“This is a time of accelerated and expanding awakening. More and more of you are finding that your work in the world is shifting and changing. Gone are the days when many of you are willing to work all week at a job that gives you no joy or little satisfaction because of the work not coming from and being created by the core of who you are - the reason or purpose you are on this planet at this time.
 
More and more of you are further awakening to the purpose and passion that drives you - that allows you to enjoy the work that you do while serving others. 
 
Continue to ask yourself why you are here, gain additional clarity and use that knowledge and wisdom to focus your thoughts and activities. In this manner you will assist many while you experience joy and completion - completion in being true to your unique magnificence.
 
Some of you may be awakening with discontent with your current circumstances. To this we say hurray!  This discontent is the sign - the impetus - that will accelerate your awakening further and assist you in developing more clarity in who you are, what you are here for, and how that translates into your work in the world. When you can experience your work with joy and approach it with enthusiasm, then you are on purpose.
 
We see many of you evolving your work in the world at this time - those of you who are already on purpose - as this is indeed an evolutionary process. As you grow and evolve individually and collectively, your work will also evolve, so see this as a wonderful and exciting journey rather than a static destination, and you will continue to increase your joy. This is the excitement - the growth and evolution of all.
 
And so it is.”
 
Enoch

Channeled by Susan Rueppel, Ph.d., Energetic Wisdom www.energeticwisdom.com

Some of my other favorite quotes come from artist Brian Andreas - the creator of Story People (www.storypeople.com):
 
“In my dream, the angel shrugged & said, If we fail this time, it will be a failure of imagination & then she placed the world gently in the palm of my hand.”
 
“I used to wait for a sign, she said, before I did anything.  Then one night I had a dream & an angel in black tights came to me & said, You can start any time now & then I said Is this a sign? & the angel started laughing & I woke up.  Now, I think the whole world is filled with signs, but if there’s no laughter, I know they’re not for me.”
 
Making the Time to Imagine
 
We sometimes get so focused and busy with our day to day activities that we forget what it is to allow our imagination to soar. Here’s a quick and easy way to re-enliven your imagination.
 
Select an area of your life where you would like to see new possibilities. It could be your health, a relationship, career, business, leisure, etc. Now close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, centering yourself and bringing your attention into the present moment. Set your intention on igniting your imagination. Imagine you have your own TV screen out in front of your closed eyes - your intuition screen - an easy way to access your intuition. Use your intuition screen to visualize what that area of your life would look like with limitless possibilities. Start by creating a picture of what that area of your life looks like now. Then as you hold the thought - the energy - of infinite possibility, watch your picture unfold and evolve like a movie. Feel your enthusiasm and excitement increasing as inspiration expands within you. Imagine what limitless possibility looks like in 6 months, a year, 2 years. Notice your positive emotions and how great your body feels. Now take an energetic ’snapshot’ - of those thoughts and feelings - so any time you desire a boost of imagination you can access it again.
 
May our imaginations soar!

Happy Intuiting!
 
© Copyright 2008 Susan Rueppel, Ph.D., Energetic Wisdom

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:   Susan Rueppel, Ph.D., is a soul-directed Medical Intuitive who can help you uncover the underlying cause of health or life challenges, assist in healing both the cause and effect, and provide tools to help you create the life you desire.  For more info visit her at www.energeticwisdom.com and get her FREE INTUITIVE RESOURCE GUIDE:  Resources for Developing your Intuition.

They are referred to as Indigo Children because their auras are primarily made up of the color indigo. Indigo is the color of the Sixth Chakra, which is also known as the third eye. This chakra is associated with intuition and psychic ability. Indigo Children are very intuitive and usually have more psychic ability than most non-Indigos.

Humanity is going through a major spiritual evolution. The vibrational frequency of the planet and its inhabitants is increasing, bringing us closer to Source or God, and closer to who we truly are. Indigo Children are “light-workers”, here to help facilitate this change in consciousness and vibration. They are, indeed, here to help change the world.

Many Indigo Children remember that they came from light into human form and that we are One with all that is. They know that they are spiritual beings having a human experience and they don’t see the point of many of the rules we impose from our humanness. As a result, they are easily bored and often rebellious.

Some Indigo Children experience a lot of anger, depression and frustration in response to society’s attempts to make them “fit in.” They may suffer from sleep disorders and nightmares.

