Betsy Chasse: Are these shoes spiritual?

Recently I have encountered many people who talk about living “spiritual truth” or speaking of “Spiritual truth” as if someone actually knows exactly what that is. I’m telling you right now – I haven’t a clue. I have an opinion. Usually when something keeps popping up for me I know it’s time for a closer look. Many philosophies/religions have their own versions of “Spiritual truth” which often sound the same, but are different enough so that the one espousing them can lay claim to actually having the real truth, the right truth. I have wondered myself lately what it means to be “spiritual”. What is “spiritual”?  Because often I feel like I don’t fit into the “spiritual” cool club. I wear polyester blend clothes, cuss like a truck driver, Smoke, I eat red meat and to borrow a line from my good friend (comedienne – Vanda Mikoloski) I’m not lactose intolerant. I’m not knocking any of this- it’s just not what I do. But does that make me less spiritual? When I looked up “spiritual Truth” online (yes, because of course, that’s where you’ll find the most credible information) – this is what I found as the first answer:

Spiritual Truths Any Science or Law that is in complete harmony with the Divine Forces or Nature or of the Universe.

Harmony with the divine forces of nature? What does that mean? I can be in harmony with a tornado – that would probably be accurate.  But is that a good thing or a bad thing? Is everything divine? Some say it is. Some say it isn’t. I kinda think everything is divine in it’s own way. But, What The Bleep Do I Know?! Whenever I’m at a party or event and this topic comes up someone always has to bring out the starving children or killing babies as if to shock me and say, “So you think killing babies is ok” – Really?! You actually think I believe Killing babies is ok? Come on- let’s get real. When someone says something like that I realize that they actually don’t know what spiritual truth means either. And you know what – it’s ok. I happily admit that I don’t know myself, and for the record, I’m not fond of killing anything (except my Buddha’s – wink wink). So, Is everything spiritual? What does spiritual mean?

spir·it·u·al/ˈspiriCHo͞oəl/ Of, relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

Ok so Human spirit – I get that – but a really great pair of shoes can do wonders for my human spirit, so does that make those shoes spiritual? It says in the definition no to material things- damn, but wait until you see these shoes! So then is everyone a spiritual person? We all have a soul or so we think we do – (Science is still debating that one, I guess) We like to believe everyone is spiritual – or at least I do. It sounds nice and sort of warm and fuzzy don’t you think? But when someone says, “I’m a spiritual person” what are they saying? I often ask them “What do you mean?” I get lots of different answers, but they all come down to the same thing – they mean they are on some sort of “spiritual path” or they are practicing some sort of philosophy, ideology, religion –whatever you want to call it. Ok, so being a spiritual person means you are following some sort of path, religion, belief system. Isn’t everybody? I mean an atheist has a belief even if their belief is that there is nothing to believe in. But some say they aren’t spiritual (especially the Atheist!) Often the same people tell me they are awake and are working towards awakening others. I’m thinking to myself- you know its kinda snuggly under that blanket of ignorance.  I mean if someone has to tell me there awake… you get the drift. Can one be aware and not awake?  What’s the difference? To me, aware is when I can observe myself in a way that allows me to see the whys in my actions, thoughts or feelings. But it doesn’t mean that I actually choose to make the choice that’s probably best. It just means I’m aware of my choices. I am aware of the people and things in my life and their meaning to me, there reflections back to me. Awake, in my humble opinion, means that I have no awareness other than being all things simultaneously, I am always connected to everything and therefore my beingness, my every action, my choice comes from the highest vibration, power, source… I am living in a state of constant connection. Clearly I am not that. So I would rather say I’m usually aware, but not awake. So does living Spiritual Truth mean you’re aware of the laws and science of the divine forces of the universe? And you’re trying to live in harmony with them? If so, then I would say everybody is living spiritual truth because I find it to be human nature to want to live in harmony, even if that harmony isn’t in harmony with you! And because we are living we are in harmony since everything is in divine harmony with everything else. Whew! Who gets to decide what’s harmonious? So we’ve examined what is Spiritual but what about Truth? What is the definition of truth?

Truth [trooth] noun, plural truths  [troothz, trooths] 1. the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth. (This is sort of funny if you think about it- truth as a state of matter! – language can really be a tricky thing can’t it!) 2. conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement. 3. a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths. 4. the state or character of being true. 5. actuality or actual existence.

So there is TRUTH and then there is opinion, which is often confused as truth, mostly because we like to think our opinions are right and if they are right they are true. Right? I’ve decided from now on I am going to spell truth TROOTH. Because the trooth is- trooth has become objective. Trooth is another word for opinion (Of which I have many). We have forgotten TRUTH is a fact –something that can be proven – like it’s a truth that I have a tattoo of a Rampant Feline on my ankle. That is an undeniable truth. A TROOTH is that I think that tattoo is spiritual. Whew! So now I get it. I am living MY SPIRITUAL TROOTH, which may be the same or different then your Spiritual Trooth, but the trooth is you and I are one so we are actually living THE spiritual truth which is that we are all divine beings attempting to live in harmony with the divine forces of nature – which is actually everything. Even though that everything might not be the everything you think is the truth it’s probably somebody elses trooth – which is in trooth you. Got it?! By the way,  I am working on a new film and would love for you to be involved. Click here to check it out!