How Are You Different? Have You Changed? Questions to Assess Spiritual Progress

Many of us approach spiritual practices with an eye to doing them better and better.  We think we will master the technique.  There are all sorts of dangers to this approach of course--chief among them, that when we think we aren't mastering them, we may give up.

Take meditation, for example.  I used to try to empty my mind, and I would declare, "I'm no good at this."  But even the process of trying gave me a window into the way my brain spends its time.

I am now good at seeing various thoughts spiral and saying, "Hmm, my mood just took a dip because of what that person said to me.  Let me process this."

Once I thought that if I got really good at this process, there would come a day when my mood wouldn't dip at all.  My spiritual director at the time said that the goal of the process is to become more aware, that I wouldn't ever reach a time when others had no power to affect me.

At first, I was disappointed, but I've come to see the comfort in her words.

So, as we assess spiritual practices, perhaps we shouldn't ask ourselves questions about our mastery of the practice.  Maybe better questions are "Have you changed since starting this practice?  How are you different?"