Wednesday, June 21, 2006

7: Your Spiritual Self - stuff to avoid

Bad Stuff for Your Spiritual Health
Anger and Fear! How much healing could happen on the planet if we could just get rid of the anger and fear.
Let's look at ways to get rid of anger and fear:
Key Concepts:
Be Here Now! Don't waste time regreting the past of worrying about the future. The past and the future are only a dream, this moment is the only moment there is. Living in the moment is the subject of another important book, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. I can't do justice to either of these books in a paragraph; read some reviews. The Power of Now is very straightforward and logical while Be Here Now is whimsical and mystical. Choose either, the point is the same: spiritual health requires living in the present moment and using it effectively.
Forgive! Forgive! Forgive! Any and all grudges are anchors that prevent you from moving forward spiritually. They harm you exclusively; they don't harm the person that you're angry with.  Are you ready to make room for some miracles in your life? What are the grudges that are holding you back? If you hold onto bitterness about a former spouse or your parents, are you living in the moment? Are you one-pointed? Or holding your bitterness in one part of your brain and your spiritual growth in another part and expecting them to support each other?
Get over it! It's done enough damage to you already!
Many of life's little miracles occur because you are awake--you are in the moment--and ready to recognize the opportunity and act. If you're lost in regret or anger about the past, or fearful about the future, you may not notice the opportunity.
Get rid of the clutter in your environment. The Dalai Lama says that if you want a sense of the interior of your mind, look at your environment. Strive for beauty.

Look for other ways in which your physical life harms your spiritual life. Get rid of negative foods, negative art and entertainment, negative attitudes about your body. Meditate and watch your thoughts; they will tell you what physical things are harming your spirituality. Be grateful for the thoughts that disturb your meditation; they are signposts on your journey.
Take a deep breath,
Ron