3 Steps How To Remove Your Inflated Ego And Free Yourself…

Psychology

August 3, 2017

Let us begin by looking at the development of the ego tendencies that we observe today:

The History Of Ego

At first, societies believed in the supremacy of the tribe over the individual. Collective consciousness of the tribe determined the place of the individual in the society and people considered themselves as a smaller part of the collective whole.

This changed because of the development of new tools and technology. The relationship that people had with nature also changed overtime. This was the rise of individuality. Ego began to find its roots as ego is only the first cousin of individuality.

Not only technology but the way we allowed technology to overtake our lives caused further ego development.

People who found technology convenient were obviously against the tribal culture and thus the need for ‘freedom’ of the individual from the tribe came up.

Ego grew and social statuses and hierarchies established in the world as we now know them.

But, now we are gradually realising the need to give up the Ego based ideas that we have built. As the world is changing socially, politically and environmentally, we are finding the need to go back to our tribal ways as those were ideal for the world as a whole.

This Is Why You Shouldn’t Kill Your Ego:

We keep thinking that we are unique but we forget that everyone thinks the same about themselves.

Everyone is unique in their own way and when this uniqueness is heightened, perceived as better, it becomes an Inflated Ego.

That’s the Ego we are talking about here. That’s the unhealthy Ego that is destroying the world, the inflated one.

Having a healthy ego is not bad. In fact, it’s necessary for being a human. It’s what holds your identity and story together and what installs meaning into your life.

We’ve always had an ego, even when we lived in caves. It’s what enables you to care for others, have empathy and depth.

People without any ego don’t have an identity or a story. They lose the roots that enable them to be a part of the collective.

Don’t having an ego is on the other side of the spectrum from having an Inflated Ego. Both cut you from the collective.

The one concentrates your individuality to a level where you think you are separate from others, and the other removes your individuality making you an unfitting piece for the collective.

That’s why you should not kill your ego, but get rid of the inflated one.

How To Remove The Inflated Ego?

The Inflated Ego results in making us feel that we are superior and better than others.

It cuts us off from the collective and makes us think that we are complete by ourselves, but that isn’t true at all.

We do need others to better survive otherwise we are so much closer to our end.

Food, water, warmth, shelter, sanity, those things are MUCH harder to acquire and sustain by yourself.

And even if you manage to do so, what’s the point when you don’t have anyone to share them with? What’s the point when you don’t have anyone to be connected with, to share opinions with, to be intimate with, to create and thrive with? What’s the point of all that, if you don’t have anyone to have fun with?

We need each other more than we realize! The Inflated Ego is twisting our reality to make us feel bigger and better than others thinking that we don’t need anyone.

But others hunt and grow your food, others supply you with water, others bring you electricity, create the technology you use, clean your garbage, build your shelter, keep you safe… We live in a network where everyone is benefiting every other person.

However, The Inflated Ego is making individuals abuse these connections for personal benefit making others carry their greed on their back. That’s what has created this system that is destroying the world.

The 3 Steps To Remove The Extra Weight Of Your Ego:

Think of the Inflated Ego like having extra weight that makes you unhealthy.

The Inflated Ego is the extra weight of your ego that you need to get rid of in order for your ego to function properly. It’s the extra weight of the world that clogs the flow of energy. We all need to get rid of this extra weight individually!

Once you get rid of the extra weight of your ego, you will get from the world as much as you need to grow and thrive, without greed, without overdoing anything.

That’s all.

If we can fix that, we have fixed the world!

1. Separation exists only in the mind.

The foremost thing that we have to realize is that the division between the individual and society are mere projections in the mind.

Separation exists only in our mind as a tool for us to grow. If we realize this sole fact we will remove most of the foundations of the Inflated Ego.

2. Others are extension of the greater being we are all a part of.

Looking at others, not as separate from you, but as an extension of the greater being we are all a part of, will give you a powerful perspective that removes all of the feeding channels for your Inflated Ego.

Without them, your Inflated Ego cannot feed itself. You will get rid of the extra weight.

3. You are enough.

Finally, accept yourself as enough. Even though this might sound as counter intuitive, it’s actually the one thing that will make you realize the most how much we all need each other.

Not feeling enough is what motivates you to chase things that give you validation. After you acquire these things, you look at others as lesser or better than you. This perspective is what makes you greedy, emphasizes the separation in your mind and gives you a sense of you against the world. Once you accept yourself as enough, you realize that you are a part of the world, you need the world.

