become love. We reap what we sow.

The eleventh challenge is to have faith. There is a "divine" force at work that we can trust without knowing the workings. Faith means trusting the unknown and not having to figure it out. Faith means offering ourselves as a vehicle for higher power and the greater good. The first step to wisdom is silence. The second is listening. If we ask, listen and follow guidance carefully—we become an instrument for a higher power.

The twelfth challenge is to work with love. When we work with love we cannot fail although our dreams may manifest in different ways. Martin Luther King warned that we not get trapped in pessimism about human nature or we’ll overlook the cure of grace.