Spiritual growth is rarely easy. There is no quick fix. You do not get to snap your fingers and have your world change before your eyes. We are on the road home. You may choose to walk this road as a tourist, being just an observer, but something more profound is calling you.
I think about God every day. For many years concepts like God and spirituality rested on the periphery of my life. They were scenery that I could admire now and then. I was a spiritual tourist, an interested sightseer, spending a little time here and there, but always returning to my "real" life. Eventually real life became uncomfortable, and I looked to spiritual teachings as a tool - something I could use to get the things I wanted and needed. Life became more uncomfortable. Then I began to awaken.
Spiritual growth is rarely easy. There is no quick fix. You do not get to snap your fingers and have your world change before your eyes. When I began my spiritual search it was the search for a cure. Wiser now, I realize there is no cure to life. The meditation that promises to manifest all of your dreams; the book or cd set that claims to be the answer; the belief system that promises salvation - all of these are but fragments of the truth. Yet, truths can be found and the quality of your life can change for the better. My life has changed dramatically in the past seven years. What was once an empty terrain struggling for sustenance is now a lush landscape, rich in spirit, filled with new life. As I look back I see that I am still me, yet I am more. I perceive and live life differently.
I cannot tell you what you should do. I can only share my experiences knowing that, if you are willing, they will lead you deeper into your own inner landscape. This is where the road home begins. You may choose to walk this road as a tourist, being just an observer, but something more profound is calling you. It asks that you walk this road as both student and pilgrim, that you seek experiences which teach and transform. We are all called by this Inner Voice, but how many of us answer? How many of us are willing to break the mental bindings which limit us and separate us from ourselves, from each other, and from God? How many of us are willing to move beyond normalcy and become the glorious expression we are meant to be? This is the challenge now laid before us. Will we answer the call? Will we listen to the Voice of God within calling us home to our Self?
Listen within and learn. Many times you have felt that an action was not in your best interest, yet you did it anyway. Other times you felt inspired to take an action, but you held back out of fear Most of the time you were afraid to look within for guidance. You did not want to know. Trust. Remove the barriers you have put up between you and God and trust that your answers are within you.
Whatever is going on in your life is your spiritual course work. You cannot avoid doing the work. You will learn, and you will unlearn the ideas that have served as barriers in your path. Listen to the still small Voice. Be at peace, for you are loved and you will be shown the way.
For Adults Only -- The Shift
There is a lot of talk in spiritual circles about a shift in consciousness. It is important to understand that each person must make their own decision to change their respective individual consciousness, to grow up and become a spiritual adult.What Do You Intend?
Do you know what you want this year? You don't need to know how you will achieve it yet. "What" comes before "how". Most people can articulate what they don't want, but they have difficulty in being clear about what they do want. "Not this!" and "Something different" are not intentions. "Getting through the year" is aiming pretty low. What will you do with your precious life (and time) this year?Are You Better Off Now Than You Were 6 Months Ago?
Do you ask yourself this question: Am I better off now than I was then? By what criteria would you measure your response? I would suggest that you measure your life by the amount of joy, love, and peace you feel--by the level of positive expectancy you feel.