The Art of Being Spiritual by Gary Hopkins
March, 2008
The more emails I get and contact I have with people on the subject of spirit, the more I run into an underlying thread of how "spiritual" people are "supposed" to act. I am constantly hearing opinion these days like "well, he doesn’t act very spiritual" or "She’s not a vegetarian so how can I trust what she says". Of course I am a big fan of not contradicting ourselves and practicing whatever it is that we choose to preach.
Additionally, I am always telling people to follow what/who they resonate with. In other words, listening to what makes sense to them. For me, this is the perfect example of our intuition guiding us. However, I do believe that there is a real art (not to mention great benefit) to "hearing" or "considering" what is being said by the people or literature that we do not resonate with. Keeping our-selves open (yes, even to the "Loons" of the world) only ads depth to our spiritual being. I (for one) took an extremely long time to incorporate this philosophy into my life. Having done so has given me relief from tensions that I never realized were there, and in turn great joy. I’ve even learned a thing or two spiritually from people that I never thought had anything to offer.
This doesn’t mean that you should allow people to monopolize your time or space. I’m not advocating a painful process here. All I am saying is to be open to new ideas and digest them at your own pace. At the very least you will learn what doesn’t work for you. Obviously as a result of this process, you will have a better understanding towards people or ideas that you normally would not have had before. This allows another avenue for wisdom to creep into your life. Embrace it.
So, should we sit in the lotus position and chant "OHM" until we all vibrate off the planet? Should we never eat meat again? Or maybe we’ll purchase some cool looking robes and go live on a mountain somewhere exotic. Personally, I choose to eat junk food, watch bad television and chat with my spirit guides on a daily basis, but that’s me.
The point is we are all unique. In this plane of existence (the physical realm) we are individuals as well as energetic beings. Some of us meditate in a seated position, some lye down, and others use music or art to enhance their spiritual selves.
Understand that spirit should only add depth and joy to the quality of your life, and not take away from it. If you find that being "spiritual" is too much work, then you may want to re-visit your practices or the people you are getting your spiritual information from. Again, your spiritual path is your choice and no one else’s. Be diligent, be yourself and ultimately be happy.
March, 2008
The more emails I get and contact I have with people on the subject of spirit, the more I run into an underlying thread of how "spiritual" people are "supposed" to act. I am constantly hearing opinion these days like "well, he doesn’t act very spiritual" or "She’s not a vegetarian so how can I trust what she says". Of course I am a big fan of not contradicting ourselves and practicing whatever it is that we choose to preach.
Additionally, I am always telling people to follow what/who they resonate with. In other words, listening to what makes sense to them. For me, this is the perfect example of our intuition guiding us. However, I do believe that there is a real art (not to mention great benefit) to "hearing" or "considering" what is being said by the people or literature that we do not resonate with. Keeping our-selves open (yes, even to the "Loons" of the world) only ads depth to our spiritual being. I (for one) took an extremely long time to incorporate this philosophy into my life. Having done so has given me relief from tensions that I never realized were there, and in turn great joy. I’ve even learned a thing or two spiritually from people that I never thought had anything to offer.
This doesn’t mean that you should allow people to monopolize your time or space. I’m not advocating a painful process here. All I am saying is to be open to new ideas and digest them at your own pace. At the very least you will learn what doesn’t work for you. Obviously as a result of this process, you will have a better understanding towards people or ideas that you normally would not have had before. This allows another avenue for wisdom to creep into your life. Embrace it.
So, should we sit in the lotus position and chant "OHM" until we all vibrate off the planet? Should we never eat meat again? Or maybe we’ll purchase some cool looking robes and go live on a mountain somewhere exotic. Personally, I choose to eat junk food, watch bad television and chat with my spirit guides on a daily basis, but that’s me.
The point is we are all unique. In this plane of existence (the physical realm) we are individuals as well as energetic beings. Some of us meditate in a seated position, some lye down, and others use music or art to enhance their spiritual selves.
Understand that spirit should only add depth and joy to the quality of your life, and not take away from it. If you find that being "spiritual" is too much work, then you may want to re-visit your practices or the people you are getting your spiritual information from. Again, your spiritual path is your choice and no one else’s. Be diligent, be yourself and ultimately be happy.
