Why Do You Want a Spiritual Awakening?

This question is really important.

Why do you want to awaken?

I can think of any number of good reasons that you wouldn’t want to, which may seem antithetical to the purpose of this blog. But this is one of the most important parts to the spiritual process: understanding your underlying assumptions and the patterns that are making decisions for you.

Discovering Unconscious Associations and Feelings

Understanding Your Intentions

Knowing what you want in life is so important to getting it. This is probably part of your pre-spiritual awakening homework.

You can do it as you go along the way, but the better you understand what you’re trying to get, the stronger the intention you can set.

For instance, you may want to be happier in life. That’s a great intention. The spiritual path can lead you to amazing happiness. But wait, do you want to be happier in just your romantic life and want all the rest to stay the same? Or do you want a more fulfilling career and would like to leave the rest alone? Ah, herein lies the rub. Spiritual awakening changes everything. You can’t line item veto some part of the process. If you are willing to let go of everything to embrace a deeper more full happiness, then you’re in the right place.

Know Thy Self

You’ll notice that this subhead is much the same as the above one. It continues to keep the focus on you and what’s going on inside you. It’s important to note that spirituality doesn’t change the world. It changes how you see and interact with the world. To use Wayne Dyer’s words, “When you change the way you look at the world, the way the world looks changes.”

But that doesn’t mean you’re even seeing the world yet. This is a sign that your ego interprets EVERYTHING, and you don’t really understand just how much you’re projecting

ALL THE TIME

onto

EVERYONE.

Furthermore, the spiritual path is much more than a slightly new vantage point. The depth of your perception changes too, but all this comes from work within. You have to want to look at your beliefs, core suppositions, your deepest darkness, and your brightest light.

This is no small thing. That’s why I’m writing this blog. I’m telling casual spiritual seekers who enjoy the occasional retreat and listening to gurus that it’s time to get out now before real change hits. The spiritual path isn’t an occasional retreat-high that burns off. It’s an every day introspection and every day challenge to interact with deep integrity with the world. You can’t limit it to one aspect of your life. And you can’t make excuses like:

• “It’s not a good time.”
• “I need this job to put the kids through college even though I hate working here.”
• “He’s okay when he’s not drinking.”
• “I’m afraid of what might happen if I let go.”

Seriously, this path is merciless. You’ll be challenged on every front and then some.

How the Ego Protects Its Many Stories (And Why this Is a Big Problem)

This Doesn’t Sound Fun at All

No. A lot of it isn’t. This isn’t the sugary-sweet, woo-woo, spiritual message that seems to be really popular lately. This is put on the heavy gloves and boots and grab your shovel. We’ve got some serious unconscious patterns to dig out.

And of course, it’s beautiful too. The depths of connection and love and perception that you can touch when you clear away the garbage you’ve buried your soul under will leave you dizzy. The heights are unlike anything you can imagine. And the daily intensity of your own presence will astonish you. You truly are a beautiful and radiant being, and if you are ready and willing to embark upon the spiritual path, an awakening may come to you to show you just how amazing you really are.

Next blog: You’re Going to Change