54 Percent (Revised)

If he spoke not of Christ to you, you spoke not of Christ to him.

(A Course in Miracles)

Portfolio managers and analysts often report that - on average - they just manage to come up with 54 names out of 100 stocks in their portfolio that beat the benchmark. So in other words, the investors accept that in 46 of all cases they don't get their case right. Yet, the winners in their portfolios bails them out so that over the life-time of the investment, they end up making money for their clients.

I was reflecting on all this when I thought about my spiritual track record in my interactions with the people I work with. I am in the somewhat unique position that I mostly only have to deal with friends. But even in my shoes, some interactions appear more spiritual than others. Sometimes when we do strike a spiritual note, I am reminded why I am working in my profession in the first place, but often our conversations seem mundane and, in some cases even soul-less.

I sometimes hear in our spiritual community the view that it is our job to cut all transactional, soul-less and hostile exchanges out. True, over time we should be headed in that direction since it is us who let go of baggage along the WAY. Yet, until we reach that blissful state, we need to listen, we need to adjust, not judge. They say, "do what you have to do until you can do what you love to." That is my motto as well. Maybe my friend had a bad day, or maybe its me. Who knows! We light workers aren't saints either, there are days when our own fears and prejudices get the upper hand. Should we blame our conversation partner for it? 

Just as a portfolio manager only has himself to blame for picking the wrong stock, I never consciously cut out any of my conversations partner unless I get some very clear signals that they prefer to head in a different direction that does not include me. Often I don't even need to cut people out, they just disappear naturally from my life, and I always accept that without trying to fight the unavoidable. 

So never mind a wrong tone, a missed step or an annoying conversation as long as you promise to try to do better the next day around. Work on yourself instead. Cut out all the conflicting energies that are running through you, and  focus on your spiritual homework. The environment you are operating in only mirrors back to you what you are all about. You are not here to change the world, you are here to change your mind about the world, as the Course in Miracles puts it so well. The world is here to show you the WAY. Who knows what the right percentage is. There will always be days when we are more human than divine for that's our biological heritage that we can't deny either. What I have learned from my job is that sometimes we just have to lay low for a while and let the storm clouds or the unfavorable star constellations pass.

Discover your FUNCTION in life and see for yourself that all interactions get deeper and more meaningful all the time. I can't tell you what the right percentage of having spiritually rewarding interactions in the end will be, but I can tell you that by with GOD, the odds will always be on your side.