Warm Fuzzy Stories
Many of those who read books and articles on self-development and spiritual growth enjoy what I would call “warm fuzzy stories.” At the movies, we often refer to them as tear jerkers. These stories can be very inspirational and they evoke strong emotions.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am touched by many of these warm fuzzy stories. But let’s take it a step farther. Do these stories contribute significantly to your spiritual growth? My answer is “no.” You might come to a different conclusion.
These stories often involve injury, death or some other form of suffering. Granted, there is often a positive end to the story, which may leave you uplifted, crying or both. But does this affect your understanding of your divine connection in a meaningful way? Do you behave any differently because you were touched by this story?
Sure, we get a warm fuzzy feeling and we respect and admire the person in the story for what he or she experienced or overcame. Reading the story will improve our attitude and give us positive feelings in the short term. That is extremely valuable in itself. But feelings alone don’t enhance spiritual growth or foster a closer connection to God.
Think about the stories you have read over the years that fit within this category. I’ve read many hundreds or even thousands of them. I’m guessing many of you can say the same. How many of these stories can you repeat to me now? Perhaps a handful, at best. Can you describe how your behavior changed, or how your relationship to God changed, as a result of reading these stories?
Let’s say you read one of these stories on your computer before leaving for work. Do you treat people differently that day as a result of reading the story? Do you express more love that day? Do you show more compassion that day? Do you have less anxiety?
My answer to those questions is “no.” Of course, at the time I was reading the story, I believed that I was somehow gaining some spiritual understanding. But it was not lasting. As I look back, I can see that I often felt sorry for the person who experienced the tragedy or suffered the loss of a loved one. I felt inspired by the way they handled the crisis. Yet, I don’t remember the details of any of these stories now, and I can’t specifically tell you how they enhanced my spiritual growth.
That’s why you won’t see many of these kinds of stories in this newsletter. There are some stories published here that could be called warm and fuzzy. They may involve death and tragedy. But I select them because, in my view, they go beyond the temporary activation of our emotions.
The person who has gained some degree of spiritual growth does not need a warm fuzzy story to strengthen his or her divine connection. That person sees God in everything, even in the most mundane. In addition, I’ve found that spiritual growth rarely comes from what we read about others. That can be a trigger, but then we have to ask the hard questions and have the courage to follow the answers we hear.
The spiritual journey challenges us. It usually requires that we be willing to go through some uncomfortable feelings to learn more about ourselves and our connection to God. When we are truly ready to advance on our spiritual path, the rug is often pulled out from under us. We feel that we are being tossed around and that many of the things we held dear are crumbling.
I’m not against warm fuzzy stories. On some level, they help us to connect with each other. However, for those of us interested in expanding our spiritual awareness, I don’t think the answers are to be found by reading those stories. We need to take a look at our own stories, our own beliefs, our own behaviors. We won’t always feel good in the short term by doing that kind of investigation, but we open the way to meaningful spiritual growth and positive feelings over the long term.
Let your eyes get watery as you calm the raging thoughts of your mind and discover the beauty of the silence that emerges. Let your eyes get watery as you loosen the hold of your ego and your attachments. Let your eyes get watery as you begin to open your heart and recognize who you are.
– Jeff Keller
© 2008