YEAR OF ZEN: SPRING: DAY 89

Q: Do you align or resonate with a spiritual or religious tradition?

A: Growing up I was raised Mormon and I aligned with it until my late teens. Then I began asking questions and the belief system crumbled under their weight. I have found this to be the case with any structured religious tradition, particularly ones that ask you to rely on faith while simultaneously asking for your money. When that ship sailed, I began spending time in reflection in the mountains and deserts of Utah. It was during this time that I began fashioning my personal philosophy around the value and necessity of living a grounded, ethical, and principled life. Time has shown me the value of this while reaffirming that it is free and open to anyone. Spiritual lessons and wisdom can help broaden, strengthen, and clarify but at ground zero being a good person who does good in the world isn’t bound to spending time within the walls of any church or limited by the constraints of any one orthodoxy.