Living an Inspired Life Read online

  PART III

  GIVING AND RECEIVING INSPIRATION

  “We ought, so far as it lies within our power, to aspire to immortality, and do all that we can to live in conformity with the highest that is within us; for even if it is small in quantity, in power and preciousness, it far excels all the rest.”

  — ARISTOTLE

  CHAPTER 10

  ABSORBING THE INSPIRATION OF OTHERS

  “A man may have never entered a church or a mosque, nor performed any ceremony; but if he realizes God within himself, and is thereby lifted above the vanities of the world, that man is a holy man, a saint, call him what you will . . .”

  — VIVEKANANDA

  ONE OF THE BEST MEANS AVAILABLE for heeding our ultimate calling comes from connecting to the saints that the Indian monk Vivekananda referred to more than 100 years ago. The holy people mentioned in this context don’t necessarily need to be connected to a religious practice; in fact, it’s unlikely that they’ll be dressed in devotional garments or engaged in any theological studies at all. Rather, those we view as inspirational will be the ones who radiate spiritual energy back to us and fit Vivekananda’s brilliant observation. They’ve reached a higher level of God-realization than most, suspended their ego, and have lived from a high-energy perspective. They’re spiritual beings having a human experience, rather than the other way around.

  One of the things we absolutely know about energy is that when higher/faster energy comes in contact with lower vibrations, they’re converted into higher energy. Thus, light introduced into a dark room not only eliminates the darkness, but converts that darkness to light as well. (If this concept intrigues you, I suggest that you read my books There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem and The Power of Intention.)

  The parallel I’m drawing here is that when we enter the energy field of someone who’s connected to Spirit, we find ourselves not only forsaking our uninspired ways, but also converting to their higher energy—in other words, we become inspired just by being in their presence. However, identifying those who actually live their lives in-Spirit is often not as simple as it sounds.

  What Inspirational People Are Not

  It’s possible for someone to achieve at a high level, earn many accolades, be widely admired and respected, but not be living from Spirit. Inspirational people aren’t necessarily highly motivated in society’s sense of the word; after all, such individuals may just be chasing after more symbols of success, satisfying their desire to dominate and control others by acquiring as much power as possible. People who have motivated us are also not necessarily inspirational: We may have been motivated by those who threatened or beat us, or cursed and called us a fool and a wimp for not doing what they thought we should be doing. Clearly, inspiration wasn’t part of their motivation!

  We also can’t assume that all teachers are living their ultimate calling. A good instructor might be very knowledgeable about a given subject and extremely effective at conveying that knowledge to students, but he or she might also be very disconnected from God-realization. Teachers often have such low self-esteem that they lose themselves completely in devotion to something that’s far removed from their true calling—especially when great teaching skills can fill a void and seem to be a substitute for that calling. Of course I’m not saying that all teachers are lacking in God-realization, but be wary of assuming that a gifted instructor is automatically living in-Spirit.

  A person may have the highest intellectual credentials available and still be detached from his or her Spirit. The ability to cite historical sources, speak with distinction, and earn advanced degrees doesn’t automatically mean that someone is capable of inspiring others. (Once again, it doesn’t disqualify that individual either.) The smartest people may turn us off with their pomposity and braggadocio, or they may be so cerebral that it’s difficult to know what they’re talking about. Be on the lookout for mistaking intellectualization for inspiration. The journey to our ultimate calling isn’t a scholastic endeavor—there are no written exams, no grades to earn, no report cards, and no advanced degrees.

  It’s important to understand that any of the traditional measures of success, such as job promotions, wealth, public acclaim, expensive clothing, a commanding presence, verbal adeptness, a voluminous vocabulary, a charismatic appearance, fame, and so forth don’t necessarily mean high marks as an inspirational person. In fact, some people who rate very high marks on the ego-based indexes of success are the ones I find most difficult to be around—and totally uninspiring.

  While fame in all of its forms seems highly desirable and is focused upon by endless television shows discussing the personal lives of those who are in the news (particularly show business), this does not measure the ability to inspire in the slightest. When one of my daughters once told me that her goal was to become famous, I urged her to shift her sights to living and acting in rapport with her passion and then letting the fame thing take care of itself.

  I’ve met many celebrities in all fields of endeavor, and I can assure you that public notoriety is not in any way an indicator of a person’s connection to Spirit. And if I happen to be famous personally, it’s not because I chose it or even earned it. Fame is located outside of me—it’s in the opinions that others have of me. It’s my choice to be inspired, however, and that always involves being independent of the opinions of others.

  Inspirational people aren’t interested in winning a popularity contest, especially when those who seek praise and recognition often do so to soothe feelings of insecurity. In general, people who doubt their Divinity fear being criticized because they see themselves as fraudulent beings; consequently, they take on the full-time job of trying to be liked by everyone they meet. Despite their obvious popularity, they’d be disastrous in the inspiration department.

  I need to add a disclaimer here: I don’t in any way want to imply that a person who has gained great popularity and notoriety is thereby disqualified from being a source of inspiration. Quite the contrary: Many of the most inspiring people I’ve come across in my life have achieved worldwide acclaim. I simply urge you not to equate inspiration with recognition.

