I was playing with my two-year-old the other day, when I noticed the malodorous emanations coming from her diapered region. Sure enough, only moments later she grinned and proudly announced: “I made a poop.” Then she happily turned her attention back to her toys. Obviously, my next suggestion was a diaper change. She immediately became irate.
“Leave my poop alone!” she exclaimed indignantly. And continued playing.
Once I was done laughing, I gave her outburst some thought.
We’ve all been there. Sometimes we don’t want to notice that we’re sitting in a big mess of our own making. We are so determined to continue doing what we’re doing that we’d rather sit around in our own “poop” (substitute the adult word if you like!) than change our ways. We’ve all been offered assistance from the Universe, from our Higher Self, our Guides, our family, and our friends – assistance that would clean up our mess and give us a nice fresh start. But we were probably so invested in staying where we are, in doing things our own way, that we were not open to receiving what was offered.
Often, we don’t surrender to the need for change until things really start to smell.
Can we cultivate the spiritual maturity to change our ways – our thoughts, our beliefs, our perspectives – as soon as they start creating a mess in our lives? Can we surrender and lie on our backs for a while as we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and open to receiving what we need?
Blessings,
Andrea
P.S. I just realized that I found a spiritual lesson within a poopy diaper. I don’t know whether that’s alarming or really, really cool.
Filed under: Embrace Your Highest Path and Purpose • Releasing Limiting Beliefs • Spiritual Development
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Andrea, it is really, really cool that your spiritual awareness can include a poopy diaper and what a child can teach us by their innocence.
Hi Andrea, one of the most entertaining and enlightening post I have read for today.
Such profound reflections from poop…
It’s funny yet frustrating sometimes. Just yesterday I was talking to my friend who’ve always wanted slim down. However she’s the typical foodie who lives to eat. Place any delicacies in front of her and her slimming resolutions fly out of the window.
We spoke about this many times and she knows where her uncontrolled diet is taking her. Yet, she is happy sitting in her pile of poop, while we watch on. Ha!
I vote for “cool” too!
Where else would those lessons be?
I can think of nowhere you’re more likely to find spiritual insight than 1 – in someone you love and 2 – in the most common place actions of your daily life.
Talk about “magic in the mundane” …
The word “poop” always makes me laugh – if I use it rather than it’s adult equivalent, it lightens me up and makes me realise that I don’t have to always take life so seriously, and that spiritual growth can actually be fun too
PS, I also think it’s cool rather than alarming. What’s that Zen thingie again… before enlightenment chop wood and sweep floors, after enlightenment chop wood and sweep floors… we sometimes think that spiritual lessons need to be big and dramatic, yet they’re usually found in everyday stuff.
Great post, thank you!
Thanks for the kind positive feedback, everyone!
Patricia, I agree that there are so many lessons to be learned from children. Although this was my first lesson derived from a diaper change.
Lawrence, your comment perfectly illustrates exactly the point – thank you so much for adding a perfect example!
Slade and Mags, too true that lessons in spirituality come from the every day. It’s been challenging to always find them within the relentlessness of mothering a toddler, so I’m glad I finally got there!
Blessings to all,
Andrea
Children teach adults so much about candidness. Youngsters can laugh so easily at themselves, never questionthink being direct and non-judgmental. Why is it that people so often condition themselves to distinguish what is good and bad, judge what is thinkable or unthinkable, and decide what is completely natural should be embarassing or unmentionable? Kids teach us a lot, providing we choose to listen.