Ep. 20: Paradox

To get to my own spiritual path, I first had to clear away the overgrowth of my brain. I am a smart person, but I was also raised by parents who valued education. I am incredibly grateful for that, and I still find a tremendous joy in learning new things and wrestling with complicated concepts.But one of the side effects of my rigorous academic upbringing was my reliance on logic and rationality to meet every challenge and solve every problem. It worked really well, until it didn’t.So much of my personal and spiritual growth has been about unlearning my reliance on intellect, and learning new ways to connect, understand, and grow.Paradox is the fastest way through the intellectual brambles to my wisdom path.In this episode, I share the definitely of paradox, along with a few personal and universal examples. (Hint: if you’ve ever fallen in love, you understand paradox.) I also explain why I value paradox so much that I include it in my 12 core spiritual principles.Are you enjoying Curious Hearts? Why not share it:Mentions & References* Laura Lundgren’s review) Madeline L’Engle* Becca Rich (ep. 2 of Curious Hearts)* Douglas Brooks (tantric philosophy, sammelana)* Ramana Maharshi (the thief and the policeman)* Rumi (“out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field.”)* Flatland by Edwin AbbottThank youIf you’re craving spiritual guidance or looking for more meaning in your work, reach out, or find ways to work with me at veralester.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit veralester.substack.com/subscribe