BlissQuest: Hopelessly Devoted to What?

The Central "Altar" in Our House

Listening to: This was my favorite song when I was 11. (Remember, I said eleven!)

Today's Bliss Formula: I love starting my day taking photographs. I need to do that more often. Once it really warms up, I should go out in the mornings with my camera and wander around on my bike.

Every single thing in the above photograph has meaning. The tiny birds are called Guide birds. There are dried lotus seed heads from our neighbors, a piece of drift wood from our lake, story beads, homemade prayer beads, photographs of our Ernie and Jobie and their ashes, Jobie's brush, a Ganesh statue, and more.

All of this reminds me, when I look at it, of my priorities.

When I walked around the house taking photos of the altars, I realized how many we have. One in every room, a few in the living room.

It all started a few Septembers ago, when we decided to put out a Ganesh statue during his celebration month. Every day we lit a candle, changed the flower, and thought about obstacles that we wanted removed in our lives.

The second September we did this, we decided we wouldn't take it down. And then they grew from there.

Lakshmi at the top of our steps.

The act of building an altar can be a spiritual act in and of itself. Choosing what to put on it, arranging it, keeping it neat. But it is the daily usage of the altar -- the acts of devotion -- that give it power.

This is important.

An altar can have anything on it -- religious or not. It doesn't matter. What matters is the intent behind the altar.

What matters with an altar -- and with life -- is the essential question: "To what am I devoted?"

Are you devoted to an old, out worn identity for yourself? Are you devoted to a life that is getting you nowhere, not fulfilling you? Are you devoted, for instance, to concepts that keep you stuck and unhealthy?

And what are the unwritten rules of these devotions? Do you think, for example, that being so busy your head is spinning means you are a good person? Do you think that foregoing your own needs in favor of others' needs, even when it makes you feel bitter, makes you a good Christian/Buddhist/fill in the blank?

To what are you devoted?

Build an altar to it. Light a candle every day. Remind yourself. Then go about your day acting on that devotion.

I am devoted to my partner and my cats and my rabbit and this house and the land on which it sits and my writing and yoga. That's about it. Yes, I have friends. Yes, I have other interests (too many of them). But this small list comes first. It has to; we all only have so much time.

Are you wasting your time devoting yourself to keeping up with the Jones's? Are you wasting your time saying "no" to your heart's deepest desires?

Stop. Today. Right this minute.

Say "yes" to all those ignored whispers of yearning.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mary represents, for me, the ultimate "yes," in that
she said yes to life knowing the pain it would hold for her;
the possible joy overrode the fear.

A BlissQuest challenge for the weekend: Make a list of your priorities. Make it only six items long. Think about being devoted to these priorities. When you use the language of devotion, it can help to clear away the clutter.

Go around your house and gather items that represent one or more of these devotions and set up an altar. Spend time with this space. Light a candle. Just sit and think upon your images. Light some incense. Say a prayer, make a wish, visualize your goals. Whatever works for you.

I'd love to know what you come up with!