RSS
Home
The path to enlightenment is paved with baby steps
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
It’s my nature to jump into new things head first, and expect success in all that I do. I’m often asked, “How does that work for you?” If truth be told, with some things it works extremely well, with others – like spirituality – it doesn’t work at all.
I realized at the onset of my spiritual journey that while I wanted to dive in, I had to dog paddle before I could freestyle. In other words, I had to take ‘baby steps’ and experience small milestones before I found myself ready to move on. I learned that while my goal is to experience Oneness, I had to be confident that I was moving in the right direction and be willing to work each leg of my journey.
As spiritual beings having a human existence we strive to connect with Spirit by suppressing our human limitations. We strive to connect with Source, aspiring to attain Oneness. It is our humanity which impedes us on our spiritual quest. Oneness is unity, the absence of separation between ourselves and all else. What prevents us from experiencing Oneness is duality, believing that we are separate from God.
There is One life, that Life is God,that Life is perfect, that Life is my life, now."
Ernest Holmes, Founder of Religious Science
In A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, Eckhart Tolle suggests that “the notion “my life” is the original delusion of separateness, the source of ego.”1
Ego detaches us from others and God. As we work on our spirituality, attempting to shun our ego there is an internal battle – the ego wants to survive. The ego fights back to live on through our emotions and judgments. It fights back with attitude! Limiting thoughts, limiting beliefs, and blockages are the ego’s way of thriving. Without quieting the ego, the higher self cannot prevail.
If we could purge ego from our spiritual being, we would see the true meaning of Oneness. The illusion that we are individuals would vanish and we would see that we are all connected and not separate creations from the Source, but we are all of the Source. But if we exorcised the ego – would we have a human existence?
.jpg)
When I was a very young child perhaps three years old, I remember looking around at my life and being incredibly sad thinking, ‘When I die – all life will stop existing.’ As a young child I felt an incredible loss at this thought. I believed that all life existed for my benefit. While these off the wall thoughts appear to be very ego-centered on the surface, I ponder that perhaps at that moment, I knew we are all one. Perhaps at that moment I knew “my life,” was really one life and if it stopped – life would all stop.
Why I had felt so strongly about this as a young child is unknown. It shouldn’t be any surprise though that the ego of a child is not as forceful as an adult’s ego. Could it be then, the key to quieting the ego is to adopt a child-like state of mind? An ego of innocence and purity? One without limiting thoughts? Without blockages? Without judgments?
The first step, or ‘baby step,’ to control the ego is merely to recognize when it’s in play. When you hear yourself refer to “my life” know that you are nurturing your duality, you are nourishing your separateness from Source, because there is one life.
You may find yourself thinking at times, ‘Oh … That was my ego talking.’ While your first inclination may be disappointment, realize that by acknowledging the ego, you are reminding yourself there’s something beyond the ego. It’s the ego that makes us human. It’s the ego that keeps us living within boundaries. The first step to recognizing that we live in a world of infinite possibilities is to acknowledge when the ego is present. As you find yourself recognizing your ego in play, pat yourself on the back because that is a milestone.
The key is to understand that the ego is lashing back and fighting for its survival. We don’t want to destroy the ego, after all its part of who we are and we need it for our human experience. But, when limiting thoughts and beliefs creep into our life it is time to tame it.
When my ego surfaces, in my imagination I visualize a tiny duplicate image of myself standing on my shoulder. My alternate self is wearing a sweatshirt with three letters on it – EGO. I gently pick up my ego-self and with love and kindness, I set it aside and recognize that I am much more powerful than my ego. I watch my ego-self succumb.
Keep in mind that it’s the ego that tells us there’s not enough time. The ego is what tells us there’s not enough money. It is the ego that limits our reality. When you have these experiences, take a ‘baby step’ and gently set your ego aside.
When I run in to conflict in my life and try to purge the issues I hit resistance and much turmoil. Whereas, when I bless the issues surrounding the conflict, they miraculously dissipate. Why wouldn’t the ego respond in the same manner?
The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being."
Eckhart Tolle
Oneness is absolute unity of all thoughts and material. When we can fully embrace and experience that we are one .jpg)
with the Source, we are enlightened. It is from this place that we live at the soul where we master our mind’s limitations and anything is possible!
with the Source, we are enlightened. It is from this place that we live at the soul where we master our mind’s limitations and anything is possible!While we all have moments of enlightenment, few people live their life at this level of spiritual awareness. Jesus, Buddha and Krishna are enlightened souls who lived in this place. The rest of us strive to experience Oneness and to break free from our ego’s clutch. As long as the ego thrives we will live within boundaries rather than acknowledge the infinite possibilities that are available to us.
To reach those Aha moments of enlightenment we need to start with ‘baby steps’ and be willing to work each step of the way. Pat yourself on the back when you recognize your ego going into survival mode. Don’t try to exorcise your ego – instead bless it and gently set it aside.
Enjoy the journey.
1 Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (Plume, 2006): 128
For more info: Check back for more baby steps you can apply to your spiritual journey.
More About:
life purpose ·
light ·
spirituality ·
Duality ·
separation ·
unity ·
oneness ·
ego ·
baby steps
Related Articles:
Comments
This Thanksgiving and always, increase the blessings in your life by practicing the Law of Gratitude. Over the past couple years we have felt the …
A few weeks ago I posted “One” – Awaken to One video, which discusses a shift now occurring . The shift is the rise in …
- Affiliated New Thought Network
- Agape International Spiritual Center
- Association for Global New Thought
- Association of Unity Churches International
- Divine Science Federation International
- Eric Butterworth Foundation
- Global Religious Science Ministries
- Innerfaith Ministries
- International Centers for Spiritual Living
- International New Thought Alliance (INTA)
- United Centers for Spiritual Living
- Universal Foundation for Better Living
- World Wanting Peace
- Center for Spiritual Living - Castle Rock
- Center for Spiritual Living - Denver
- Community for Spiritual Living - Colorado Springs
- Creative Living Church - Greeley
- Mile Hi Church - Lakewood/Denver
- New Dawn Center for Spiritual Living - Aurora
- New Horizons Center for Spiritual Living - Lafayette
- Oasis Center for Spiritual Living - Denver
- Teaching Chapter - Mountain Vista Religious Science Community - Denver
- Whole Life Church Spiritual Living - Fort Collins
- United Centers for Spiritual Living
