One of the greatest misconceptions we often hold, both about ourselves and others, is that someone on a spiritual path somehow transcends the everyday struggles of being human. We imagine a state of perpetual serenity, where concerns vanish, and moments of weakness are a distant memory. The truth, my friends, is far more nuanced and, I believe, far more beautiful.

I can tell you from my own experience, being on a path of awakening is much like peeling back an onion. Just when you think you've understood something, or mastered a particular challenge, a new layer reveals itself, bringing with it fresh insights and, yes, new lessons to learn. Despite all the mantras I write, the meditations I practice, or the spiritual texts I study, I still grapple with moments of self-doubt, feelings of unworthiness, and even a sense of irrelevance. It's a daily practice, a constant, conscious effort, to separate my true Self from the fleeting, often noisy, thoughts that try to define me. It is only the tools I've learned, and the very ones I continue to teach, that serve as my anchors, keeping me somewhat sane and gently moving forward.

I was recently reminded of this by a minister friend of mine. She relayed a story about a board member who was constantly at odds with her, convinced that my friend wasn't spiritual enough to lead. The board member's reasoning? My friend had expressed a concern about something seemingly mundane, something that, in the board member's mind, should have simply been "left to Spirit to handle." Therefore, in her eyes, my friend couldn't be trusted to lead. This is a classic example of projecting one's own idealized, and frankly, unrealistic, notions of spirituality onto another. It's a fear of imperfection, perhaps even a fear of their own humanness, that gets projected onto someone else.

We are all exquisitely human. To think that any one of us is going to suddenly never have a concern, never experience moments of weakness, or never feel the weight of our human experience is simply unworkable. It's an expectation that sets us up for disappointment, both in ourselves and in others. The spiritual journey isn't about eradicating our humanity; it's about integrating it.

What we can genuinely hope for, and actively work towards, is the ability to see through the concern, to see through the weakness, and to consistently find a path forward. It's about acknowledging the struggle without becoming consumed by it. It's about recognizing the thought as just a thought, the feeling as just a feeling, and choosing our response.

So, I offer you this challenge today: allow for your humanity to show up. Allow for your perfect imperfections to be seen, both by yourself and, where appropriate, by others. Don't beat yourself or anyone else up for these moments. Instead, approach them with curiosity and compassion, and see what new pathways open up when you release the need for an unrealistic ideal. Keep taking those steps forward, keep peeling the layers off the onion, and trust that beneath it all, what you will increasingly see and feel is pure, unconditional love.