Conclusion

We have to realise that alone, we are just islands that can easily submerge in the ocean, but together, we are a bigger mass of land that’s much more stable.

It is only when we come together that we can begin to solve our problems and make this world a better place to live in.

We must trust the ways of our ancestors. We must also realise that togetherness will give us a sense of happiness and comfort that is impossible to receive whilst we are alone.

Let us stop living in the shadow of our Inflated Ego which is snatching away our happiness and making us lonely by creating divisions and hierarchies.

Now that would be a revolution!

7 Native American Beliefs Describe Where Our Soul Goes When We Dream

Spirituality

Dejan

August 3, 2017

Dreaming is an integral part of Native American’s tradition and spiritual practice.

Since childhood, they teach children to remember their dreams so they can learn to interpret them and use them as spiritual tools for guidance in life.

7 Reasons Why Native Americans Believed Dreaming Is Extremely Important Part Of Life

Native Americans have the following 7 beliefs regarding dreaming:

1. They believe we have 3 souls:

Ego-soul – which is embodied in the breath.

Body-soul – which gives energy to the body and life force during our waking state.

Free-soul – which is the soul that leaves the body during dreams and trances and explores the dream realm alongside the brain, while the other two souls remain attached to the body.

2. The Dream world is equally important as the physical world.

They believe that our mind and body don’t dream anything. Chippewa elder John Thunderbird specifically explains this in the following words:

“Your soul dreams those dreams; not your body, not your mind. Those dreams come true. The soul travels all over the world when you dream.”

3. Our souls can communicate.

They believe we can communicate with other souls, humans and even animals when our soul disconnects from our body and goes into the dream realm.

For them, the dream world is just as real as the physical world.

4. Life is one big dream.

They believed through dreaming we remember how impermanent this world is.

Life is one big dream for them and that there’s no difference between the dream world and the waking life.

5. The dream world has consequences.

They believed anything that can happen in the dream world has significant consequences in the waking life.

For example, if you got injured in your dream, you must get treatment when you wake up.

6. We have spirit guides and dreaming is how we contact them.

They believed we all have spirit guides which communicate with us through our dreams.

When they woke up from a dream journey, they sought help from their Elders to help them interpret their dreams and understand what their spirit guides are trying to say making sure they get the message right.

7. Dreaming is where the soul receives spiritual guidance.

They believed that sometimes dreams are even more important than when we are awake because it’s where the soul receives spiritual guidance, gains insights into the future and connects with its spirit guides.

The dream world is not just an ordinary place. It’s an astral plane where the soul needs to travel for self-exploration and growth.

Hence, when you begin to wonder where your soul goes when you dream, remember that it explores the dream world where it receives guidance from your spirit guide and may even bring you answers to the questions you’ve been asking for so long.

These Are The 3 Divine Truths You Will Discover When You Reach Higher Levels Of Enlightenment

Lessons

Dejan

August 3, 2017

“What you are seeking is seeking you.” – Rumi

When seeking enlightenment, it’s inevitable to grope our way in the dark.

At times, we’re like dogs chasing our own tail without knowing that what we seek is within us. But when we manage to find our way into higher consciousness, everything changes, and we see things differently.

Here are the 3 divine truths you’ll discover when you reach higher levels of enlightenment:

3 Divine Truths

1. Reality is a projection of the observer.

The Daoist believed that the journey to enlightenment starts by turning the eyes inside out. Also, there’s an African proverb that states, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot touch you.”

Even science starts to scratch this truth by trying to understand the quantum world. One scientific experiment proved that the observer literally creates the outcome of reality solely by its observation. Another research claimed that human emotion shapes reality. So, putting everything together we come to realization that what spiritual people were saying ages ago, that reality is just a projection, is not just a metaphor but a literal fact.

As we reach a higher consciousness, we come to realize that the world around us is nothing but a projection of our inner world. What we have inside, we manifest outside. Our quest for happiness, enlightenment, and satisfaction lies in filling ourselves with light and love that we radiate into the world.

Awareness is like a field of energy which is best described in the words of Mai Agate Valjataga:

“Awareness is in your whole being, awareness of itself is like a light inside, do not imagine in as the sort of light you see, light and awareness is one of the same things.”