Indigo Children are frequently labeled as difficult or challenging because of their opposition to authority. Some Indigo Children have been diagnosed as suffering from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Unfortunately, society’s solution to these “problems” is often to medicate these Indigo Children in an effort to control them.

Indigo Children react to situations in their own way and process emotions differently than non-Indigos. They are highly intelligent and able to recognize and respond to attempts to manipulate them or to make them feel guilty.

While Indigo Children may not realize their purpose on a conscious level, they are usually aware of their mission on Earth at some level. They feel a strong connection to others and experience strong empathy for other beings. Many Indigo Children also have an innate healing ability.

Indigo Children have a strong sense of who they are and are very independent and strong willed. They much prefer to do things their way rather than following direction from others.

There are different schools of thought regarding the arrival of the first Indigo Children on the planet. Some believe Indigo Children have only been around for a few years and that they are a minority in their age groups. Others believe that the first Indigo Children were born around 100 years ago and that the vast majority of children born in the last few years are Indigos. Some people believe that every generation has had some Indigos, and that the number of Indigo Children born continues to increase each year. In fact, some experts have estimated that as many as 97% of children under ten are Indigo Children.

The Indigo Children are changing the world and humanity’s perception of our existence. Many people are now realizing that they come from light and will return to light when their physical bodies die. They are remembering who they really are, well beyond the physical body.

As the number of Indigo Adults continues to grow, the teaching methods schools use will support the needs of each individual child. Many parents now recognize that their Indigo Children have unique abilities and require special care.

The best thing we can do is help our Indigo Children develop their gifts and discover methods to cope with their anger and frustration. We can provide support and guidance the way the Indigos need us to provide it. Then we can feel comfortable stepping back and letting our Indigo Children fulfill their destinies in their own way.

Imagine having your interactions with people create true connections! 

I was discussing ‘Perfect Pictures’ with a colleague and friend recently - our desire and efforts to be perfect in what we do and how we communicate - and she said that when she tries to be perfect, her conversations with people don’t go as well as she would like.  She thinks that when she’s in that mode people perceive her as unapproachable.  So she thought about what her inherent attributes are - that when she embodies those attributes, enhances her communication and creates actual connections with people.  Those attributes for her are: approachable, funny and authentic.  She calls it her Connection Sweet Spot.   

She said that when she’s living and communicating from her Connection Sweet Spot her relationships are much more mutually rewarding.  She is able to communicate easier - with both parties being heard and understood - and have a much more powerful and engaging connection.  

What’s Your Connection Sweet Spot? 

Don’t know your Connection Sweet Spot?  Here’s some tips for figuring it out: 

Make a list of all your most inherent attributes.  If you want additional insights you can brainstorm with family, friends or colleagues to get their perspective on your most engaging qualities. This can be interesting because our perception of ourselves is sometimes different from how others perceive us.  You may end up with some words (your qualities) you may not have thought of.   

After you’ve developed your list (which I am sure will be long), select the most applicable 3 or 4.  To do this, notice which ones came up most often in your brainstorming processes.   

Incorporating Your Intuition 

Need help narrowing your list to just 3 or 4 attributes?  Use your intuition:   

Body Wisdom (clairsentience - clear feeling) 

Use your Body Wisdom to help you narrow down your list attributes: read one of the words on your list out loud with the intention that your intuition will guide you to select those 3 or 4 that most accurately describe your most engaging qualities, then close your eyes and notice what kind of feelings you get in your body.  Does your body feel good - comfortable, happy, warm and fuzzy - or does it feel cold or uncomfortable?  Which words have ‘juice’?  Proceed by reading each word out loud, determining for each one whether it made your body feel good or not. 

Traffic Light (clairvoyance - clear seeing) 

Use the simple Traffic Light intuition tool to help narrow down you list: speak aloud one of the words you’ve selected, then close your eyes and visualize a traffic light.  Ask it to show you if the word is one of the top 3 or 4 that best describe you:  Green/Go = yes, Yellow/Caution = maybe, and Red/Stop = no. 

Other Intuitive Tools 

Speak each word on your list with the intention that you will hear a Yes or No for each word, letting you know if it best describes your engaging qualities (clairaudience - clear hearing). 

