***A Bridge to Somewhere

Clearly, the days of profligate spending are over. But that doesn't mean we won't spend at all in the next few months and years. It's just that we will spend more wisely now. Just like our government is investing in infrastructure as a way to move our economy forward, we should be planning to ...Clearly, the days of profligate spending are over. But that doesn't mean we won't spend at all in the next few months and years. It's just that we will spend more wisely now. Just like our government is investing in infrastructure as a way to move our economy forward, we should be planning to invest in our own spiritual infrastructure. Some of our own bridges and highways to heaven may have become a little rusty in the last few years and perhaps we have wasted time, money and energy in building bridges to nowhere.

Our most basic infrastructure is our spiritual awareness. It provides the rails on which we run the locomotive which is our life. However, seldom does a railway running through difficult terrain not need a trestle to bridge a chasm or two. The current financial and cultural meltdown is one such chasm. Our bridge to nowhere was not up to the job. It was built on greed and the idea that you can create wealth out of nothing. Not surprisingly, it collapsed.

Trestles that carried the old locomotives in the glorious days of steam were made of wood, rope, iron pegs and straps. In order not to be hurled into the ravine and be part of the train wreck, we must build a trestle of even stronger materials - our spiritual resources. If we engineer it well enough, use the right materials, employ the right tools, work with the right people and train our spiritual muscles, this kind of infrastructure will not fail us. It will give us the internal strength and the resources to overcome whatever adversity comes our way.

For me personally, my infrastructure is built on the philosophy of Radical Forgiveness because it gives me a context in which to perceive the crisis as meaningful and purposeful. I see it as a healing opportunity for the whole world and for each one of us. It allows me to feel the love that is running beneath the situation so I can let go of the fear and simply experience life as it happens. I also use the bridge that I call Radical Manifestation to lay down the rails on which I want to run my life into the future. It keeps me out of apathy and desperation because I know I can co-create my experience so long as I stay centered and conscious.

These tools create my infrastructure. They work for me. You may have tools of your own that help you build your spiritual infrastructure and will support you through difficult times. Whatever they are, make sure you take the time to use them. Use them to stay out of fear so you don't fall into the ravines of depression, hopelessness and apathy when the terrain gets rocky. Build a bridge to somewhere.