2. Everything is a part of the same oneness.

We are all one, connected to each other and all of the creation. LJ Vanier has this perception of unity consciousness:

“The universe is sexual. The universe is playful. The universe is God. My physical body is the projection of my creator because I am just a cell in its body. I see that the planets are also cells, and we are cells within those same cells. My aura is my protoplasm and my body is the nucleus. The entire universe is a creation at all moments, cell multiplication, and death. I see the big bang as the moment the sperm entered the egg. I see the milky way as the semen of the gods, and I see that I am a universe. Because I am capable of creating life, and I am part of creation, I am also a god. When we create life we are creating a universe of cells, with their own unique consciousness, no matter how small.”

All our memories are contained in our cells and the zero quantum field. All human beings know everything all there is needed to know. Only that we forget. We are yet to discover how to read that field. Again.

3. Compassion is much more important than what we think it is.

It is believed that unless a soul possesses pure and genuine compassion for others, a person cannot be truly considered a soul incarnate.

Compassion, on the other hand, isn’t always easy to attain and uphold to a higher perspective. It requires us to set aside our ego and elevate ourselves until we see every being as a child.

In a sense, we are all infants in this universe. We need to obtain an enlightened mind that we may rise above and take the high road.

Once enlightened, our soul would finally see the light within, having the conscious choice to be righteous in judgment, in understanding, and in love.

Being righteous doesn’t have to mean being right. It means showing love, compassion, and understanding regardless of what we think is right.

The 5 Levels Of Awakening, From Mindless Slavery To Complete Freedom!

Journey

Dejan

August 3, 2017

The 5 Levels Of Awakening, From Mindless Slavery To Complete Freedom!

It is safe to say that awakening is a progression from darkness to light, from restrictions on liberty. You may consciously choose this path, or some sudden incident may propel you on it, but once you’ve taken up this journey, there’s no turning back.

Undoubtedly, the path to awakening is one full of ups-and-downs. However, once you’ve reached the end of the road, you’ll perceive the beauty of the world with a new expanse of mind and clarity of vision.

There are five stages in the awakening process, and each stage holds equal importance. When you’re familiar with each stage, you’ll be able to reach the goal with more confidence and less obstruction.

This article is only to be treated as a guideline, because there’s simply no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to awakening.

The 5 Main Levels Of Awakening

The 5 Levels Of Awakening — Credit: Tomasz Alen Kopera;

1. The Stage of the False-Self

An awareness of the Other.

In stage 1 we are asleep. We don’t even know who we are. We keep on following the rules of societal institutions rather than questioning them. We try to fit in, and in the case of failure, play the role of the victim.

The ego is the ruler of this stage, and our self-worth is conditioned accordingly. In this stage, our happiness depends on the external factors, and in turn, we try to gain control of our lives and chase external factors to be happy.

We let our emotions overpower us. They shape our thoughts and beliefs and prevent us from experiencing the reality as it is. However, at this stage, there’s a subtle anguish, a “flash feeling” that makes us doubt our own perception. It’s a sense that something is not quite right, that something is wrong with the world.

2. The Stage of Questioning

The beginning of a doubt.

The second stage is marked by a growing sense of disillusionment in our lives. We begin to question the norms and beliefs of the society. We know that something is wrong with established religious and moral values, and they are no longer able to give us satisfying answers.

Even if we can’t reject our projected identities altogether at this stage, we begin to question the roles we have to play. We feel lost and betrayed, and blame family, government and other institutions for our misfortune. We may move from victim to survivor at this stage.

And yet we can’t let go of the limiting beliefs, they keep us confined a little longer. We may still seek approval, not knowing what else to do. But this is the beginning of the breakdown of ego, and the journey inward will shortly begin.

3. The Stage of Introspection

The beginning of conscious transformation.

In stage 3 of Awakening, we retreat from our external world to seek answers within ourselves. We separate ourselves from the collective consciousness, and a process of rejection of established social and institutional values slowly wakes us up to this reality.

As we let go, we have mixed feelings. We feel bad about previously having such a wrong perspective of the world, and relieved because we know how to make it right. This is a stage marked by immense emotional tumult as we let go of our families, jobs, relationships, and the past. We try to awaken everybody we care about around us.

However, most people around us will not wake up this easily, and we feel more lost than ever in this ignorant world. Not knowing where to go, you may still feel the need to fit in, but you can’t simply forget what you have known, so undoing is not an option. This stage is perhaps the longest in the quest of awakening, as it marks the gradual emergence of the real self.