Speak each word with the intention that by being still and focused you will just ‘know’ whether the word should stay on your list (claircognizance - clear knowing). 

In case you’re curious, using the above processes (thank you Lauren & Diane), I determined my Connection Sweet Spot to be:  thought provoking, competent, empowering and authentic.  

Putting your Connection Sweet Spot into Action 

So, next time you’re getting ready to communicate with someone - and you want it to be a true connection and not just a conversation - take a deep breath, tap into your Connection Sweet Spot and enjoy connecting. 

Here’s to inspired connections! 

Happy Intuiting! 
© Copyright 2008 Susan Rueppel, Ph.D., Energetic Wisdom
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:   Susan Rueppel, Ph.D., is a soul-directed Medical Intuitive who can help you uncover the underlying cause of health or life challenges, assist in healing both the cause and effect, and provide tools to help you create the life you desire.  For more info visit her at www.energeticwisdom.com and get her FREE INTUITIVE RESOURCE GUIDE:  Resources for Developing your Intuition 

———————————-

Wisdom from Other Realms
Enoch on Connections 

A note from Susan: The following is a channeled message from my guide group who call themselves Enoch - a group of non-physical beings who use me as their conduit to anchor the energies of expansion and service.  

This month I invited Enoch to share some wisdom specifically on the topic of connections. 

And Enoch says:  “The interesting thing about connections is the perception is usually about how to communicate with others and how they communicate with you, when in reality the most important piece of this puzzle - which connections can sometimes be - is to learn to communicate with you.  With yourself.  To learn to be your authentic self - to learn to express fully who you are in the world.   

This is the manner in which your connections with others becomes stronger.  This is the manner in which you draw others to you.  This is the manner in which you communicate more fully with others.   

By remembering to be who you are and not who people or your society expects you to be.  This is the beauty of this time is that you have the opportunity to be fully you.   

So remember who you are at the core.  Remember what you consider the best traits about you, and you are fully expressed for who you are.  This is when the connections with others are sweet, are enjoyable, are insightful.  This is truly the manner of connection.” 

The ability to maintain that sense of peace regardless of what’s happening around you requires some type of anchor in your life. This anchor gives you something that you can stay connected to, no matter how out of control everything else seems to be. For many, this connection is a spiritual one. Some people get their strength from their religion, and their belief in God. For others, it may be some other type of spiritual concept.

What do you envision when you think of a spiritual journey? Do you picture someone dressed in rags, shunning material possessions, meditating on a mountain top? Or do you picture a shaman on a trek across the wilderness, looking for enlightenment? These people may very well be on spiritual journeys, seeking whatever has meaning for them.

Most of us, however, have lives and responsibilities that we can’t walk away from in order to focus totally on our spiritual journeys. Each of us will embark on a spiritual journey that is totally unique, depending on what we find to be important and what works with the rest of our lives. The important thing is to spend time whenever possible learning, growing and developing spiritually.

Undertaking your own spiritual journey can lead to an enriched and meaningful life, with more peace and greater inspiration. You may also find that you gain the ability to remain calm when others around you are stressed and upset. You could transform a mundane existence into a much more powerful one.

How do you embark on your own spiritual journey? Then, how do you use your spiritual journey to give you an anchor to hold onto, no matter what else is going on around you?

The first step in a spiritual journey is to decide what you want to accomplish. Write down specific ideas for what you want to gain from your spiritual journey. Are you looking for a higher purpose or meaning for your life? Do you want to feel connected to a higher power? Would you like more peace and serenity in your day-to-day activities? Setting the intention to reach your spiritual goals and Writing down the specifics creates clarity and starts drawing experiences to you to help you attain your goals.

Once you know the results you want to see from your spiritual journey, take time to quiet your mind and ask for guidance. You can ask God, angels, the Universe, your own higher self — whatever you believe in. Ask to be guided to the right path for you.

After you’ve asked for guidance, be open to and ready for the results. The results may be pretty subtle, so listen to your intuition. You may feel pulled in a certain direction. There may be a book you are drawn to read. You may meet someone new who will introduce you to the next step in your spiritual journey.

Information about a class or workshop may suddenly show up and, intuitively, you may feel that you are meant to attend. Don’t ignore these signs. There is really no such thing as coincidence.

