From “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown
Disentangling what we are told about ourselves from what resonates inside of us requires ongoing self-reflection. “Women without children are abnormal.” “Black people aren’t smart enough to complete graduate school.” “I wouldn’t live in that neighborhood.” These are but a few of the many external voices I have heard throughout my life. But did any of these directives mirror my inner life or the Inner Guidance I received?
The recognition that we are holy children of God may arrive in many different ways. Encountering the divine in nature or through a particular song may awaken a slumbering spiritual self. Through illness, the loss of a loved one, or a treasure occupation, we may learn to know ourselves in new ways. We may stumble upon our spiritual selves in therapy or spiritual direction or in conversations with a friend, or on retreat. “Stripped to the literal substance of ourselves, what is it that we want and need in order to be worthful persons in our own sight?” Howard Thurman asks.
When we pose piercing questions about our self and our crucial relationships, we begin to uncover a self freed of all the obligations or “shoulds.” Taking time to engage in self-reflection moves us toward our true, authentic self.