Getting Down to Brass Tacks Brass tacks have always been part of my life. When I was a little girl, I had a wonderful mirrored dressing table in my bedroom with a billowy skirt that was attached at the top by brass upholstery tacks. The skirt hung from two hinged arms that could be parted to reveal a little drawer and a small enclosure concealed behind them. As a small child, I loved to hide under the dressing table in this secret place. Once in a while, the skirt would pull away from its nails and my father would have to come and hammer the brass tacks back into place. Occasionally, when a certain task needed to be completed, my father would say “Time to get down to brass tacks!” I’d immediately think of my dressing table, but of course, I came to learn that getting down to brass tacks had a whole other meaning. Referring to their use as staples of the upholstery business where studded nails are often used to secure pieces of fabric to the framework of a chair or sofa, getting down to brass tacks refers to stripping away all that is not essential in order to arrive at the basic facts of a situation. Let’s apply this idea to our inner life. Are we faithful to the discipline of daily prayer? Are we taking care of soul business? Stripping away all that is non-essential to our lives to get down to the brass tacks of spiritual growth? When we are committed to evolving spiritually –in other words, becoming more aware of our true nature as spiritual beings and our connection to the Source -- we often feel the need to divest ourselves of the unnecessary trappings of our lives. We may feel the urge to shed things on all levels -- from pounds on our bodies to clothing in our closets. Our urge to get free of clutter and clear our circuits may extend to cutting out meaningless activities and unproductive relationships that drain rather than energize us. Like an armchair that must be stripped down to its frame before it can be re-upholstered, we have to cut away the frills and superficial layers of our lives in order to allow the truth of our essential nature to emerge. Then, we can begin to live from the authenticity of that awareness. We may add new decorative touches to the basic structure of our lives but the underlying foundation remains sound and true. So how do we get down to brass tacks? I know of no better way than to practice prayer and meditation faithfully and consistently. As we come into more and more perfect alignment with our own master-craftsman within through daily spiritual work, we automatically begin to shed all that is not in sync with who we are. Everything that does not support our growth or square with the Truth of us as spiritual beings simply drops away. As we focus on the fundamental business of living – getting down to brass tacks -- we start from a sound premise and our growth as spiritual beings knows no bounds. Today let’s affirm: I am willing to release everything that is no longer a Divine part of my life. I build my life on the firm foundation of God’s Love. pearlgem7.wordpress
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:20:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015