Tag: inspiring

The Spiritual Path

"The further down my spiritual path I go, the less I am able to define. When I turn inward, I find no words. Only Light; only Love." ~Laura Jaworski

One thing: you have to walk, and create the way by your walking; you will not find a ready-made path. It is not so cheap, to reach to the ultimate realization of truth. You will have to create the path by walking yourself; the path is not ready-made, lying there and waiting for you. It is just like the sky: the birds fly, but they don’t leave any footprints. You cannot follow them; there are no footprints left behind. —Osho

Walking the spiritual path is within each soul if they chose to follow. It is a deep understanding and appreciation of all religious faiths and ideologies. The emphasis is on love, peace and non-judgment. You begin to realize that there is something greater then yourself. An inner awakening occurs; you are being led by your soul. Spirituality is a calling; once you are aligned to living this way you become awake. Your faith will be tested, challenges will come and you may face adversities. This is all happening to show you how incredibly resilient you are. The trials and turbulent time are there to facilitate your ultimate growth and healing.

I once read that the first 40 years of our life, we are trying to get over the first five years. What does this mean? We all have baggage, past grief, or had a childhood that may have not been the most encouraging. Always remember with each experience you have had in life it shapes your destiny. Observe each experience whether being positive or negative as valuable lesson. Try to always see everything as a blessing as everything is happening for your highest good. You always have a choice and each chapter of your life has significance. You are creating your story each day you are here.

Spirituality is like climbing a steep mountain. You start at the bottom of the hill, as you grow through each lesson and experience you get closer and closer to reaching your potential or even enlightenment. The goal is not to reach the mountain top but to bring awareness of everything that you have learned along the climb. You will learn every day of your life and continue to for as long as you are on the earth realm.

Faith does not need to push the river because faith is able to trust that there is a river. The river is flowing. We are in it.– Richard Rohr

How did I embark on the path to spirituality? I was born into the Sikh religion, and as a family unit we would attend church each Sunday. Prayers, mantras and religious hymns were always played throughout our home. The virtues of faith, compassion, charity and love are aspects of our culture that my parents have passed along. Spirituality has been within me since I was a child not until I was in my teenage years did I really start to question life and its meaning.

It was the summer just before high school was to begin; we had family visiting from Montreal. After having a family brunch each of my siblings and I were presented a narrative from my uncle. It was called Unlimited Power, by Anthony Robbins. I remember reading it and felt so inspired. It was at the pivotal moment of my life I understood that the universe was working for me. I felt protected by angels, assisted by the higher power and a deep connection to my soul.

By my twenties I started to question more about life and its meaning. A dear friend of mine gifted me with the Holy Bible and another part of my soul awakened. Teachings of Master Christ resonated with my soul deeply and I had a deep appreciation for his teachings. I read anything spiritual I could get my hands on from past-lives, angels, and self-development. I wanted to absorb all the material I could and now realize it was all here to foster my growth. Yoga came into my life and changed my spirit in so many ways. It allowed me to feel so alive and fostered inner healing.

The Spiritual path has many twists and turns and bends in the road. There are many times when I question the higher power to why I face challenges. When the obstacles arise, I have learned to become silent and sit with meditation. I listen to the divine messages that come within. I chose this path for a reason, not only for myself but to guide others along the way. We all hold the miracle of the holy greatness within us. The path was chosen for all of us, cherish it and always know that you are a blessing to everyone you meet.

Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives. —Brené Brown

 

 

A Hero Lies in You

img_3547There’s a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don’t have to be afraid
Of what you are
There’s an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away
Mariah Carey – Hero

Music the gateway to the soul, with each lyric, rhythm and melody it has the ability to alter one’s attitude. I always have a song playing in my the background of my subconscious and find music to be therapeutic. The song Hero had kept on playing over in my mind over the past few weeks. Growing up, I loved songs by Mariah Carey and clearly remember her very first song called “Vision of Love”. Although a young girl, at that time I remember thinking that this song meant so much to my spirit. After recently re-reading the lyrics of Hero, my heart was deeply moved.

Let’s backtrack; first question Who is your Hero? Is it a teacher, comic hero, family member, musician, historic or religious figure? I can name a countless list of individuals who are my hero’s. First and foremost are my parents. They left their homeland of India in the 1960’s, and headed for the United Kingdom. By the late 1970’s, with three young children in the middle of winter, they settled in Canada to start a new chapter in life. My parents had little money and friends however, built a lifetime of memories on the foundation of love. They had to make plenty of sacrifices, and leave there comfort zone. They are my hero’s for they seized opportunities and never looked back.

Historically, I have always admired Master Jesus, Mother Theresa, and Leonardo Di Vinci. They were divine beings who were ahead of their time. Collectively they conveyed messages of love, compassion and reawakening. In June 2016, my best friend and I traveled to Spain and Italy for a soul vacation “soulcation”. Our first destination was Barcelona. We were surrounded by the art and architectural influences of Antonio Gaudi, Salvador Dali and admired the modern ambiences of Barcelona. Gaudi is now added to the list of hero’s. He created a masterpiece with constructing the Sagrada Familia, and dedicated his life to having this cathedral built. His enthusiasm, passion and devotion to the divine are felt in all of his creations. Gaudi was a selfless human being who lived within his means, a life of simplicity and vision.

Originality implies a return to the origins, original is returning to the simplicity of the first solutions. —Antonio Gaudi

A modern-day James Bond 007–Bruce Wayne, a hero of mystery and stealth, can only be described as the “iconic” Batman. Who wouldn’t love this character of intelligence, sophistication, edge and charm! In my first year of university, I was introduced to The Dark Knight which depicted the life of Batman. On a whim, I had taken an introduction class to Media, Information and Techno-culture. I had no idea that the Dark Knight would become one of my favorite comic books of all time. From an early age, we see the protagonist’s desire to fight for the oppressed and challenge the corrupt. He is haunted by the death of his beloved parents and carries this grief with him into his adult years. Batman is a symbol of rebellion and justice, a self-made hero whose actions are for the city of Gotham. He is confident; single-handedly fought alone, and followed his instincts. A hero we all undeniably adore and secretly wish we could be. Ultimately, he relies on no one but himself, the hero within.

In hindsight, we are our own hero’s; all we have to do is look in the mirror and into our hearts. Take time to value who you are and affirm your greatness every day. Understand that you do not need to look outside of yourself. All heroes stand alone and have to battle internal dialogues to find the peace and salvation they are seeking. They sacrifice, struggle and lose a bit of themselves along the way. As cliché it may seem, they never give up. Life is constant ebb and flow of ups and downs, always know that you are the “Hero” which you are seeking. The hero is not on a magazine cover, television or internet, it is “YOU”. Mariah Carey’s song, Hero is a reminder to reflect on all that I have become and accomplished, to never stop believing and forge ahead.

Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with. — Brodi Ashton