There is an inconspicuous little bird that brings a smile to my face. And that’s the treecreeper. This bird is hardly noticeable because of its brown plumage and you only see it if you pay close attention. If you’re lucky you’ll see these treecreepers spiraling up a tree trunk, searching the bark for insects.

The treecreeper’s climb is my symbol for the spiritual path. He starts his climb at the bottom of the tree and climbs higher and higher. I also see our spiritual growth and development as a climb, where we always ascend a little higher (and sometimes also fall down). The higher we go, the more our vibrational frequency increases. The higher we rise, the wider our view and the more we perceive of reality. And so it is when climbing a tree, the higher you climb towards the crown of the tree, the more you can see of the landscape.

The beauty of the treecreeper shows itself to me in its inconspicuousness. Also with the spiritual path I think it’s nice when people are unobtrusively involved with spirituality in their daily lives. I think acting cool and wanting to stand out is a sign of inner insecurity. It’s about being able to let go of what other people think of us.

Often people on the spiritual path are focused on what I call ‘spiritual fireworks’. In other words, the sensational, attractive ‘bells and whistles’ of the path. Think of: astral travel, being able to perceive auras and angels, speaking with guides, supernatural powers, etc. Don’t get me wrong… These are all beautiful, special experiences as far as I’m concerned. However, for me the sensation is not essential. I feel it’s more important to get the basics right first. Like the treecreeper, to start at the base at the bottom and then slowly, spiraling up the treetrunk.

The roots of the tree symbolize the beginning of our journey. This is the foundation from which the rest of the tree will spring. I would summarize the basis of a spiritual life with the following three principles: Unity Consciousness, Love and Wisdom. As far as I am concerned, this is the essence and foundation of spirituality.

I will explain these terms according to how I see them. When you awaken to the unity of life, you realize that we are all part of one overarching consciousness. We are all unique, individual expressions of the same divine energy. We are all one.

In other words, there is only a Subject. Everyone and everything you meet is You. When you realize you are one with the whole, a natural consequence is that you want to make a contribution to the whole. You want to take good care of yourself (everything and everyone).

Wisdom for me is applying life lessons in your daily life. You can have a lot of knowledge, but if you don’t apply it, it’s of no use. Then it remains only empty words which you don’t bring into the world. It is about applying and implementing wisdom. That we take responsibility for our lives and work with discipline and strength on what is really important to us.

Love is the energy with which we feel at home. True love is unconditional. You feel it for everything and everyone. I can best describe this energy with the word: ‘goosebumps’. When I feel this energy flowing, a gigantic power is released in me. Love gives you wings. When love flows through you, you suddenly have access to thoughts, solutions and possibilities that you cannot access with your lower vibrational frequency.

The higher your frequency, the higher your thinking. If you later fall back into a lower energy, the ‘doubt thoughts’ will immediately come up again. From that lower vibrational frequency it is difficult to arrive at the higher vibrational thoughts. It is then important to continue to choose: ‘Trust’. That you stay on track in terms of the life direction/opportunities and ideas you could feel when you felt the Love flowing and your vibrational frequency was high.

As with wisdom, it is important to ground the energy of love in everyday life. You give it a powerful expression by asking at every moment of choice in your life: What would love do now? This manifests itself in small kindnesses, a smile, being of service, gifts for your loved ones, a positive attitude and a strong attitude towards life during the storms of life. The power of love gives you the wings to overcome all obstacles.

As soon as we establish our spiritual basis by means of living these 3 principles strongly, the rest of the tree can grow. Thanks to this solid foundation, we can grow in a way that is really responsible. We continue to climb with a solid foundation that supports us well and that we can always fall back on.

I honor the small, inconspicuous treecreeper. He understood. Climb slowly and steadily from the base to the top. And don’t forget… You and me, the treecreeper, the tree, the love… we are all One.