Becoming a "Spiritualmonger"
The Tokyo Olympics may be over, but it's never too late to train for the Spiritual Olympics
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I recently read an interesting article on business leadership, where the author was talking about meeting a cheesemonger. We may be familiar with that word "monger" in the negative sense to describe a fearmonger or warmonger. He, however, was reframing this word "monger." In its more positive original sense, a monger is someone who masters a certain passion or profession. The cheesemonger that he met regaled him in all of the details of cheese about the different tastes and textures and where the cheeses come from regions like Gouda and Cheddar. He discovered that he was fascinated by a nearly hour-long conversation with someone who had made a living out of their passion for cheese.
He points out there are, historically, other types of mongers in the world such as ironmongers or fishmongers who specialize in one area of expertise. In this sense, "monger" is a word of honor, not an insult. Being a "monger" means that you become so obsessed with something that you are passionate about that you focus all of your attention onto it until you master it. This could be something that turns you on in such a way that you lose track of time and you would devote your entire life to it, even if nobody ever paid you for it.
In this age of Google, where we can instantly search whatever topic we're curious about and have some matter of esoteric learning about it in 10 or 15 minutes, the idea of being a monger of something – a master of one thing – seems ridiculous. Why study one thing deeply when you can know a lot of things in shallow way? Why would you devote yourself to becoming the best in the world at just one thing?
What we see during this year's Olympics has been a pretty good example of what happens when you devote your life to one thing. The athletes are amazing, and they are doing amazing things, breaking records – even breaking their own records. The thing that makes this year's Olympics so amazing is that these athletes are also becoming mongers of their own mental health as well as becoming mongers of true competition, which is not about crushing your opponent, but about competing with yourself and overcoming your own limitations and setbacks.
These are the kind of competitors we're seeing this year; those who take care of themselves, but also step up and help their fellow athletes instead of seeing them as obstacles to be overcome and defeated on their way to the gold medal. These athletic mongers have also become mongers of compassion. While they are fierce competitors, they also remember that they are human, and that those around them are human and in need of their love and care. It's been refreshing to watch.
It makes me wonder about how it would be if everyone who was serious about their spiritual journey sought to become spiritualmongers. What if we developed a singular focus on our passion to know the Holy, to know the spirit and our own divinity, to dive deep into the presence of the Holy at all times? Can we become Olympians of spiritual practice? These athletes dedicate eight, 12, 24 hours of their day honing their craft. They want to know everything they can about their sport, but more importantly, they want to become the best at it – to embody the very qualities of their chosen field.
We may have some spiritual practices that we do such as meditation, yoga, chanting, prayer, studying of texts and other things. We may do these practices regularly, but are we really dedicated to seeking the transformation that they can bring for us? Are we serious about becoming and embodying our higher, Divine Self every moment of our lives?
A Course in Miracles, in Chapter 20, says you can treat your spirituality like a toy and that's what it will become – just something you pick up and you play with for a little while and you put it down and forget about it until you do that ritual or practice again. "Oh, that was a good, interesting concept," you may say to yourself, and then you walk into your day, and repeat the same patterns over and over again that have harmed you and kept you limited and small.
It's like going to the gym and listening to the trainer tell you about all the machines on the circuit. And then you say, "Hey, thanks," and you leave without ever getting on the treadmill or ever lifting a weight. But you think, "Hey, now I know all about going to the gym." But you don't. You don't know anything. You're not a gym monger yet. You're not a fitness monger, you're just a dabbler.
I had taken this to heart very recently because I listen to a lot of teachers. I listened to Marianne Williamson's weekly talks for years. I've listened to Michael Singer, Kyle Cease and other teachers of the Course. I've listened and listened and listened. Sometimes I feel overloaded and overwhelmed by all that information. When I feel this way, I realize I'm going to the gym and listening to the trainer tell me about the circuit, but I haven't jumped on yet. I realized I've been dabbling in my spiritual practice instead of focusing on becoming a spiritualmonger.
