ON THE NEED FOR A MENTOR

It would be an utter impossibility for you to experience God's presence and not have somebody during the day feel that he was benefited just by being in your presence. -- Joel Goldsmith, "The Heart of Mysticism" at p 875.

I love that quote but it's so beyond my reasonable expectations for myself that I just remind me not to pass on my ugly...my gold rule, "Don't be as nasty as you want to be."

It is way too easy for our ego to wrap itself in beautiful spiritual words and for our reasoning mind to believe that means we've got it.

When we start parading and preaching, we know we've made a U-turn into self again. We've crossed the ugly line when friends, non-friends...even our pets...start walking away from, not toward, us. Unfortunately, it's usually just a sense of withdrawing so we must be other-open to even pick that up. And there's our catch-22...we're totally into our ego's spiritual fantasy, thus undesiring (not incapable) of being aware of others.

This is the number one reason we all need a mentor. We need someone we have personally invited into our lives with whom we share our most intimate thoughts, feelings, words...and her sole purpose is to tell us the bald truth about ourselves from what she is hearing, the truth with no hair on it. This is a sacred trust so when she does tell us that truth, and our ego rises up in righteous indignation (which it will), our higher power can and will intervene on behalf of both of us. 

This is what Goldsmith refers to when he speaks of "experiencing God's presence." It cannot be discerned by physical means...but we know it. We know it in our mentor's words when that bald truth becomes words of piercing love that he did not know he could speak, and we did not know we could welcome. 

We have just become entirely willing. Now to maintain that willingness...by realizing a whole new level of letting go. 

Thank you.