Your spiritual journey will unfold perfectly for you. You can’t make a mistake, so have fun with it. Take your time and know that you are growing and developing every step of the way. When troubling times occur in your life, focus on whichever phase of the spiritual journey you are currently in. If your focus and your thoughts are on the spiritual, they can’t be on the negative forces in your life.

Remember, your mind can only think one thought at a time and what you focus on grows! Focus on the benefits you are receiving from your spiritual journey and don’t allow the unpleasant thoughts to take hold.

The word Nirvana, also spelled Nibbana, is a Sanskrit word that literally means “to cease blowing” (such as when a candle goes out) or to extinguish (such as to extinguish the struggles and passions of life). Buddhists believe this refers to crossing into a different type of existence.

Nirvana is a spiritual concept that has somewhat different meanings in different cultures and religions, and even in different schools of the same religion.

In the Dhammapada, a book of scripture verses attributed to the Buddha, Buddhism Nirvana is referred to as “the highest happiness.” It is considered to be the ultimate goal, and it refers to complete freedom from the bindings of the human existence. It is liberation from desire, greed, ignorance, craving, hate, delusion and ego-centered existence.

When a Buddhist reaches the state of Nirvana that person no longer has to go through the cycle of birth and death, and is free from the bindings of Karma. It is the end of suffering and individual existence, allowing the person to become one with all that is. Buddhism Nirvana is a state also referred to as “Enlightenment.”

According to the beliefs of some schools of Buddhism, Nirvana can only be achieved after death. Others believe it may be achieved during life or after death.

So how does one attain Buddhism Nirvana?

The natural state of the mind is a peaceful one, and the ultimate goal is to return to this natural state by releasing the causes of suffering that exist deep in the unconscious. In striving to achieve Buddhism Nirvana, Buddhists live a disciplined life and some believe in following the “noble eightfold path” on the way to Enlightenment.

The eightfold path consists of:

1. Right view
2. Right intention
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

Many people also believe that meditation is an important tool for attaining Buddhism Nirvana. Meditation can be used to see more clearly and assist in the process of releasing the causes of suffering.

The modern concept of Nirvana comes, at least in part, from Buddhism Nirvana. Buddhists have very specific beliefs on how to best follow the path and achieve the ultimate goal of Nirvana.

Those of us who don’t follow the Buddhist teachings may sometimes experience moments of complete and utter bliss in our lives. At those times, we may feel that we have experienced Nirvana, at least temporarily.

How many of us end up so busy that we don’t seem to have enough time for fun?  For dreaming?  For creating?  For excitement?  Especially when many of us have lists of all the things we must do, need to do, or should do.  Hey - wait a minute - what about having the fun and exciting stuff on the to-do list too???  Because, when you think about it, if we don’t have some balance in our lives (like making time for fun and excitement), then all the must do’s, need to do’s, and should do’s end up running our lives.
 
If we want an exciting life, we need to have things in our lives to be excited about.  The definition of Excite per Webster: To stir to activity or motion; To increase the energy to a high energy level; Provoke; Stimulate.  As I was looking up the definition of excite, the next word was Excitant, which means: Capable of exciting.  I don’t know about you, but I desire more excitants in my life!  Let’s not just wait around and hope we run across excitants - let’s remember them, find them, and create them!
 
How to Raise Your Excitement Quotient
 
Below are some ideas for bringing more excitement into your life:
 
Look at what makes you excited in the various areas of your life and create more of it.  Some areas you may want to consider are:

·         Work / Career
·         Relationships
·         Spirituality
·         Leisure / Fun
·         Health
·         Abundance / Wealth
 
Sit comfortably with your eyes closed.  Take a deep breath, and then conjure up an image of a time when you were very excited.  Bask in that feeling, notice all your heightened sensations.  Next time you’re feeling tired or low, take an Excitement Break - take a deep breath and imagine that time of excitement, and feel that energy pulse through your body and enliven your senses.  Remember that feeling and tap it to it whenever you need a lift.
 
Make a commitment to yourself to create more excitement in your life - even if you start with just one new or additional exciting thing a month.  It can be a simple as calling up a friend and going to a fun movie or event, or as large as launching that new endeavor you’ve been dreaming about.
 
