Be a Follower
What a relief it is to follow our lives rather than to lead them. What a relief it is to trust in God’s guidance without needing to analyze and justify. Many of us pray for guidance, but do we keep mind, body, and spirit clear and open enough that we will be able to sense the guidance when it comes? And when we do sense it, are we willing to follow it even if it sounds scary or inconvenient?
Most of us have been exposed to a lot of messages on leadership and following: Leadership is good, following is bad. "Think for yourself! You don’t want to be a sheep, do you?" There are books, tapes, videos and seminars to help us develop our leadership skills. There are no books, tapes, videos or seminars to help us develop our ability to follow others, or to follow a path. We prize "blazing our own trail; creating our own path."
But the ability to think for ourselves, to blaze our own trail, to lead the way for others, is only valuable if we also have the ability to follow a path, follow a guide or a set of commandments or vows, precepts, laws, etc. If we need to lead, we will lead ourselves into ego trouble.
I am happy to be a follower. I follow the basic principles of kindness and mercy at the heart of all great religions. I follow the Good Red Road of the Native Americans. I follow the advice of elders whom I trust and admire. I follow the wisdom found in scriptures, sacred stories and writings by teachers and masters. Some people refer to me as a spiritual leader, but it seems to me that any so-called leadership is merely sharing what I follow. Like the Buddha once said, "When a finger points to the moon, look at the moon, not at the finger." ~ Bo Lozof
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