Spirituality – Leveraging Thought

5 Life Lessons I’ve Learned From My Daughter

True to all the clichés, becoming a mother really does change your life. Parenting is challenging and very stressful at times. Despite the 4 am wake up calls, midnight diaper changes, food spills, and the occasional public meltdown, I am blown away by the amount of absolute joy my daughter brings into my life every single day. She, like all babies, is pure, positive energy. More than just a little baby, she is an eternal soul, pure Consciousness, that’s eager and excited to take on a fresh perspective. Watching her smile, laugh, and look around this world in wonder not only makes me happy, it raises my own energy, and allows me to experience love and joy on a whole new level. And at only 9 months, she has already taught me so many important life lessons: 1. She lives in the moment. She doesn’t waste time and emotional energy thinking about what went wrong yesterday, or worrying about what could go wrong tomorrow. She lives in the present moment. I may be absentmindedly rolling a grocery cart through the store, while on my phone, annoyed at having to complete another chore. My daughter, on the other hand, will squeal with delight as we roll past all the brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and will excitedly pick up a lemon or orange to examine it carefully. She engages with the world and people around her with such focus, energy, and enthusiasm, that even strangers will take notice and come up to talk to her. By bringing a positive energy to the present moment, she uplifts everyone around her. 2. She’s authentic. Unlike adults, who have been socially conditioned to suppress negative emotion, be fake and [...]

Are You Spiritual or Religious?

Reader question of the month: What’s the difference between spirituality and organized religion? And, can you be spiritual and religious at the same time? Organized religion (whether it be Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc) subscribes to a specific set of principles and dogma, derived from texts and religious figures throughout history (most from thousands of years ago). Some of these religions have evolved throughout history, and have branched out into many different denominations and sects. Organized religion has many positives: it can serve as a social and cultural foundation for a community or society, inspire hope, and serve as a moral compass for the masses. Sometimes getting guidance, leadership, and support from a religious community can be uplifting and provide a sense of belonging and security. Spirituality, or the act of being spiritual, is really coming into the understanding of how Consciousness and energy actually works. Once you understand that everything is basically energy (and we are just Consciousness in physical form), it allows you to view organized religion from a fresh perspective. You no longer have to rely on texts written thousands of years ago for a different time and people at a different level of consciousness. Indeed, almost all of those texts and holy books have been re-written at varying points in history for different political and economic motives. Instead of arguing about which religion is right, which parts of what texts are still accurate, etc, you begin to realize that Truth is HERE and NOW. What do I mean by that? I mean that when you begin to meditate and go within, you realize you have access RIGHT NOW to infinite intelligence, guidance, and clarity from your very own Inner Being (or [...]