I often find myself reflecting on the miraculous. The subject draws me in because miracles are both an expression of heaven and a hint, perhaps even a proof, of its reality.

From childhood, George Gurdjieff sought truth not only in the world around him but in the unseen realms of the spirit. After making a pilgrimage to foreign lands, he discovered the Enneagram in a monastery in the Middle East. Studying there for years, he then carried his new-found wisdom to the West and spent the rest of his life teaching this ancient pathway to self-knowledge.

Regardless of our Ego and Soul type, every one of us longs for affirmation. Without it, we cannot see our strengths, our contributions, or the impact we have on others. Yet some people appear not to need validation at all. They move through life in a closed system, seemingly untouched by others’ opinions or affections. However, in truth, most of us, from our first breath, need affirmation as profoundly as we need air.

A few weeks ago, we were driving on the interstate when suddenly a plume of black smoke rose high into the air just ahead. Had a bomb exploded? Had a gasoline truck burst into flames? Within moments, the busy highway became a parking lot.

We long to accomplish something, but our ego tells us a story of why we cannot.

We dream of making something beautiful come true, but our ego insists we lack the capacity.

We yearn to speak our truth, yet our ego warns that the repercussions would be unbearable.

We desire to live vulnerably and authentically, but the ego insists we be impenetrable.

We want freedom from our dependencies, yet the ego whispers that we cannot live without them.

We hunger for more meaning in life, but our ego says to be content with what is.

Oppression, dehumanization, genocide, and persecution have brought humanity to its lowest forms. Imagine being so stripped of hope that you would dig a hole in the earth and wait there to die. Such despair was absolute for many in history’s darkest hours.

Evagrius of Pontus, one of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, wrote the first known commentary on the eight major types of sins he referred to as “evil thoughts” (logismoia) in the 300s AD. But there was a ninth sin he wrote about, which is the parent of all the others— and it is love of self (philautia.) These nine thoughts were eventually reduced in number by Pope Gregory to be known as “the Seven Deadly Sins.”

Although the soul is never truly untethered from the Divine, it can feel disconnected from God, lost in darkness, wounded, and without the fire of love.

If we are not well physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, the quality of our lives diminishes. Illness, injury, and hardship may come to everyone, but when they arise from self-neglect, we must bear the major responsibility. Caring for our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls is not self-indulgence or drudgery. It is sacred stewardship.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that it's been a month or so since you last meditated. Maybe that spiritual book someone lent you stays unopened on your bedside table. Days seem to slip by without the practices that you hold sacred. Even though we can forget our spiritual practice from time to time, if we are devoted to spiritual growth, our hearts return us to both the study and the living application of this sacred work, time and time again.

Many years ago, at the institution where I worked, a lady caused trouble in the office. She divided people into factions and brewed conflict. Her final blow was to lead a rebellion against the administration with those who followed her. As part of the administration, I met with her to fix the situation. After being confronted, she promised me that she would be a team member going forward. My blind spot was that I chose not to see the truth: she would always feed on conflict. And I denied the truth about myself, that I wanted to be seen as benevolent. She continued her same behavior and then eventually had to be let go after causing significant damage. 

What if the truest version of you isn’t the one you’ve been refining for decades, but the one you left behind in childhood? One of the most vital aims of the spiritually conscious life is the aim to realize essence.

This morning, I saw someone I hadn’t encountered in a long time. When I interacted with them on community projects, they were vibrant, kind, talented, enthusiastic, and deeply engaged in community life. But today, as I walked through the lobby of an office building, I saw that person in a wheelchair, frail and tired, and attended by a caregiver. Their face was lined, their body weakened, and an unmistakable sadness surrounded them. They had not yet seen me approaching.

Our aims are the intentions to stay spiritually awake throughout the day. They remind us to return, again and again, to the clarity of consciousness rather than drifting into automatic reactions. One vital aim is transformative but straightforward: stay with the experience.

From our first days of life, curiosity helps us survive. As infants, we instinctively search for nourishment. As adults, our curiosity matures into the wish to know and to understand what would otherwise remain hidden.

One of the most vital spiritual aims for the new year is telling the Truth—the commitment to seeking the truth, accepting it, and telling it.

At first glance, this may seem simple. But look closely: hundreds of times each day we encounter half-truths, distortions, exaggerations, and convenient omissions. And if we are honest, we sometimes feel tempted to offer our own versions of the truth when it suits us. Why doesn’t this work?

The first sound you ever made wasn’t a cry, but a heartbeat, and it’s been telling the same story ever since. Each of us received the life force at our making and that same life force formed our bodies. Our hearts are the first organ to develop and they pump continuously until we make the transition to another form. Our human hearts reflect the heart of God. And our hearts reveal the emotions of God. As above, so below.

The grandmother, who as a schoolteacher, once nurtured children every day, can justify separating babies from their mothers, and this should terrify us all. How does a human heart travel from tenderness to atrocity? The distance is shorter than we think.