I am referred to as a spiritual teacher. At least that is what my students call me. Nowadays we can be called anything from "life coaches" (although what I do is far from coaching!) to "transformational intuitives." I never liked the title Spiritual Teacher... sounds so lofty and a bit unreachable. Labels have always been a bone of contention for me, locking people in a box for a convenient way to understand them always seems wrong. But for now, since I do teach about spirituality (among other things), I will keep that label.
My Perfect Love Awakening (www.placlasses.org) classes and seminars have been around since 1977. Teaching literally just fell into my lap, never thinking I had anything of value to share with the world. One day, after subbing for my own spiritual teacher (coerced kicking and screaming, I should say), a fellow student approached me and said, I quote: "You seem to know a lot of stuff. Would you consider teaching me?" I gasped, looked her square in the eye and heard this very loud conversation in my head. It went something like this: "Are you crazy? I don't know a thing! I can't teach you anything! Holy shit that is the silliest thing I have ever been asked to do!" And, out of my mouth came a calm, self-assured: "Sure, I'd love to! Bring your friends and I will start a class!"
Maybe you have experienced a moment that you absolutely know is the turning point of your life. A moment when the stars align and everything falls into place. A moment when it becomes clear to you why you are on this planet at this moment in time. A clear awareness of why you experienced everything you have ever experienced.
That totally illogical moment became the turning point of my life. To this day, over 30 years later, it still blows my mind how perfect that experience was to, shall we say, inspire me (read: kick me in the butt!) to start teaching. If that hadn't occured, I know I would still be talking about starting classes 'someday.' Ah, the Grand Perfection of everything rocks!
That woman, plus eight of her closest friends, arrived in my living room a few weeks later. I sat on my suddenly very undersized couch hugging a pillow, looking at their expectant faces, literally shaking in my boots. Or sandals. I started to talk, and with a lot of stuttering and stammering and blushing, I somehow got a lecture out. I don't think I looked up from my notes for even a second. I also don't remember what I talked about. I do remember praying silently that no one ask any questions (please God, don't let them ask my anything cause I have no idea what I am talking about), and apparently my prayers were heard! Phew!
Even through all my terror, the group liked the class enough to return the following week. And eight more weeks after that.
When the class would go home, I would play back the tape of what I had said, sitting on my bed sobbing. What the hell am I doing, I would ask myself. I have no idea what I'm teaching these people, and who do I think I am doing this!
Yet, they came commitedly each week and started spreading the word about These Amazing Classes That Royce is Teaching.
Each class that showed up became my best teacher, teaching me more about what I was doing. I began to trust what was spontaneously coming out of my mouth; I felt connected to a Higher Source of energy that was leading the way. Thirty years later I am proud to say I opened a center in Redondo Beach and taught thousands of people. All arriving by word of mouth. All coming because a friend got value from what I was talking about.
It still amazes me.
Yet, now-a-days it takes a lot more than just opening up your living room to get a message out there. Twitter, Facebook, websites, oh my.
And so here I am. My first blog.
Do come back as I get to learn more about this new world of staying connected! Feel free to give feedback, and even questions! I'm better at answering them now!
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