So, the challenge this week for “The Happiness Project” is to imitate your spiritual master.
Well! I’m one of those Easter-Christmas Church-Goers, so I guess it’s obvious that Jesus Christ is not my spiritual master. I know very little about Ghandi and Mother Teresa. And I haven’t read The Tao of Pooh since college. For a second, I thought I was going to have to forego this challenge. Thankfully, Gretchen Rubinn’s weekly video gave me some clarity and I was able to make my decision almost immediately. When choosing your spiritual master, she said to ask yourself:
“What is it about this person that’s resonating with me? What is it about their teaching that makes me want to learn more about them?”
Rubinn goes on to say that for a long time her spiritual master was Winston Churchill, someone whom she became so interested in that she read many books about him and even received a Chruchill figurine for her birthday. So, who is my spiritual master? I’m surprised I didn’t think of her immediately. (I suppose the word “spiritual” threw me off.)
My spiritual master is someone I’ve admire since I was about 10 years old. I was thought she was beautiful and talented. She always appeared graceful and intelligent. She never seemed pretentious or conceited. I’ve always wanted to be like her. Audrey Hepburn has been my “spiritual master” for many years.
At first I was drawn to her for superficial reasons. She was a dancer and a movie star. She was beautiful and had a lovely-sounding accent. When she died, I bought and saved the People Magazine and the Special Edition People Magazine. (I think I still have them, actually.) Reading those magazine articles made me want to read more about her. Not only was she beautiful, she was also generous. She was an actress and philanthropist. And while she was talented, she was also humble and grateful for the life she had. If it was even possible, she became more wonderful in my eye.
As an adult, I came across a beautifully written biography of Hepburn. I was impressed by how she put so many people first, but still managed to take care of and always stick up for herself. I think sometimes I get frustrated trying to do that. Usually I take my frustration out on the people who are there to support me. And, even when I manage to be there for others, I sometimes feel let down if they don’t notice or appear indifferent. She was smart. And she was happy. I think that was what stuck with me most. Even during the down times of her life, she always had positive things to do and say. Sometimes I just get so caught up in the negativity of my surroundings. The people, the news, the never-ending expectations – I get stuck in a funk of sadness, self-pity, frustration, guilt, etc. In other words, you name it, I get stuck there. I know for certain that that is not how I want to go through my life. Hepburn didn’t and neither should I.
Below are some of her most famous quotes, along with a short clip of an interview with her on the Phil Donahue show in 1990. Her elegance, sophistication, happiness and love are contagious. So, I guess this week my goal is to imitate her. Just don’t be surprised if I show up to work in a black dress and pearls.
"For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."
"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."
"The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters."
"You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him."
"Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others."
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