Today I was thinking about how many experts there are in the world for just about any topic you can imagine. Of course, for me I'm particularly interested in the gurus of spiritual living. Most of them are revealing "secrets," as if somehow a clandestine force has been keeping these secrets away from the average person for centuries. They sell books and CD's on the latest seven steps, nine steps, 19 steps, 21 steps to a better you or a better life or to achieving prosperity or peace or changing your life from bewilderment to happiness.
And just for the record, I like a lot of those for the suggestions they make that are easily overlooked. For instance, common sense things that we all need to be reminded of: "Don't concentrate on the problem; put your energy into the solution;" "If you want to achieve anything in life, have a clear picture of what it is you want;" and, "Don't quit too soon." There are tons more.
They are reminders, really. We all know that stuff, but we just don't remember to apply them. The point is that they are not "secrets." No one has hidden them from us. No one is against our having a happy life. There isn't some evil force at work that patrols the perimeters of our lives so that we won't wander aimlessly into a pasture of contentment.
One of our problems is that we expect life to be perfect. Society has taught us that. A student has no validity unless he or she gets all A's and B's. No one has lived a successful life unless they are very rich or head of a large corporation or the most beautiful physical representation of a human being or...or...well, you get the idea. So we turn to the experts who are going to give us the secret to being whatever it is that we think we should be.
I also want to be clear about the fact that there are thousands of books that give guidance in spectacular ways about very complex life issues. I am not, by any means, against any of those. I love reading books that offer new insights into my perception of life or some situation therein. Many have radically changed my life for the better. However, what bothers me most probably has more to do with semantics than anything. The word "secret" is my personal hangup. It makes it seem far too mystical, available to only a privileged few.
I think (and of course this is my own opinion), you and I are the experts of our own lives, but no one has ever told us that. Success and happiness to me is accepting the fact that life has it's ups and downs, but we work to make it as good as we can. We search ourselves and discover what is our greatest gift to make the world a better place: an ongoing ability to smile and comfort people; an artistic flare that adds beauty and wonder to life; a pragmatic skill that enables life to flow more easily and for people to live more comfortably; a passion for social causes that stirs the conscience of others to contribute; a presence that brings good and healing energy to a room or an individual. Again, each of us holds our own secret to life. It's found in loving ourselves, being ourselves, and trusting ourselves. That, I believe, is God's intention.