4. The Stage of Resolution

The experience of spiritual awakening in everyday life.

Stage 4 is marked by a release of all negative energy from the self and an experience of sublime peace in your everyday life. The struggle, the doubt and the loneliness of the three earlier stages seem to transform into a sense of connection and faith in a higher power.

You have mastered the craft of letting go, and your anxieties are replaced by an inner harmony that drives you now. You have forgiven everyone, and everything and everyone makes sense somehow.

The unconscious has been taken over by a conscious programming, a light which will guide you. Emotions no longer rule you, and even if you feel alone, there’s an inner peace that makes you feel connected with everyone. You may feel elevated and euphoric, and the integration of a higher self into your body will give way to a sense of ecstasy.

5. The Stage of Conscious Creation

The ability to consciously create one’s life.

Most people tend to mistake the fourth stage to be the final one, but there’s, in fact, one more stage, an even greater experience towards spiritual awakening. In stage five, you not only deepen the connections you experienced in the previous stage but also tap into a whole new realm of spiritual growth, that of the creator.

You are no longer governed by bad faith, and you know that you can be whatever you’ll choose to be. You are guided by inspiration and not emotion, and obligatory tasks seem pointless.

An intuitive connection with the Divine Intelligence prompts you to create for the betterment of this civilization. You tend to live in the present and hold the power to construct the life desired. You become the conscious creator of your life and have complete freedom. This, in fact, is the purpose of awakening, gaining a complete freedom.

You are your own creation, you were meant to be wherever you are now. And you’ll go wherever you wish.

Source: https://wakeup-world.com/;
Featured Image Credit: Tomasz Alen Kopera;

4 Rare Superpowers Every Empath Has But Doesn’t Know About…

Psychology

Dejan

August 2, 2017

As an empath, your sensitive nature may overwhelm you at times, especially when the energies from your environment are hard to contain.

But before dwelling on the downsides of being an empath, consider the rare superpowers only you can have. You may even want to sharpen your empathic skills to your best advantage.

Here Are 4 Rare Superpowers Every Empath Has:

1. Reading other’s minds.

Having a psychic ability is a rare gift which empaths do possess. While everyone is able to read other’s minds, taking cues from their body language and verbal discourses, empaths take it a bit further by receiving psychic images, statements, hues, or smells. They are exposed to realities beyond that of any ordinary person.

Being an empath, you are able to walk a step further in someone else’s shoes and know exactly how it feels to be like them.

You can help others by guiding them back to the truth when you sense they’re lying even if they think they’re doing exactly the opposite.

You can easily learn from other people’s mistakes or success and even avoid wrong turns or arguments when you sense they’re coming.

Feeling everything is a gift but only if you embrace it and stop running away from it. You can use it to your best advantage.

2. Being your own emotional hero.

Feeling the emotions of others while feeling your own at the same time might be burdensome. But if you know how to discern it and use it for your emotional growth, you’ll have a superpower not everyone has the chance to play with.

Self-empathy is listening to your own feelings and thoughts and acting compassionately towards yourself. Perceiving this could help you communicate properly with others.

Let’s say, someone remarked: This president is going to ruin the nation. Upon hearing this, your internal dialogue may respond: This person had no clue how everyone is affecting the nation and the planet, and other factors are contributing to it as well. He’s a jerk. Yet, when you are aware of how your thoughts are flowing, you will honor them and communicate them in a more loving way.

You then are able to tweak your internal dialogue into a more positive one. You’d likely say: What this person states may be alarming to me because it’s at odds with how I see the world, but I also don’t want to get at odds with this person.

From your emotional place, you will likely respond to this person: Yes, each of us may be ruining the world, but we could also make it a better place by sharing our thoughts, deeds, and actions positively every day. This statement may expand the awareness of the other person and also shows your alignment with your purpose. Being aware of your emotions and thought flow is a superpower indeed, if you use it right!

3. Transmuting the negativity that you feel.

Empaths are extremely aware of the negative energies that are around them.

Some empaths can recognize the negative energies immediately, they will feel emotional repulsion towards someone and they will have no idea why.

They also have the ability to sense the negative energies that linger in a room where a previous argument or negative conversation took place.

When you feel this negative energy, you have the power to convert it into a positive one. You can do a five-minute Tonglen meditation, or bring plants and flowers which have high energy to a place with low energy. You can also utter positive and encouraging words and thoughts to people affected by the negativity.

