My Firm Belief in “Maybe”
Now that my blog at Llewellyn is up and running, I’d like to share a bit about my perspective on spirituality — where I come from and what I’ve come to believe.
Chakras, auras, spirits, and psychics? Five years ago, I would have said no way, no how. Today, my answer is always a curious maybe. You Llewellyn fans probably knew this already. Are you glad I finally caught on?
I grew up without spirituality, religion, or much a higher power of any kind. As an ex-Catholic turned nature-worshiper, my mom decided she’d never force religion on me. I read books, hung out at the library, and ran around the park with friends. It’s no surprise I studied literature and eventually got a master’s degree in literary theory. I studied the existentialists and the humanists. I moved to big cities. I had no need for faith. I loved my identity as a freethinker and became known for it. I saw religion as a funny little habit less self-reliant minds used to get through the day and spirituality as something that had no bearing on my life at all.
Instead, I committed myself to art and creativity. I dabbled like a dilettante in anything I could get my hands on — literature, philosophy, poetry, music, modern and classical art, travel, cooking, history, architecture, dancing, urbansim. What makes me laugh now is that I actually was a spiritual person — you just never would have caught me using the word “spiritual.” Yet I explored my interests with the enthusiasm and earnestness of any believer.
Today, my perspective has shifted. I let spirituality be what it is — a celebration of the things that move me, and one of my biggest motivators is curiosity. Do I believe in the afterlife? Maybe. Are my chakras balanced? I’m not sure, but I might wear red on those days I feel ungrounded. My mind will always be open, as I know from experience that it’s more fun — and healthier, I believe — to learn how to say “maybe.”
What do you think?
I tend to fall in the same spectrum as you. I was raised without any real form of religion, although I suppose you could call us “spiritual.” With a rigorous philosophical background, I too have been inclined to say “no way, Jose” to the metaphysical side of life. I’ve dabbled in Judaism, to find that organized religion is a bit too much for me. I too say “maybe” when it comes to things like spirits, psychics, and auras. Could I claim with certainty that I’ve seen an aura, no. Have I “maybe” seen an aura or two and communed with spirits? Yes.
Thank you for this post for those of us who sit around on “maybe”!
Thanks for the great comment Ronda. I think we’re essentially both saying we’re agnostic — but I don’t like that word much. I’m glad ‘maybe’ seems to stick with you, too.
Fantastic!
I agree wholeheartedly, and so would Robert Anton Wilson. He called himself a “model agnostic”. Let go of the Aristotelian logic that has held us captive for so long! Nothing is ever so simple as definitely yes or definitely no. Such thinking breeds dogma and rigid positions that need to be defended.
Great post, and good to know!
Thanks so much Sean. You just summed up the problem with unilateral politics. You can never apply one line of thinking to a complex world and pretend it’s infalliable. Now I’m off to read more about this model agnostic.
Hi, Carrie! I totally agree with your approach. I have no “no’s” when it comes to spirituality. There are things I definitely say yes to, but I’m still open to all possibilities.
The way I see it, God/spirit shows his/its face to people in the way they need to see it. One person’s view may not jibe with mine, but that doesn’t mean they’re wrong or the things they believe in aren’t real. Also, I’ve changed significantly over time, so who’s to say that one day spirit won’t show itself to me in a totally different way?
So fairies, angels, unicorns? Maybe. People who believe in those things often share many of my beliefs. Why close my mind to it? For one thing, that would be counter to my belief that God reveals itself to people through the eyes with which they’re ready to see them. And, second, one day a fairy may conjure itself up to save my life and I wouldn’t want to let the moment pass by just because I felt I had all the answers.
I love how you defined your spirituality as “a celebration of the things that move me”. That is a wonderful way of putting it. And, yes, curiosity is a great motivator!
I also agree that the ability to say maybe is healthier. Not just for one’s own personal growth but for allowing the same for others with far less judgment. If we are able to say “maybe” then we are less likely to quickly judge another person’s way of looking at things, their truths and personal paths to a deeper spirituality.
I am curious what lead you from the earlier way of looking at things to this current place you are in. Would you consider sharing those things in a future post? There is much to learn from transitions our own and others.
The last few weeks I’ve been struggling alot with religon and the afterlife, so much so that it been hard to enjoy my life. This seems to have come at just the right time. It is refreshing to find many non-belivers saying maybe and giving me hope to come out of the spiritaul funk! Thank you all of you! 😀
Thank you, Tierney, Maurie, and Lucy. With a request like that, yes, I will definitely share a post about what led me to shift my spiritual frame of mind. Lucy, I think the definition of a funk is that it comes AND goes. Keep that curiosity high and see where it leads. 🙂