Wind of the Soul

Mankind has always looked to nature as its ultimate external spiritual teacher. When we observe the elements in their natural, pristine settings; they have much to share regarding the unfolding of life. All things in the environment, (minus man’s interference) come about through an unhurried, consistent, form of allowing. While these traits can be witnessed in many elements, there doesn’t seem to be one that articulates them in a manner more beautifully than flowing water.

Water shares its wisdom with us through the subtleties of its action. Aside from an occasional storm, it has very little to prove and radiates a modest confidence in this knowledge. It has the ability to relax; taking on any shape which tries to encase it, while simultaneously possessing the potential to eventually realize its freedom- whether as a vapor or a liquid.
(Read the rest of The Wisdom of Water…)

Many people are capable of embracing the old adage, “Variety is the spice of life”; as long as variety doesn’t stick its nose into the spiritual side of their lives. After spending many years reading and learning about an array of metaphysical and spiritual teachings; the one thing I have consistently observed: almost every book, theory, philosophy, religion, etc. differs significantly from another. Often times the core tenants are similar, however the farther you move away from the core, the greater the quantity of spice that’s been added.

These differences used to frustrate me because I wanted so desperately to find the ultimate truth. Little did I realize the variations I was so agitated with contained more validity than any “Holy Grail” of external knowledge I imagined to exist. It wasn’t necessarily the teachings, contained in each variation, which brought me to this epiphany. Rather, it was the fact so much variety could exist.
(Read the rest of The Evolution of Spirituality…)

Out of all the emotions that lend themselves to self-sabotage, perhaps none are as potent as guilt. When we carry a heavy heart, burdened by something we’ve done that’s deemed wrong or improper, we constrict the expansion of our being. Guilt has the potential to shut us down in so many ways.

Often times, I have looked to my past and thought, “Why on earth did I do that?” Usually this thought is laced with heavy doses of gut wrenching judgment. The more I dwell on condemning my past actions (actions which cannot be physically changed anyway), the more I can feel myself undermining my potential.

Somewhere along the way, many of us have adopted the illogical attitude we aren’t a good person if we don’t carry around regrets from our past. We grow up believing we should be disgusted with ourselves for making certain choices. After all, no person of good moral standings would dare do something like that (insert any unfavorable action here) and not feel bad about it until the day they die, right?
(Read the rest of Freeing Ourselves of Guilt…)

Despite our individual belief systems, many people are coming to the understanding of an intelligent force maneuvering through everything in our Universe, whether it’s viewed as being of the ether, theological, or quantum. Though we call this force by a variety names, they all essentially represent the ideas of sentience and omnipresence.

I view this force in many different ways, but for the purpose of this post I’ll be referring to it as the Universal mind or the mind of all that is. It’s this mind that our very being continues to spring forth from and makes its eventual return to. As we live our lifetimes, we stretch the mind further and farther than it’s ever been before. For we are not only of the mind itself but we are also contained inside of it.
(Read the rest of The Intelligent Mind of All That Is…)

A topic near and dear to my heart is the idea of people marching to the beat of their own drum. Despite what’s deemed the norm, and often times in spite of it, certain individuals manage to carve out their own unique ways of living, thinking and being. They’ve long since thrown off what’s considered acceptable by society’s standards and they live their lives by tuning into an inner calling and an awareness of what’s right for them.

In my opinion this is one of the fastest ways to become a fully self actualized human being. Self actualization is about more than establishing an identity. It’s about living intentionally and feeling wholeness and a fulfilled happiness that’s not dependent upon things or others. But, it’s simultaneously the recognition that material items and relationships can enhance your experience. However, they by no means have any bearing on your self sufficient state of joy and the knowledge of who you are.
(Read the rest of Shaking off Social Pressure to Achieve Self Actualization…)