If you can find humor in the situation, apply it. Laughter is the best way to create positivity and can lighten up everybody’s mood. The sole act of being aware of negative energies gives you advantage to not be influenced by them and a chance to transmute them into positive.

4. Using your sensitivity in acquiring a highly coveted skill.

As an empath, you find yourself with lots of discomforts. Your nose revolts against certain smells, your stomach may suffer from gastrointestinal distress brought about by non-organic foods, you need quieter surroundings to get some sleep and even an alone time where you can unload all the smells, sights, sounds, and emotions you have absorbed all throughout the day.

Rather than focusing on these discomforts, you can twist it to your advantage.

You could become a perfumer and start your own company using natural scents. You could start your own organic food business, or you could start providing quiet spaces such as gardens, libraries, or meditation rooms that not only benefit you but others as well.

You never can tell how others would be grateful for your gift. Everything that you are more sensitive about, is something your senses perceive better than others. Use that!

As long as you accept your sensitive nature and find ways where you can use it fully to your advantage, you are able to expand your empathic skills, fulfilling your life’s purpose.

Empathy is a superpower alone and yet, it comes with other superpowers too. You alone can turn it into a blessing instead of a curse. Even better, into a superpower!

Source: http://themindunleashed.com/2017/02/4-super-powers-highly-empathic-person.html;

This Is The Last Lesson That Buddha Left For Humanity Before He Died…

Lessons

Dejan

August 1, 2017

This Is The Last Lesson That Buddha Left For Humanity Before He Died…

As we have known, Buddha laid the foundation of Buddhism.

Buddha, which means one who is awake, left his followers a great quantity of lessons throughout his life.

It was said that three months before his death, Buddha addressed his disciples saying that he had been with them for forty-five years.

They must learn his sermons, treasure them, practice them and teach them to others because they’ll be of great use for the welfare of the living and for those who would come after.

He urged the monks to be mindful and of pure virtue. For whoever pursues the Teaching untiringly will go beyond the cycle of birth and death, and their suffering will end.

Ananda, his personal assistant, had the courage to ask Buddha what will come of the Order in case the Buddha passed away.

Buddha replied that He had preached the Truth without any distinction; for in regard to the Truth, there is no clenched hand in the Teachings of the Buddha.

He added that some of them might think that the Master’s words will soon end; and that soon they will no longer have a Master.

He assured them by saying not to entertain those kinds of thoughts. Because when he is gone, his Teachings and the disciplinary code shall be their Master.

The Buddha further added that he did not intended to lead the order or thought that the Order is dependent on him. He stressed that he had reached the end of his days and compared his body to a worn-out cart that can only be moved with much additional care.

The Buddha clarified to Ananda that he must be a lamp and refuge unto himself; to look for no other refuge; to let the Truth be their lamp and refuge, and to seek no refuge elsewhere.

On his eightieth birthday, the Buddha passed away, showing no worldly supernatural powers, only the real nature of material things even in His own life.

One of his disciples remarked:

“All must depart—all beings that have life must shed their compounded forms. Yes, even a Master such as He, a peerless being, powerful in Wisdom and Enlightenment, even He must pass away.”

The last message of the Buddha:

“When I am gone, my Teaching shall be your Master and Guide.”

Finally, his parting words were his last lesson:

“Appamadena Sampadetha Vaya Dhamma Sankhara.”

“Work diligently. Material things are impermanent.”

Source: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/lifebuddha/2_31lbud.htm;

If Your Child Has Any Of These 12 Traits They Are Naturally Born Empaths…

Psychology

Dejan

July 31, 2017

Empathic children are born differently. Their nervous systems tend to react in a strong and hurried manner when exposed to stress and other external stimuli.

Empathic children are highly sensitive which makes them unable to manage their sensory overload at times. Their sense of sight, hearing, smell, intuition, and feeling of emotions are much stronger than others.

For example, they may dislike foods with a strong smell, perfumes, sharp bright lights, or noise. They prefer clothes with soft fabric, nature as well as only a few close friends.

There is an ongoing misconception about empathic children. Our society and even schools fail to understand them.

Most often, conventional teachers and physicians labeled them as ‘shy,’ ‘anti-social,’ and ‘fussy,’ and provide them diagnosis as having ‘social phobia,’ ‘anxiety disorder,’ and worst, ‘depression.’