The things that excite you don’t have to be huge.  Some of the simplest things excite me - watching my two cats that we adopted from a local shelter (Thanks Happy Tails!  www.happytails.org) as their personalities evolve from hiding under the bed to chattering, purring, and playing.  Seeing and smelling the first gardenia on the bush by my front door, or putting all my to-do’s on hold and sitting on my porch and reading.  Now those things might not excite you, but that’s the beauty of excitement - like the old saying goes: ‘Variety is the spice of life!’ Trying to remember what excites you?  Reflect on what you’ve always loved doing.  Walking barefoot in fresh mowed grass?  Singing?  Dancing?  Belly laughing with a group of your pals?  Running in the surf at the ocean with the salt breeze in your hair?
 
Excitement is contagious.  Who do you know that leads an exciting life?  Go hang out with them and see how they create excitement.  Even if what excites them doesn’t necessarily excite you, just being in the energy of excitement can help stimulate our own creative juices.  Notice how you feel better just being around people who are excited.
 
Remember - don’t wait for excitement to come your way - CREATE YOUR OWN EXCITEMENT!

Happy Intuiting! 

© Copyright 2008 Susan Rueppel, Ph.D., Energetic Wisdom
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  
Susan Rueppel, Ph.D., is a soul-directed Medical Intuitive who can help you uncover the underlying cause of health or life challenges, assist in healing both the cause and effect, and provide tools to help you create the life you desire.  For more info visit her at www.energeticwisdom.com and get her FREE INTUITIVE RESOURCE GUIDE:  Resources for Developing your Intuition. 

———————————————————–

Wisdom from Other Realms
Enoch on Exciting 
The following is a channeled message from my guide group who call themselves Enoch - a group of non-physical beings who use me as their conduit to anchor the energies of expansion and service.  I record Enoch’s message verbatim.  I know it is not my job to censor what comes through.  The words, grammar and phrasing are not mine.
Susan Rueppel, Energetic Wisdom 

“Ah, you tend to think that for something to be exciting, it has to be big, loud, dramatic.  But you forget about many things that are exciting that you take for granted.
 
The marvel of the human body is exciting - the wonders of all the parts, systems, and organs that work together in concert without you having to engage your mind - this is exciting!  The human body as a vehicle to house the soul for your sojourn on earth - this is exciting!
 
The profusion of persistent life that lives in your frozen climates and the hottest of your deserts - this is exciting!
 
The variety of life on your planet and the variety of human evolution is exciting.
 
Pause and ponder these wonders.  Stop and savor the diversity of excitement that is within you and surrounding you in each moment - this is exciting!
 
And so it is.”
 
Enoch 

Number Five: Jupiter 

- Travel, adventure and motion

- Instability, unpredictability and radical change

- Marriage, center, harmony and balance

- Perfection and order

- Disorder, confusion and universe

- Motion, storm and stress

The appearance of Fives in your life indicates that change is coming. It may signify that you will be taking a journey – either physical or spiritual. 

Number Six: Venus 

- Sincerity, truth and love

- Enlightenment for spiritual and mental harmony and balance

- Cooperation, marriage and sympathy

- Regeneration

The message from the Number Six is to be compassionate and forgiving. Sixes may also tell you that you are out of balance spiritually, encouraging you to bring spirituality to the mundane. 

Number Seven: Saturn 

- Esoteric, scholarly aspects of magic

- Mystery and imagination

- Conscious thought and awareness for manifesting

- Perfection of order, energies and spiritual principals

- Eternal life and the perfection of a complete cycle

- Bliss and degeneration

- Rest, safety and security

- Ideal happiness and freedom

The Number Seven tells you that you are on the right spiritual path and what you are creating is very close to appearing. Seven can also indicate that your dreams are impractical, although a deeper spiritual understanding will allow you to harness seven’s vibration of magic. 

Number Eight: Uranus 

- Cosmic balance, central equilibrium and justice

- Continuation, repetition and cycles

- The grand total

- Separation, inspiration and dissolution

- Rhythm, vibration and alternate cycles

- Protection and justice

Eight tells you that a phase of your life – emotional, interpersonal or professional — is coming to a close. Eight may also indicate the completion of a cycle and fulfillment of a business or wealth manifestation. 

Number Nine: Neptune

- Attainment, accomplishment and satisfaction

- Intellectual power,  inventiveness and influence

- Completion and fulfillment of creation

- Anxiety, imperfection and grief

- Regeneration, spirituality, mystery and dreaming

Nines appearing in your life encourage you to recognize your own inner abilities and to use those abilities to influence the outside world in a positive way. Nines also tell you that you have come to the end of a major phase in your life. 

