Raise your hand if you sometimes spend time on endless distractions. Actually, you had a pretty great life. But you were looking down at your phone, and you missed it. You can feel like a mere puppet or pawn in the system known as society. So how do you create a purposeful life? Can you pose some profound questions about existence? Think you need to travel to some exotic place for a dose of enlightenment, perhaps? Do you feel like you need some spiritual growth hormones? Ever just feel “hormotional”? Notice how your moods never ask permission before they change.
But guess what? You can awaken from the comfort of your own home. How about that? So how can you wake up if you don’t even know that you are sleeping? Hmmm. Contemplate what kind of energy you are putting into your world. The best time to relax is when you don’t have time to. You know what they say: Life and beer are very similar: Chill for best results.
What connects you to the Divine? Your spiritual practice is unique to you. Don’t try to walk in anyone else’s footsteps, please. Create your own path. How important is it for you to have a deep understanding of yourself, of the world or of G-d? Without purpose in life, even the good times can feel like one long, meaningless party. And no, happy hour is not a nap.
For starters, it’s a good idea to know where you want to go. Others may pressure you to move in a certain direction, but only you can make your true wish list of goals. You may find yourself walking on a thoroughly wrong beaten path at times. Think about the bad habits that may have led you down that road.
You’ve traveled the world. Have you ever journeyed to the unknown lands within yourself?
Speaking of which, if you look like your passport photo, you probably need a trip. Perhaps you feel you have a destiny to fulfill. You may have developed your personality, built up your ego, while unconsciously hiding from all your inner demons.
Always focus on your intentions. Why am I doing this? We all know that this moment shall never come again, but do we truly live in it? Your destination does not matter more than your journey, my friends. Slow down. Happiness may be trying to catch you.
Try transcendental hide-and-seek. Count down from 50; then try to go find yourself. If you feel as though you are on autopilot, then you are not truly, consciously living, sweet friends. How can you build your spiritual muscles? Not everyone in this life awakens. Be grateful that you have. The most creative thing you will ever do is creating yourself. Stand tall and imagine your toes are like roots growing into the ground.
Sometimes what we think is intuition is nothing but ego noise. Or we choose to coast through life on the surface, never discovering who we truly are. So how do we deal with loss and suffering without any spiritual resources? Trust me, enlightenment does not come with a one-size-fits-all prescription.
Want to fine-tune your faithfulness? Start by opening your heart. Smile at someone today. Extend that helping hand. Do things that foster and foment love and compassion. Release the trauma from painful childhood memories for the sake of your well-being. Live with an ever-opening heart. Foster sacredness into your everyday life.
If books, chanting mantras, crystals, lava lamps, or essential oils do it for you, go right ahead and indulge. Unless your favorite essential oil is chloroform. But seriously, whatever lightens your spirit and creates inner peace is your recipe for enlightenment and epiphany. Speaking of crystals, remember that life is always rocky when you’re a gem. Dust off that aura so that the light can shine through. It’s okay. Waldo went to India to find himself.
Just know that becoming aware of a single shortcoming within yourself is far more useful than being aware of a thousand in someone else. Become mindful of the clues the universe sends you. Those random occurrences may not be as coincidental as you think.
What you choose to focus on is what will manifest in your life. You can redefine yourself from a simply limited physical being and become more balanced and harmonious. The secret is to have faith in yourself, and faith in something higher than yourself. Heighten your spiritual senses, and yes you do have them. Strengthen your positive healthy thoughts and feelings. Don’t forget laughter. It is one of the best languages you can learn.
We are all seekers. Don’t forget to make a roadmap for your journey. Life is, after all, just one long education. Sacrifice the perceived safety of the crowd and dare to express your uniqueness. Know that any one of your actions can have a positive impact on large numbers of people. Enjoy the little things in life, sweet friends. Someday, you will realize they were the big things.
Caroline is a licensed psychotherapist, crisis counselor, and writer with an office in Queens. She works with individuals, couples, and families. Appointments are available throughout the week and weekends. She can be reached at 917-717-1775 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at facebook.com/pages/Safe-Haven-Healing.
