“… a woman’s role is not just to bring life into the world but to uphold it, to fight for what she believes in.” — Le Ly Hayslip, IN SWEET COMPANY: CONVERSATIONS WITH EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN ABOUT LIVING A SPIRITUAL LIFE

Though holding to our New Year’s resolutions can prove daunting, sometimes just choosing what to work on, setting a new course for yourself can be down right intimidating!  One woman who read IN SWEET COMPANY: CONVERSATIONS WITH EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN ABOUT LIVING A SPIRITUAL LIFE, came up with a great idea in this regard. She picks a quote from the book that really speaks to her every few months and uses it as a jumping off point for her becoming. Sri Daya Mata did something similar when she entered Paramahansa Yogananda’s ashram nearly 80 years ago: She took a quote from the Bible — “Seek ye first the kingdom of God … and all these things shall be added unto you.” — and gave herself to proving it was true. As she told me when I interviewed her for ISC, “How else would I know for certain whether something does or doesn’t work unless I proved it for myself?” Anyone who knew her could not help but be aware of the beatific effect this simple practice had on her life.

If you are looking to discover “right work,” read what Lauren Artress says in ISC about finding your “soul assignment.” Focusing on Grandmother Tywlah’s bywords — “Wisdom, Integrity, Stability and Dignity” — can lead to a deeper awareness of how these soul qualities manifest and intersect in your life. Fully realizing any one of these qualities is the spiritual work of a lifetime, but if you just begin to watch how they show up in your life, how they express through you, you will thrive. Whatever quote you choose take it deep into yourself; make it your own. Take Gail Williamson’s words in ISC to heart: “I accept the responsibility necessary to stay on track because I desire the freedom that comes to me when I do this.” 

One of the things that pleases me most about having written IN SWEET COMPANY is that it is a book that keeps on giving. If there is one thing being with the 14 women profiled in its pages has taught me it is that when you intimately connect to the God of your heart, you can accomplish undreamed of possibilities. This is my New Year’s wish for us all, that we each trust more deeply in the limitless strength of our inner connection and imbue our lives with Divine collaboration. 

The future is calling — in every headline, in every calamity of nature and in  every expression of adversity. Each present moment beckons us to bring the lion’s share of kindness and compassion into the world. The better we are as individuals, the better everyone around us will be. This, too, is what the women of IN SWEET COMPANY have taught me.

Your thoughts?