Being “spiritual” comes with all sorts of connotations, but these three myths are actually pretty amusing. Of course, spirituality represents a perspective on life that isn’t always the same as the rest of the world, but seriously… this is a human life we are living, with egos, emotions and other humans. It isn’t always all roses, sparkles and rainbows.
1. Spiritual people are always NICE. I strive to be kind, but nice feels like a gigantic boundary violation. We are so often told as children to be nice, even when it doesn’t serve us. My reality is that serving myself and supporting my inner growth is sometimes achieved by being firm and kind only to myself and my needs and desires. I have even been accused of being icy and aloof.
The essence of spirituality is becoming more aligned with your soul and the divine nature of your existence. Your sovereignty is the key, not that of others. Of course, spiritual people shouldn’t intentionally inflict harm or pain on others, or on herself. But circumstances sometimes arise that do not lend to being nice and also supporting your own boundaries in your highest and best interest.
I always rely on my intuition to guide me in these situations. And sometimes, I am guided to compromise my boundaries – and that is perfect. Other times, I am guided to honor my boundaries despite the reaction from others. After all, the reaction of others to my boundaries is not my responsibility.
2. Spiritual people have disavowed money and materialism. Let’s be honest here – there is no true association between being spiritual and giving up material possessions. That concept was created millennia ago by some dudes who were living in the dark – literally, they were unenlightened and trying to figure life out.
Living my best, spiritual life has components of things that I want—not only what I need and it involves living abundantly. The energy of abundance and aligning with that which the universe provides, is spiritual living. We are not joining monasteries or convents and devoting ourselves to an all-powerful divine being. We are devoting our energy and intention to ourselves and finding that divine light within us. And… if I want to do that from the comfort of a first-class airplane seat, why shouldn’t I?
A huge part of spiritual living is identifying what energy is right for your continued growth and ascension, without diminishing your energy by creating clutter. Again, I turn to my ever-present intuition and check in with myself to see what material things serve me. If I have trouble hearing the answer from within, I will muscle test items. Yep – that was me you saw in the aisle at the store holding a statute against my solar plexus, closing my eyes and seeing how my body responds to it. I have been surprised by the results on occasion, but I have always trusted the answer and never been steered wrong.
3. Spiritual people always live in happiness and zen… they don’t ever get upset. That idea is just plain naive. No one I have ever met, exists in a state of zen, ALL the time, not even the monks who endeavor to do so. Life happens to everyone living it, even those who consider themselves to be spiritual. And spiritual people even swear.
When I encounter really challenging circumstances, I turn to my inner voice through writing. It is the deepest channel I use to tap into my intuition to see where my true needs and desires are served in the moment. When I am feeling especially depressed or just out of alignment, I retreat to my favorite writing spot and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Then I sit quietly and take a few deep breaths and put my pen on the paper. Sometimes I don’t have an agenda about what to write about. Other times, there is something on my mind that I just want to get out of my head and on to the paper. Everytime, when I revisit what I have written, there are nuggets of wisdom flowing through from my intuition that never occurred to me in my conscious mind.
I am living my best life, and every day that looks completely different than yesterday did or tomorrow will. I use the tools of spirituality and my intuition to make these days the best they possibly can be, but sometimes there is just drama and challenge to navigate. Trusting yourself and the path you are on, is the only way to consistently nurture and support yourself, even in the eye of the storm of this human incarnation.
May you always hear your inner voice, even over the rumble of the storm clouds and through the quiet radiance of the sun shining on your face.
