this is day 2 of my participation in the virtual book tour of dr. joe capista’s book what can a dentist teach you about business, life and success? i’m interested in what dr. capista has to say about spirituality. yesterday we looked at his experience with retreats. today he talks about his experience with a bible study group.
if you’re not christian, please don’t run away! nobody is going to try to convert you to anything here.
listen:
i have also deepened my spiritual practices by participating in a gospel reflection group that meets every friday morning. i have attended sessions for the last few years with a group of very successful business owners, mostly high-powered men who have a diverse mix of backgrounds, experiences and religions. we connect by way of a gospel reading, which we then relate to daily life and the things we should or could be doing better.
this gospel group has been very revealing. to hear other men, who i admire and respect for what they have accomplished, share their insights is incredible. they know the importance spirituality plays in their life. their commitment to balance is remarkable. they are a group of men that hold fast to what they know. one of the sayings we have there is, “once you know, you cannot not know.”
this simply means once a truth has been revealed to you, it is difficult to act on an old behavior that is no longer in your best interest or serves your highest good. for example, in our group we have discussions about honesty in business, fidelity in our marriage, and living a life of integrity. although any one of us could act on a behavior or a moment’s temptation, we will likely choose not to. not because we couldn’t get away with something and hide something from others, it is because in our heart we would know we went against the core values we live by.
this is very rich material. for me, living my spirituality day by day, moment by moment, is something that i aspire to with all my heart. (hm, isn’t that interesting? “aspiring” is so much stronger than “trying”). it so happens that christianity is just one part of my spirituality – i’m one of those crazy christian-pagan buddhists – but i know how deeply enriching the communal study of sacred text can be. there is an additional layer of depth when this is done with people with whom you’re not “supposed” to talk about spirituality. your business partners. your golf buddy. your co-workers.
what’s it like when you risk talking about things that deeply matter to you? can you do it? if yes, what works for you? if it’s too risky, what would help you do it?
(image by flitzy phoebe)