PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY
Get Real!
By Sutapa Das.
The ability to communicate with clarity, power and authenticity is a priceless life skill. It’s something I’ve struggled with. Some convey their heart through art and song, some through the spoken word, and others through acts of kindness and personal exchange. In this period, some have found their voice over Zoom! For me, writing is, by far, my most authentic means of communication. It’s expression and discovery, it encompasses truth and emotion, it’s succinct yet multi-layered, and it allows me to be alone but simultaneously with many. Writing allows for inner meditation and mass communication, it’s impactful without being intrusive, it reverberates beyond the moment, and it captures a snapshot of the inner world that the eyes can’t access. For me, writing is high-end self development.
Most importantly, writing is where I get closest to being my real self – where I find my most authentic voice. The solitude helps immensely. My nature is to instinctively adjust to people around me, and while that can be a good thing, it can also inhibit an expression of the true self. We have to be sensitive without being superficial, to look for unity but not at the expense of honouring diversity. Life can often be a tug-of-war between appreciation and authenticity. We desire acknowledgment, approval and acceptance – looking good can easily take priority over living truth. We end up being someone we’re not, putting up a façade and acting in a drama. We get the claps, the nods and pats on the back, but remain internally paralysed.
Paradoxically, to find true authenticity, we have to brave the feelings of unnaturalness. For many, it feels most natural when we conform to the prevailing set of social expectations and ideals. To leave that ‘safe space’ in search of true authenticity can be unnerving to say the least. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
My conclusion is that deep divine connection is the only thing that can trigger genuine authenticity. When we’re spiritually connected, the fulfillment and love we draw from our relationship with the Supreme allows us to function in this world without the need for recognition or praise, opening the doors to real authenticity. It’s an incredibly powerful and revealing measure of our spiritual trajectory. If we’re somewhat conscious, our daily superficiality will scream out to us – a reminder that there’s lots more work to do in becoming spiritually accomplished and divinely authentic.