  What Inspirational People Are

  Now let’s take a look at the qualities we do find in inspirational people—that is, those special individuals who’ve risen above their ego and the vanities of the world—and how our awareness of, and association with, them helps raise our vibrations to the level of Spirit.

  Over the years, as a result of teaching at a major university and lecturing to audiences of experts, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being in the company of some extremely knowledgeable people. I’ve also been blessed to associate with a number of very wise individuals who have achieved enlightened mastery in their own lives and as spiritual teachers. My observation is that the more expertise so-called experts appear to have, the less joy they seem to experience, while those who are genuinely wise consistently have an aura of joy that permeates their being and radiates outward, impacting those around them.

  We can use this “joy index” as a nonscientific measure of inspiration. When we meet others who we think might be living in-Spirit, we must ask the following questions: Do they seem to have a rapturous heart, sending out signals that they love the world and everyone in it? Are they jubilant about the work they do? Do they see the world as a friendly place? Are they at peace with themselves? Do they appear to be kind rather than judgmental? Are they confident without being boorish? Do they tend to be cheerful? Do they love to play? Are they elated to be in the company of young children as well as older people? Do they listen rather than lecture? Are they willing to be students as well as teachers? Do they love nature? Are they in awe of the world? Do they express rational humility? Are they approachable? Do they take great pleasure in serving others? Do they seem to have tamed their ego? Do they accept all people as equals? Are they open to new ideas? The answers to these questions will help us ascertain whether another person is potentially an inspiri
ng influence in our life.

  Those who have the gift of inspiration exude something that’s difficult to pin down intellectually, yet is undeniably recognizable in how we feel in their presence: We can sense that they’re aligned with the Source Energy from which we all originate. We perceive a place within them that resonates deeply within ourselves—a vibrational recognition of inspiration—and they have much to offer us. We recognize their high spiritual energy, which longs to be active in our life. When we feel this resonance, it’s reflected in a feeling that’s similar to a warm, soothing shower that’s running deep within us.

  When I’m in the presence of an inspiring person, the first thing I notice is this warm shower overtaking me: It’s like a wave of energy that slowly moves down my shoulders and spine, and I know something is happening energetically. Even though I can’t see, touch, smell, or hear it, I know that I’m experiencing a shift that makes me feel incredibly good (or, as I think of it, incredibly God).

  My Experiences with Inspiring People

  In this section, I’d like to further illustrate what inspirational people are by noting some individuals who have particularly impacted my life with their high energy.

  — I vividly recall the days of the Cuban missile crisis more than 50 years ago. I’d recently been discharged from active duty in the Navy after four years and was attending Wayne State University in Detroit. If the U.S. had been drawn into a war with the U.S.S.R., I would have been at the top of the list to be called back to active duty because I had a top-secret job classification. But more than my concern about my own status was what had us collectively biting our fingernails globally—that is, the thought of the consequences of an exchange of nuclear weapons, which would put all of civilization at risk.

  I’ll never forget the scene that the film Thirteen Days reenacted so well. After being besieged by his military advisors to nuke the entire island of Cuba, and encouraged by others to take alternative decisive action that could easily lead to war, President Kennedy retired alone to his chambers in the White House and reminded himself of what he believed the number one duty of the President was: to keep the country out of war. Having already fought in one war that had also taken the life of his older brother, Joseph, JFK knew how damaging such a battle with the Soviet Union would be, so he retreated in solitude and allowed the peace of Spirit to guide him. Ultimately, the idea for a blockade—and a prayer for a peaceful resolution—took hold of him. He went to Spirit in a time of crisis, and his being in-Spirit rather than “in-ego” turned the tide of history.

  President Kennedy was a source of inspiration to me, but not because of his political views or any of his Presidential actions; rather, I embraced him as a man who conveyed love, peace, and joy in his demeanor and showed respect for all people by vowing to end segregation in America. As Robert McNamara, Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense, once observed, if JFK had lived, there would have been no Vietnam War. That’s because he believed that war should be an absolute last resort, and that his primary job as President was to maintain the peace.

  I found JFK inspiring back in the early 1960s, and I’ve continued to be profoundly touched by his spirit throughout my lifetime. He inspired me!

  — In 1978 I was invited to go to Vienna to participate in a presentation to a group of young presidents of companies. I was assigned to be on a panel with a man who had been a huge source of inspiration to me: Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a medical doctor who had been herded off to die in a Nazi concentration camp in WWII; while imprisoned, he kept notes that ultimately became a book called Man’s Search for Meaning. This work, which touched me deeply many years later, illustrated not only how Dr. Frankl survived the horrors of Auschwitz, but also how he helped other camp mates do the same. For example, he taught his fellow human beings how to find meaning and even joy in a fish head floating in the dirty water that masqueraded as soup. He taught them to be with his spirit and infuse it in others who were giving up on life. He even practiced sending love and peace to his captors, and refused to feel hatred and vengeance because he knew that it was foreign to his spirit, which he wouldn’t forsake.