For years I've toyed with the idea of starting a meditation practice. I told myself I couldn't begin until I had the right bench and a little altar, candles and good music. It was Cease that helped me stop stalling and get on the treadmill. He says meditation is about is simply listening to the silence. I was hung up on doing it "right," but since I have let that go, now I can't wait to meditate every day.
Meditation, I have learned, isn't about controlling my thoughts or focusing on my breath at my nose or belly. It's not about clearing your mind of all thoughts. It's just about listening to the silence of this present moment – and it has a lot to say. This is our spiritual gym – and we have to want to get in there and do the work, even in those times when we are tired or unmotivated. If we want to be a spiritualmonger, we must be dedicated to becoming and embodying God's love, joy and peace.
The truth is, you already are a spiritualmonger. We all are. All spiritual practices really do for you is eliminate the things that are blocking you from being and seeing who you truly are – a natural master of spirituality. Just like when you go to the gym, or when you start a diet, all you're really doing is wearing away the layers of useless padding you have accumulated over the years that hide the healthy body underneath. Spiritual practices simply tone up your flabby spirituality. When you practice, you're transforming yourself into your true physical, mental and spiritual state, which is always a state of health. That's why this year's Olympic athletes have been so extraordinary. They've been modeling for us how to wear away all of the false littleness and limitations we believe keep us from becoming the spiritualmongers that we innately already are.
I invite you examine your spiritual practices. Are you playing at them? Are you using them just as toys to feel good for a moment, but then you forget their lessons when you walk back out into the world? What kind of monger are you out in the world? A people-pleasing monger? A career-ladder climbing monger? A money-making monger?
That's the favorite of the ego – that money-making monger. We're rewarded lavishly by the world for becoming an expert at bringing in money. Many moneymongers can tell you though, taking that path means never having peace, because once you get the money coming in, you're always afraid of losing it, so if you get on any treadmill, it's one of constant fear of losing all that money.
If you focus, however, on becoming a spiritualmonger, money takes care of itself. Everything you need takes care of itself, because you no longer have any attachment to whatever comes your way. Your goal is peace. Your goal is to master your fear, to put aside the childish toys of this world and go after the truly valuable things of love, joy and peace. Once you begin to pursue those, whatever you need in this world comes to you without effort. What you need arrives, when you need it. You have begun to whittle away the weight of fear, guilt and shame, only to reveal your true self – a healthy spirit of love, joy and peace.
This world needs more spiritualmongers, my friends, so I invite you to begin (or continue) your training for the Spirituality Olympics. This is not a competition against anyone else, but a dedicated practice of removing all the barriers to love you have built up within yourself. When seeing and becoming God's love in this world is your singular goal, the Course says, you will see nothing else. You will become a spiritualmonger who constantly extends God's love, joy, peace and compassion into the world and sees no one as a competitor but sees everyone as a Holy companion walking beside them on the journey home.
Take 20 with Candace
If you don’t have time to watch the full replay of Jubilee! Circle’s weekly celebrations, you can cut to the chase and spend 20 minutes (give or take) with me and enjoy my weekly message. This past week five adventurous Jubilants played a game with me called “It’s Absolutely Possible” as we explored the wonder of possibilities.
The Motley Mystic now has a podcast!
Tune in for the new Motley Mystic Meditation Moments Podcast
Sometimes our best ideas and deepest, most profound thoughts come after we've meditated or when we're out walking the dog and enjoying nature. I'll be sharing my extemporaneous thoughts and ideas on spirituality and transformational growth. I may be out of breath on the walk, but spirit is always breathing through us all.
There are already several episodes posted, including the latest one on Becoming a “Spiritualmonger” that explores how a singular focus on our spiritual journey can help us become a “monger,” or expert, in our connection to the Holy.
About the Motley Mystic:
The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true, Divine Self.
Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass. She is also a musician and avid beer drinker.