By Sherry Dolejsi
What a memorable week I have had! Last Wednesday, I was rejuvenated by Jill Inglis’ beautiful meditation and affirmative prayer. She shared a fitting Ernest Holmes’ quote from which I immediately adopted the notion of ‘living life effortlessly.’
This is diametrically opposed to my upbringing, which instilled in me that ‘life is hard’ - NEVER had I considered otherwise: live hard, work hard, and, if you have time, play hard. At this moment, I am baffled at how my ever-positive outlook was even birthed…and yet, there it is. So, the Possibility of an effortless life has now taken hold of my imagination.
On Thursday, the idea of this Possibility was put to an extreme test when I attended a virtual Round Table Discussion on Homelessness in the Delta, Surrey, and White Rock Areas. It is no surprise that my heart was heavy after listening to 90-minutes of reality about ‘who, what, when, where, why, and how’ of our local homeless. Sigh. I suppose we should not be surprised that Covid-19 and the need to socially distance has drastically reduced the number of spaces available in shelters, thus creating the need to find more locations, especially during times of extreme weather – when being homeless becomes a life-and-death condition.
As CSL White Rock tithes 10% of our income, I attended this Interfaith Zoom event to learn how we could direct funds towards alleviating hardships being lived every day in our own neighbourhoods. Frankly, after the meeting, I even wondered if any trifling donation from us would make a dent. A voice in my head reminded me of the story of the little girl on the beach tossing starfish back into the surf, as she is approached by a passerby who advises her how her efforts could not make a difference to these thousands of stranded starfish – to which she picks up another starfish, tosses it into the sea and replies, ‘It made a difference to that one.’
My new motto of living life effortlessly encourages me to reach out to our community to consciously hold the homeless in mind; to donate warm gloves, socks, hats, clothing; to contribute food, funds, and gifts; to offer spaces in vacant or temporarily unused facilities that could shelter the homeless during extreme weather; and whatever other possible means of support that may come to mind.
In Sunday’s talk, Rev. Cassandra Rae shared affirmations from Ernest Holmes’ book, This Thing Called You:
'I am always equal to any task set before me.
I am confident of my ability to meet every situation.
I can solve every problem, overcome every difficulty.
Realizing that Spirit knows no obstruction, I have implicit confidence in Its ability to operate through me always, and under every situation.'
Living life effortlessly means having ‘implicit confidence’ that I am never alone. It means remembering that I don’t have to do everything by myself. How profoundly grateful I am to know this Truth.
About Sherry Dolejsi
Sherry retired in 2017, from a whirlwind career of teaching phenomenal grade 6 and 7 students, and moved to a +55 community in Abbotsford. The one-hour journey to visiting her two wonderful sons, amazing daughters-in-law, and 3 incredible grandchildren provides opportunities to chat (hands-free) with her five siblings. Unpredictably, Covid-19’s limitations have gifted her with growing computer skills, increased self-care, enriched spiritual practice, and time for creative endeavours. Serving as President of the Board of Trustees for CSL White Rock has been a blessing.
About the Centre for Spiritual Living White Rock
We envision a world that naturally expresses Love. We’re on a mission to awaken humanity to its Spiritual Magnificence. We offer tools for transformation, authentic self-expression, and conscious living. We believe that spiritual community is key in living a life of purpose and meaning. We gather to inspire, support, and invite heartfelt connection that empowers the soul.
Check our online calendar of events to find upcoming guided meditations and Sunday gatherings