You have a choice, but not really

I discovered this insight first in Neal Walsh's Conversations with God: when your spiritual path starts in earnest there is no turning back. You can certainly delay the process, but you can't reverse it.

As you progress spiritually, your sensitivity rises and your interconnectedness with your environment becomes more obvious. As you can connect the impact of your actions with the resulting outcomes in your life quickly, you cannot help doing the things that are consistent with your spiritual path. Specifically, you find out when you harm yourself (even though it sometimes feels so right on the surface) and when you strengthen yourself (even though it sometimes feels like a bitter pill to swallow). The beauty is that you need no guru, holy book or cultural norms to get there. All you need is common sense and sensitivity about yourself and others.

The question I would have for others: could spiritual progress become exponential as we wander along our spiritual path? You would think that once you have taken the first hurdles of self-discovery and built a foundation for yourself, your awareness and connectivity becomes finer and deeper all the time. Keanu Reeves discovered in the Matrix that after removing a few bricks out of the fabric out of the universe, the entire system was at his disposal. Perhaps we could be in for a similar eye-opener.

Flip the Channel

The Law of Attraction is kind of cool if you experiment with it. It is especially powerful if you invoke it to get insights about yourself. Like Neal Walsh in his Conversations with God you can just write your question on a piece of paper and the answer will come. One word of caution though, just getting the answer will not always suffice. Sometimes you will be granted an experience that allows you to internalize a new way of thinking. It can feel like therapy, but at least it will be much cheaper. I find it amazing to think that you can write a question down and your personal TV program flips to the desired channel.

All your thoughts, past actions, and goals determine the events and people you attract into your life. I have realized this several times now. One simple example in this direction, I struggle a bit with names and recognizing faces. At one point I just decided that remembering names would be my new priority. Whereas before, my colleagues at work came around corners in split seconds, they now parade for a good 10 seconds before me when I meet them, which gives me ample of time to place them. One day we had an off site and I addressed the universe, " I thank you in advance for handing me all names on a platter". To my pleasant surprise everyone was wearing name tags that day.

I would love to hear your examples when you consciously flipped channels. Did it work smoothly, or did you experience some unintended consequences?

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Throughout my life I have been a mind person. School and studies always came to me easily. My mind is sharp without being razor sharp. I always go straight to the non-fiction section in every bookstore. Emotions, empathy and compassion was something I was definitely capable of, but my mind was sometimes in the way; if you are a mind person you just live in your own world and are often just not sensitive enough to observe what others are going through. Actually, I was amazed how hazy the thought process of a heart-driven person could be at times; it just seemed to be a different world. Intuitively, however, I felt something was missing in my life and I married someone who is love, compassion and empathy all in one.

My spiritual journey was mind driven as well. Protestant by birth, I had a pretty rational spiritual education, but eventually still struggled with the concepts of faith and miracles. Ironically, it was Sri Ramakrishna - the saint of love, faith and passion - who got me back on my spiritual track. Still, the spiritual concept that resonates most with me is the Gita - Lord Krishna educates the human race in the same intellectual way as Neal Walsh was educated in his Conversations with God. But then a few years ago I figured out that what you really need to merge with our Source: the mind, the heart and energy, all working together.

Energy just came out of nowhere. Perhaps it always has been my destiny to get it. My mother told me a story that when she went in a store to get balloons for me they all burst in my hand. At one point the sales person - I grew up in Germany - just refused to give her more balloons. The energy wave started a couple of years ago. I vividly remember how I was sitting in a meeting and suddenly felt that strange sensation in my lower body. It was at if energy shot up from my testicles. Around this period, my sinus cleared up. Pretty much all my life my sinus were stuffed up and then one fine day I could breathe freely. Meanwhile the energy wave seems to be creeping up my spine: I feel little bubbles towards the end of my spine and often a certain lingering tension in my neck and lower head area. Actually, sometimes I feel as if I am burning up inside.

So what about the heart? Well, here is the thing: while you start your spiritual journey in one area, you reach a point when everything just takes off together. Today I look for clues everywhere, from the people you meet, the nature and environment you experience, songs on the radio, etc. When you are together with people you suddenly experience the exchange of energy waves. I will never forget a conversation with my assistant a while back. I had forgotten something she had already told me and when she realized that I saw a flash in her eye which hit me like a sledgehammer. That's what a spiritual journey does to you, it makes you sensitive in a way you never had before, and with it empathy and compassion come automatically.

Actually, I have no idea where my spiritual journey will take me. Things just happen so fast and they also seem unstable. Sometimes I ask myself, am I just losing my mind, which would be somewhat ironic for a mind person. But I am pretty sure that whatever comes from here will be a package deal. Mind, heart and the energy wave just expand together. Two out of three ain't bad, and that's just the beginning.

Three Do Nots

An Aghori (a spiritual path that embraces not-so-holy activities) master gave the following advice: Don't be embarrassed about your vasanas (desires), do not fear and do not doubt!

When it comes to your passions, you have a decision to make. You can embrace them and burn them off, or you can choose to ignore your urges in the name of spirituality or self-development. Pursuing your vasanas often has karma attached since where your desires are, the ego is lurking around the corner. But ignoring them also has a hefty spiritual price tag attached as many monks and some married folks will be able to attest. The choice is up to you. Just ask yourself what side effects your passions are likely to have. If you think you can handle the 'bad karma' just go for it and burn your vasanas off once and for all.

If you go for it, don't be embarrassed about your urges. They tell you where you come from and what unfinished business is still left in your spiritual evolution. Don't fear, there is no good and evil as God states in Neal Walsh's Conversations with God. There is only useful and not useful for your spiritual evolution. Do not doubt: if you have already travelled so far you might as well get it done with. There is no turning back now; the sooner you say 'Been there, done that', the better. Just do it!