All because they are quieter, more thoughtful, deeper and gentler, unlike other children of their age who appear to be highly verbal or assertive.

Thus, the role of parents is critical in supporting their natural sensitivity, intuition, wisdom, and creativity. These children must be taught with the right tools in coping with the world.

Right guidance can make room for them to realize their emotional superpowers because their potential is a natural reaction to what the world needs. They are the generations that will make the world a much better place for all.

12 Signs Your Child Is An Empath:

Empathic children have the following traits. See if your child possesses any of it.

1. They feel things deeply.

2. They are overstimulated by people, crowds, noise, or stress.

3. They have strong reactions to sad or frightening scenes in books or movies.

4. They escape and hide from family gatherings because what’s going on is too much for them.

5. They feel “different” from other kids and find difficulty in fitting in.

6. They are good listeners and are compassionate with others.

7. They surprise you with intuitive comments about others or yourself.

8. They have a strong connection to nature, plants, animals, or even stuffed animals. They love animals and can’t stand animal violence.

9. They want to spend a lot of time alone than play with other kids.

10. They are affected by a friend’s stress.

11. They take your own, or other people’s emotions or stress, acting out when you’re angry, upset or depressed.

12. They have one best friend, or a few good friends, but not a lot of shallow friendships.

Your child is extremely empathic if you checked 9-12 traits. 6-9 checks indicate strong empathic, 4-8 checks indicate moderate empathic, 1-3 checks indicate some empathic traits that most kids naturally have.

This is what you can do as a parent if your child is an Empath:

Our rough world may not understand their sensitive nature. If you’re a parent of an Empath, the best way to support your child is to bring out the best in them. Support them through their sensitivities and help them excel, show compassion, and sojourn in their depth.

The role of parents is to help their empathic children avoid the activities that overstimulate them. This will prevent them from being exhausted, anxious and displaying tantrums.

1. Become Aware Of Their Triggers.

Because empathic children aren’t able to articulate why they feel awful, enlightened parents must help them identify the triggers and provide solutions in relieving their anguish.

Some of the common triggers are: filling their day with schedules leaving no room for breaks, multitasking, not giving them alone time, watching violent television programs or movies.

When exposed to these factors, they waste a lot more energy due to their emotional hypersensitivity. Even more, they refill their energy by being alone, so not giving them enough alone time is additionally harmful.

Empathetic children have a psychological system that takes a little longer to transition from stimulation to a restful state than other people. They must be given downtime before bed for unwinding and cooling down.

2. Get To Know What Drains And What Fills Their Energy.

Empathic children can also absorb and feel the emotional discomfort of other people such as their parents, siblings or close friends. Considered as “super-responders,” these children can experience hurts that cut deep and joys that feel ecstatic.

Unlike non-empath children, empathic children respond differently to light, noise, and chaotic crowds. Their system perceives stimuli in much higher amount than other people and they can get easily drained and overstimulated.

In large sports events, the cheering, clapping, and booing can be painful to most of them, but not all. Look if your child shows signs of discomfort in such events and don’t ignore their response.

While they respond poorly to loud music, honking, hammering or power tools, they calm down to the chirping of the birds, water elements, gentle wind chimes and other natural noises.

They may cry more, but when having retreated into solitude, they’re able to self-regulate their sensory overload.

3. Teach Them To Honor Their Empathy.

Wherever your empathic child is operating in this spectrum or not, he or she must be taught to honor and accept their emotions and their sensitive nature.

Empaths are people who have heightened perception and sensitivity to energy and stimuli. In every other way, they are normal people like everyone else.

However, not being aware of these differences and unintentionally making them suppress their uniqueness can severely harm them and, even worse, prevent them from realizing their super potential!

As an Empath, they’re precious beings. The depth of their emotions, the superperception, the unbelievable creativity are divine gifts to the world.

Source: Psychology Today;

Breaking These 12 Barriers Will Make Your Spiritual Journey Effortless!

Journey

Dejan

July 30, 2017

Every spiritual journey has its own challenges to overcome. These challenges are not designed to break one’s spirit. On the contrary, they’re designed to strengthen the spiritual seeker, leading him to the right path by overcoming them one by one.

Here are the 12 spiritual barriers that may block you in your spiritual quest. Identify them and find ways to take them down.

