How to Lead a Spiritual Life

Living a spiritual life is different for everyone. Going on a spiritual path does not always involve shaving your head or going to a religious function once a week, but more importantly being true to your calling. Spirituality doesn't entail various rules and regulations, but it does have helpful guidelines to better unlock your potential, rather than to stifle your character. You will find the spiritual path requires you to abandon every ounce of who you are not, in order to find who you really are. On this path you will sometimes be in a state of searching for what seems like an eternity, and at other times you will have periods of pure bliss. If you are searching, if you seek it, you will find it, but you must make the first step every time.

Steps

1
Learn to love yourself. This is probably the most important step in a spiritual life, loving yourself. This type of love isn't one bred from egoic notions of love, but those given from your higher self. Egoic love is based in petty competition; for example, "I look so much better than X, therefore I love myself". The higher self loves every nook and cranny of who you are no matter what X does or looks like. Spirituality should be based on knowing yourself and trusting yourself. When you can love who you are as a person, flaws and all, you'll begin to open up your spiritual awareness.
- As many spiritual gurus say, if you only have love within you, then that's all you can give. This is conversely true if you only have anger within you. This is by no means meant for you to suppress your anger, but to learn to love yourself even when you may feel angry.
- A good exercise is to consciously let go of judgments of yourself. If you make a faux pas and normally beat yourself up for it, then this time say," It's okay, I love myself and accept myself no matter what." Remember that no human is perfect.
2
Listen to your heart. This may sound cliché but it is the truest thing there is. That feeling of passion you get from your hobby of surfing, or the joy you feel after working with children, those are the moments you are aligned with your heart. Listening to your heart doesn't mean allowing your emotions to run amok, but following the path you most want in life. If you find yourself in a job that you know you don't like, then move out of it into one you do. If you're in a relationship that makes you feel used all the time, then have a talk, or start making your escape plan. Following your heart may not always look pretty at first, you may lose friends at the job you just quit or break a lease you signed while with your former partner, but it's leading you in the right direction.
- When you make a step to follow your heart, don't be surprised if things look worse straight afterwards; this is just a sign that your life is moving. As Louis Hay suggests, during these moments affirm to yourself, "Only good will come from this situation, all is well, and I am safe." If you can remember to say something like this to yourself in life, you'll make greater strides than you can imagine.
- This is also applicable to exploring spirituality itself. When you bring into your life new practices, teachings, or spiritual people, pay attention to how they make you feel. If you feel anxious, stressed or unsafe, lean away from them. Things that are really nurturing for your spirit should make you feel warm and safe.
3
Listen to audio tracks and read literature about spiritual topics. Start small and with something easy to read. It's best to find a specific topic you're interested in. For some people the idea of past lives has allure, so they read popular articles on the web, or the best-known books on the topic. From your first choice in listening or reading, you will be exposed to new terms that can lead your study into greater depths, in a fun and organic way. There are plenty of audio tracks, lectures, available on the Internet for free. These will be of great help because you will often find people who are masters in their fields, who are able to give you wonderful guidance. If your heart is calling you to live in the present moment more often, then search those terms and see what you can find.
- Some people listen to audio track on a daily basis, while others do it sparsely. There is no pressure either way; do what feels right for you.
- Be cautious of who you choose as a guru, a teacher, or a leader. The best kind of teachers or leaders will always point you back to yourself and won't position themselves as higher above you. They should help you to know yourself more and dig deeper into that knowledge. Otherwise, it can get on the verge of manipulation.
Practicing gratitude daily will show you how much you have to be thankful for. If you have a roof over your head, that is a big start in life. No matter who lives with you or where that roof is, the important key here is to find the gratitude for it. A great practice is to say "thank you" first thing in the morning; you don't even have to specify when you start out, just say, "thank you," the moment you awake. When you find yourself complaining about certain things, take a look at them from a different angle and find what it is you should be grateful for. If you are going through a rough situation, you can even be thankful for the lessons the situation is teaching you, or how it is making you a stronger person. Every person has so much to be thankful for in the world today, it's just a matter of recognizing it right in front of you.
5
Give of yourself. This can be giving your time, money, or energy. The point here is to start giving back to the world. The best way to give is to give something you love sharing; other people will recognize this and it will help the world even more.
- If you don't like being around children, then don't volunteer at a summer camp because you believe it to be a more "spiritual" form of giving. If you are better at fixing cars, then by all means find a way to help someone out, even if it's just giving someone's battery a jump. Giving shouldn't feel like a painful burden; what you do should feel right and you should feel good at the end of the day.
When you unfold down your path in life, you'll see how we are all interconnected. When you start to love yourself more, you will start to love others more. This love will come naturally in time, so don't try to force it. Remember that we all have the human spirit within us, which means we are all coming from the same source. If someone takes the parking space you were waiting for, try to see where they are coming from; while it doesn't make their action right, it will help you love them more. For example, you may realize that they have three children piling out of their car and the husband and wife are bickering endlessly. Look into the situation for understanding and find that love towards them, because you'll realize they don't mean it personally towards you.
Go out and live. Live your life as you see fit. Don't buy into someone else's opinion of what your life should be. If you like to dress differently from others, then go for it. If you want to travel to foreign lands, then go. Spirituality is not about religious notions or being a perfect cookie, it is about living and experiencing what it means to be human in this lifetime. Go be a human. This is what you are here for.
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I can't seem to focus at all times please help me
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It is okay not to focus at all times, so don't take that as a negative thing. Try giving time for yourself to relax and even write down only the important things you need to focus on and just take it easy.
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How can I be a transcendentalist?
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By practicing detachment and spiritual knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita is considered to be the best book on the subject.
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Finding spiritual groups can be beneficial for your growth.
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Reading more WikiHow articles on spirituality can be beneficial as you search for ideas and information.
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Always keep an open mind.
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