When do we offer the most powerful testimony to our spiritual way of life? Is it when we’re riding high, walking tall and victorious? It’s been my experience that it’s the exact opposite. It’s in the moments of pain and discomfort that we have the opportunity to radiate our truth in a way that’s irresistible to those around us.

I remember a time in the early days of the my own personal journey  when we held weekly meditation gatherings in our home offices of The Healing Center in Red Deer, Alberta. There were more times than I can count where because of either physical pain, or emotional turmoil anyone in their right mind would have canceled a particular gathering. How could I provide inspiration, education, and leadership if I was immersed in the exact opposite?  People do not come to events to have the leader drag his butt into the room and struggle through the evening.

However, that’s not the way I chose to look at it. One of the underlying principles in our life and through osmosis our teachings is to “keep it real”. Too often sojourners on a journey of evolution and growth have this misconception that it will be this soft and fluffy walk through a garden of roses, daffodils, and sunshine.  I believe this comes from thinking our mentors and teachers are like actors in a spaghetti western movie. They never run out of bullets and never have to go to the bathroom. We take a brief glimpse of them through a two hour seminar and mistakenly extrapolate those 120 minutes into a picture of what every day must look like for them.

I don’t know about you but I’ve found that my walk is a little bit different. While it is the best path we can ever walk it does have it’s share of challenges and rough patches. It is in these experiences a priceless jewel lies. It is “easy” to stay true to your lofty principles when everything is going your way. It’s a whole different story when they are not.

It’s been my experience that the testimony that speaks the loudest both to our supporters and our critics is the latter.

It was in those gatherings where I kept true to my message and truth, allowing those gathered to witness my human frailties and pain while I kept on walking that I offered my strongest testimony. During those times I bared my soul before them and acknowledged I was tired, and sore, and hurt, and frustrated and still kept on walking.

This same priceless understanding plays out every day  in our interactions with those around us. It is in these moments that we can offer the strongest testament to the value of our beliefs and practices.

We aren’t “perfect”. We aren’t a super hero. We are not an actor from a Western movie.

We are “simply” ordinary people choosing to walk an extraordinary path.

Some days we walk victoriously through each moment and others we struggle.

But despite the ups and down we continue to choose to live.

And it’s in those moments of difficultly, that instead of hiding in a closet, or pasting a celluloid grin on our face and pretend everything’s okay, we allow those around us to see our frailties and keep on walking.

Keep on choosing to get busy living rather than get busy dying.

Choosing to live our beliefs even though it’s not easy.

That is when we truly speak to all those around us.

That true spirituality, growth, and expansion are not just something we blithely talk about but a powerful way of living.

And that speaks far louder than words ever could.