  So, 33 years after his liberation, I was about to address hundreds of corporate presidents who were all under the age of 50 (as I was at the time). I’d read Man’s Search for Meaning as a young doctoral student and practiced Frankl’s logotherapy, which taught therapists in training to help clients find meaning in their existence regardless of their circumstances. Viktor Frankl had been one of the truly inspirational figures in my life, and being on the same panel—under the pretext of being a colleague of this master teacher—was overwhelming to me. And an afternoon I’ve never forgotten followed, full of pure exhilaration and inspiration.

  Viktor Frankl stayed true to his spiritual origins in the face of horrors that destroyed so many. When I met him, he exuded joy, peace, kindness, and love, and he wasn’t bitter. Instead, he felt that his experience taught him lessons he’d never have known otherwise. I spent a good part of that afternoon in Vienna in 1978 listening and being in awe; and now, years later, I’m still greatly impacted by the presence of this man in my life. Yes, indeed, he inspired me.

  — In 1994, 24-year-old college student Immaculée Ilibagiza came home to be with her family in Kibuye, Rwanda, for the Easter holidays . . . and inadvertently found herself in the middle of one of the worst genocides in history. As a member of the Tutsi tribe, Immaculée was forced to hide in a tiny bathroom (which was configured in such a way that it appeared to be inaccessible from the house) with seven other women for a total of three terrifying months. As she told me, “By the grace of God, we were never found. How that happened, I do not know. All we could hear was the smoke of hatred coming from the men right outside the door.”

  After living in this terror for 90 days, trembling in fear every day, knowing that they would be hacked to death if they were discovered, the women were finally released from their entombment into the protection of French soldiers. As Immaculée related: “When we were finally safe, I learned how most of my family had died: My father was shot by soldiers, my mother was killed by machete, and my younger brother was murdered in a stadium while searching for food. My big brother was executed after questioning—they said that they wanted to see the brain of a person who had a master’s degree, so they cut him to pieces.”

  I met this incredible woman in New York after she was granted an asylum visa as a victim of this organized attempt at ethnic cleansing by a band of thugs. (Just about one million men, women, and children were systematically slaughtered with machetes or blunt instruments, and the U.S. didn’t intervene—something that former President Clinton publicly acknowledged was the greatest failure of his administration.) Immaculée isn’t bitter or filled with rage—she merely wants to be sure that such a tragedy never occurs again. She has love and faith in her heart, and she applied these spiritual gifts to the telling of her story, which has been published as a remarkable book through Hay House. I felt privileged to have been able to write the Foreword for this amazing work, which is called Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.

  I’m honored to join this Divinely inspiring woman by going to Rwanda and helping set up a program to educate and provide for the vast number of orphans who were left behind by this genocide. And yes, being in Immaculée’s life in the small way that I am inspires me beyond anything that I can convey to you here in words.

  — In 1999 I was invited to South Africa to lecture to some public audiences. While in Cape Town, I took the ferry over to Robben Island to visit the prison where Nelson Mandela had been incarcerated for so many years. (I actually visited at the time of the tenth-anniversary celebration of his release.)

  Here was a man who spent more than 27 years of his life imprisoned—he wasn’t even allowed visitors because he was a vocal opponent of a system of apartheid, in which an entire race of people were declared by law to be inferior and unworthy of the same privileges as the remaining citizens of the country. And he
worked all day in a limestone quarry, where the burning sunlight glared so against the white rock that his eyes became mere slits due to the squinting that he was forced to practice in order to survive. I spent 30 minutes in that quarry and my eyes stung all day—imagine what years of such exposure would wreak.

  Mandela went deep within himself, and when he was finally released, he came out with forgiveness and reconciliation in his heart. His staying in-Spirit was the force behind the dismantling of apartheid and his ultimate election to the presidency of an emerging democracy of South Africa a few years later. As I meditated in the prison outside of this great man’s cell, I felt the warm inner shower I described earlier in this chapter. Then I was handed an autographed copy of his book Long Walk to Freedom, which I treasure.

  Nelson Mandela conveyed the spiritual energy of love, peace, kindness, and tolerance during all of his travails, and this spiritual energy provided a blueprint that changed the face of Africa—and the world—forever. Yes, he inspired me!

  — Closer to home, I was inspired by Mrs. Olive Fletcher. In 1956 I was taking biology for the second time at Denby High School in Detroit. I’d failed the class the previous year because of my own stubbornness: I’d refused to complete a leaf collection, which my then-15-year-old self perceived to be an absurd requirement.

  At that time, my mother was divorcing my alcoholic stepfather, and I was working in a local grocery store every evening during the week and all day on Saturday and Sunday. My instructor for this second foray into biology was Mrs. Fletcher, and she was the very first teacher I encountered who seemed to care about me personally. For example, she was there for me after school, called my home to see if I was okay during the tumultuousness (including frequent fights and other unpleasantness) taking place at the time, and allowed me to put my head down and sleep during study periods when I’d completed my assignments. She also encouraged me to tutor other students because she recognized something in me that I’d never heard a teacher say before: She told me that I was brilliant and had a mind that could take me wherever I wanted to go.