I consider myself spiritual, but not exactly religious. I wouldn't say I'm superstitious, either, but I have a longstanding ritual that I observe every time I send out a manuscript, proposal, or demo materials.Up for a crazy cool co-author gig, I FedExed copies of my last two books to the prospective client today. Before I handed over the package, I kissed it, pressed it to my forehead, and whispered, "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace." That's the only prayer I allow myself to speak on behalf of my career, because so often the things we think would be super chilly awesome blow up in our faces, and the things that we would have never in a million years thought to pray for pay out big time.
It took me a long time to figure out that this is the essence (for me) of faith. Not that I believe with unshakable certainty that God will hear and obey my mandates, but that I am peaceful and open to any of the possible tides and eddies of the Tao.
Remember that classic Stevie Wonder song?
Very superstitious, writing's on the wall
Very superstitious, ladders bout' to fall
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past
When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer.
Superstition ain't the way.
But I think it's better if you flip that last part.
When you don't understand things that you believe in,
Then you suffer.
Superstition ain't the way.
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