de·vo·tion
(n) profound dedication; consecration; dedicate by a vow, promise solemnly
What are you devoted to?
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” – Mitch Albom
Devotion has been on my mind and in my heart as I lead the 100 Day Promise.
Devotion as a Way of Living & Loving
I love the idea of devotion, but as a way of life it seems altruistic and out of reach.
Women are generally conditioned to take care of others, but it often comes with a feeling of obligation or responsibility.
What might happen if we shifted from taking care of others to being devoted?
Mother Meera comes to mind; a woman believed to be the embodiment of the Divine Mother on earth.
And I wonder,
[Tweet “Can we embrace devotion as a way of living without giving up our lives? “]
From her site,
“Mother Meera has no interest in conversion or in changing anyone’s faith or creed. This is simply irrelevant for her. She is simply a Divine Mother for everyone who turns to Her. “
Insight: The difference between being devoted to something and giving up your life is perspective. Create a context that’s worth showing up for every day and you’ll give up nothing.
Devotion as the Foundation of Community
When we come from the heart life is simple; come from the head and things get complicated.
It’s easy to fixate on the minutiae and complexity of daily life, but devotion can’t exist in that space.
Devotion demands getting out of your head.
The best communities I’ve experienced thrive in simplicity and clarity of focus. Usually that’s because they’re devoted to an empowering mission. They may not use the language of devotion, but they are single-minded about their vision and what they’re here for.
“Like electricity, the Light is everywhere, but one must know how to activate it. I have come for that.” – Mother Meera
Insight: When you devote yourself to a cause, make a vow or promise, you make space for clear actions that come from the heart.
Devotion as the Path to Purpose & Meaning
This is what life is about. Creating something out of nothing, leaving a piece of yourself in the process; a legacy that lives beyond your existence.
Where does purpose and meaning come from?
It’s not out there somewhere waiting to be found. True purpose comes from within.
[Tweet “Your purpose is what you say it is. Embrace this and liberate your soul.”]
Insight: If you make a promise to yourself to live the way you want to live, devoted to a purpose of your creation, your reasons and circumstances for why you can’t do what you want disappear.
Devotion as an Act of Creation
My own 100 Day Promise began as a practice of writing every day, but it became clear very quickly that I needed more than a commitment.
When I began to see my writing practice as a devotion to the act of creating, my resistance fell away, and I was left with space. In that space my writing flourished, words and ideas flew from my mind to my fingertips in abundance.
Insight: The context you create makes a dramatic difference to how you show up. Giving my writing the context of devotion changed it from something I told myself I should do every day to a practice that has ignited my creativity.
“Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day.” – Nicholas Sparks
Devotion as Ritual
Even tasks of our choosing become repetitive if we’re not present and mindful.
But when we bring ritual to the doing, the energy of the act changes to one of ceremony.
What might devotion as ritual look like?
When I began experimenting with this, I found that auditory rituals were important to me and I found myself drawn to chanting and mantras. I love how Sanskrit mantras sound and how they make me feel, connecting me more deeply to how I want to feel in my life – cherished, sacred, free.
My initial curiousity became a daily practice, a way of starting each day intimately connected to myself.
Insight: When you find the right practices – the ones that resonate with your soul – routine becomes ritual, and repetition turns into devotion.
Devotion as a way of living.
This path is one of integrating what I love and what I’m devoted to with my everyday life and ordinary activities.
Because everything offers an opportunity for devotion.
