I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness project.
One of the most universal spiritual practices is the imitation of a spiritual master as a way to gain understanding and discipline. For example, in Christianity, many people study The Imitation of Christ and ask themselves, "What would Jesus do?"
In the secular world, I suspect, people often read biographies for spiritual reasons: they want to study and learn from the example of great lives. As a writer, I steeped myself in the lives of Winston Churchill and John Kennedy, and it seems to me that much of the fascination in these two towering figures comes from people's desire to imitate their great qualities (though of course they both also had some not-so-great qualities).
Oprah is a spiritual master for a lot of people; also, I think, Warren Buffett is a source of inspiration for many. Some lucky people have found a spiritual master within their set of personal relationships.
For my happiness project, I decided to study and imitate a spiritual master -- but whom? I didn't feel a particular affinity for any potential masters, until I came across St. Therese of Lisieux. I'd become interested in St. Therese after I saw her praised in Thomas Merton's famous memoir, The Seven Storey Mountain. I'd been so surprised to see the cranky, monkish Merton write reverently about the sappily-named "Little Flower" that I was curious to read her spiritual memoir, The Story of a Soul. Since then, I've developed a mini-obsession with St. Therese. I have almost twenty biographies of her, and, indulging in a (not so) modest splurge, I spent $75 on a book of photographs of her. Ah, St. Therese! She is the perfect spiritual master for me -- the fact that I'm not Catholic doesn't change that.
What figure would you choose to be your spiritual master? It might be obvious to you; it might take you some serious reflection. Once you've identified a spiritual master, try to learn more about his or her life; think about why you picked that particular figure; and, most importantly, how to incorporate the lessons of that life into your own life.
For example, when I was annoyed when the woman working next to me at the library kept sighing noisily, I was inspired by St. Therese: she tells the story of how she once broke into a sweat at the effort to conquer her annoyance when a fellow nun made maddening clicking noises during evening prayers. I could relate.
I'm curious to know what spiritual masters other people have adopted. Have you found someone whose life or teaching has captivated you? If you've identified your spiritual master, please post it -- I, and I'm sure other people, would be very interested to see the range of choices.
* A few months ago, I visited my sister in Los Angeles, and it really is striking how car-centric life is there -- one of my favorite things about New York City is that I never have to drive. It was interesting to watch this video showing what L.A. would look like if cars disappeared. Weird to see the streetlights changing, with no one watching them.
* Did I ever happen to mention that The Happiness Project hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list? Oh right, I did. Yay! If you're curious about the book, you can...
Read sample chapters!
Watch the one-minute book trailer!
Listen to a few chapters of the audiobook!