Breaking These 12 Barriers Will Make Your Spiritual Journey Effortless:

1. You are limiting yourself.

Your life is endowed with unlimited possibilities. The path you are to trod is specifically designed only for you. There is no reason why you can’t follow it. Every resources you need is there for your asking. Life is abundant. Widen your horizon. Expand your thinking.

The wall that you see before you is erected by you. Limitation exists only in your mind. Take that limitation down and allow yourself to experience the abundance that God or the Source promises.

2. You are identifying yourself with your job.

You are not your job. Identifying yourself with your job or job title is preparing yourself to get shattered when your job or title is taken away from you. You are more than your possessions. You must realize that you are over and above the things that surround you.

Your money-making endeavors are just a way to survive your physicality. Don’t allow it to pull you from your true nature by associating yourself with it.

3. You are into criticizing yourself.

You are yourself’s worst critic. While it’s the right thing to improve yourself, criticizing yourself for not coming up with your expectations is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Stop providing yourself with unrealistic expectations. You are a human being, imperfect and subject to commit mistakes.

Accept your flaws humbly. Improve what you can improve, yet embrace the part of you that you can’t change. You’re beautiful as you are as long as you’re able to beautify the person inside of you.

4. You are feeling anxious.

Sometimes your anxiety is based on your fears, especially the fear of the unknown. Unfamiliarity with the unknown must be dealt with total consciousness and not with fear. Fear cripples you, while total consciousness prepares you to what is to come.

When you feel anxious, trust that the Universe has its back on you. You are there because Someone called you. And that Someone would never ever leave you.

5. You are taking things personally.

At times, people left us with disgusting remarks, either they did it intentionally or unintentionally. Whatever is the cause, do not inflict yourself more pain by replaying what has taken place in your mind over and over again. People are only human just like you.

Other times too, your pain is self-inflicted, mostly brought up by something that happened in the past. Instead of focusing to what didn’t turn out right, serve yourself better by focusing on staying balanced and finding humor in yourself. For example, if you accidentally splashed coffee on your shirt in the coffee shop, focus not on saying how stupid you are. Rather tell yourself you could get clumsy at times, like a child having fun.

6. You are feeling guilty.

Feeling guilty serves nothing. If you’ve done something that needs forgiveness, then go ask for it. But if you feel you hurt people for living out your own truth, not conforming to their expectations, let it go.

Wallowing in your own guilt will deflate you of positive vibes while letting things go enable you to welcome other experiences that support your growth.

7. You are into the habit of procrastinating.

Most people are guilty of this one. Important tasks that need to be done must be given time and done thoroughly. Delaying it will increase your risk of cutting corners to complete it.

When you’re about to procrastinate, ask yourself the reason why the task should be done. By identifying the reason, you are given the weight of the possible consequences when the task is or isn’t done.

8. You are in bad company.

When you find yourself in the company of people whose negative outlook of life influence you, it’s high time to reconsider.

Friendships or relationships are good. But, when it brings more harm than good, you better leave them behind. People who constantly put you down instead of raising you up are not worth your while.

9. You are seeking approval.

You’re seeking approval because you’re seeking attention. It’s as simple as that. Rather than seek approval, seek self-esteem instead. When you hold high self-esteem, approval will follow.

When you know that you are doing the right thing, you don’t need the validity from others.

10. You are holding onto the past.

Living in the past is the greatest barrier to your spiritual journey. It prevents you from living in the present moment. Being spiritual is being in the moment with all your heart, body, mind, and soul.

Let go of the past. Let bygones be bygones. Forgive the past. It’s only in forgiveness that you can live in the present moment more peacefully.

11. You hold certain attachments.

Buddhism believes that attachment to the things in the world is the root cause of suffering. By attaching yourself to people, things, ideas, and illusions, you are holding yourself back.

You could not allow fresh ideas to come in or new people to enter your life when you are attached. Let go of your attachments and be open to the endless possibilities life can bring you.

12. You indulge in distracting habits.

In our fast-paced world distractions greatly abound. These distractions have nothing to do with your necessary functions. They’re time wasters that if left unchecked you’ll be surprised one day asking yourself where were you during a particular time.

Time is your most valuable tool in this lifetime. Spend it wisely. Giving time to distracting habits will rob you of your chance to be in the present moment, pushing you farther away from your spiritual path.

Once you overcome all of these barriers, you are well on your way to spiritual maturity. It’s a process that requires much time. But when you start and persist, you’ll see the results soonest.

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