The Bumpy Spiritual Road

On our road to enlightenment, one of the most important steps to take is self-responsibility for every aspect of our lives. It can be challenging to accept our part when bad things happen or when the best-laid plans go wrong, feelings of frustration and resentment can create negativity that is hard to shake. When we learn to view these situations as opportunities to learn a lesson, we really do grow, especially when we can look in the mirror and accept the person looking back, but is this enough to lead us toward peace and balance?

Acceptance of our human frailties does not mean that we will now breeze through life, because that is only a part of the journey, we must apply the same compassion and acceptance that we have developed for ourselves to others as well. Sometimes we become so caught up in our self-reflection that we develop a spiritual ego that promotes judgment of others, leading us to plateau and possibly lose spiritual ground.

Judging others leads to confusion, stress and disharmony. It can be hard to stop judging others especially if we are diligently working on ourselves, expecting those around us to be doing the same. Growing spiritually means that while we accept judgment as part of our human condition, it is a choice and something that we can control. Practiced observation allows us to move through life with grace and ease; alleviating the unnecessary responsibility that judgment creates, so that when we do look in the mirror we really can appreciate the person that looks back at us.