When determining the spiritual meaning of numbers, there are many possible interpretations for each of the numbers that appear and recur in our lives. The most important tool for determining the spiritual meaning of numbers in your life is what your intuition tells you – what “feels” right to you. The spiritual meanings for numbers found in this article, parts 1 and 2, will give you a guideline and a starting point.

One source of information for determining the spiritual meaning of numbers is numerology, which is an esoteric art that studies the power and meaning of numbers and how they relate to people and objects. The Bible and organized religions give us other perspectives on the spiritual meaning of numbers, based on the teachings of the particular religion.

The spiritual meaning of numbers has to do with energetic vibration. All things, including numbers, have particular vibrational frequencies within the Universal or Divine force, and this is what gives numbers their spiritual power.

The Universe sometimes sends us messages by bringing particular numbers into our awareness on a recurring basis. As with any type of symbolism, interpretation of the meaning of these messages is largely up to the person receiving the message, and there are different theories as to the correct spiritual meaning of numbers. Following are some of the more common meanings attributed to numbers. When interpreting the spiritual meaning of numbers for yourself, use the meanings that resonate for you.

Number One: The Sun

- Strong will, positivity and pure energy

- New beginnings and purity

- The impulse and center of creation, the Creator, God

- The beginning and ending of all things

- Perfect, genuine

- Ambition, intention, passion

Because the Number One has to do with creation, one of the messages it has for you is to be careful to manage your thoughts so that you are consciously manifesting the reality you want. It may also indicate that it’s time for a new venture. 

Number Two: The Moon 

- Kindness, balance and tact

- Equalization and duality

- Conflict or opposites

- Creator and created

- Spirit and matter

- Joining together

- Partnership and communication

The Number Two tells you to focus on doing what’s best for your soul and to unite with like-minded people. It also guides you to work with affirmations to create what you want in your life.   

Number Three: Mars 

- Magic and intuition

- Expression, versatility and the joy of creation

- Past, present and future

- God, the cosmos and mankind

- Wholeness, completeness and unity

- Heaven, the spiritual realms

The message from the Number Three is that the ascended masters are here to help you, so ask for their help. The Number Three may also symbolize success in new ventures.  

Number Four: Mercury 

- Stability and being grounded

- Solidity, calmness and home

- Strength, wisdom and power

- Reality, expansion, experience and classification

Four tells you to get back to your roots and center yourself, and to be persistent. The Number Four may also indicate that angels are sending you a message and they want your attention. This is a good time to ask for their help.

[Be sure to come back next week for Part 2 of The Spiritual Meaning of Numbers, when we will discuss Numbers Five through Nine.]

It is important to go beyond the physical world and look within. Become familiar with your own feelings, thoughts, beliefs, habits and personal motivations. Your physical world is a direct result of your inner world. Your thoughts and beliefs shape your life. Spiritual growth is achieved when you evaluate your thought processes and focus on the areas that need improvement.

When you are aware of the thoughts you are thinking, the beliefs you have formed, and the habits you have created, you will have a great deal of insight into your physical life. To change your physical experience you must first change your inner world. Be objective during this process of self-discovery, and forgive yourself for any thoughts and beliefs that don’t serve you well. The goal is to catch yourself when negative thoughts arise and replace them with positive thoughts, eventually creating positive beliefs, habits and motivation.

Spiritual growth usually includes a search for meaning. There are many religions practiced throughout the world that believe our purpose in life is to serve the Creator, whatever the perception of the Creator within that religion. Psychology theorizes that we give meaning to our lives based on the choices that we make. Whether we believe life’s meaning and purpose is pre-determined or self-directed, spiritual growth occurs as we explore our options.

Our life experiences and relationships with other people provide us with knowledge and wisdom that help us in our search. The physical world provides us with a mirror that we can use to determine which of our values and beliefs make sense and which don’t. This helps us to let go of thought patterns that don’t serve us well.

Knowing that our lives have purpose and meaning gives us a goal to reach for while in search of that purpose and meaning. We use our physical, emotional and intellectual capabilities in this process and we experience spiritual growth throughout. A person without purpose or meaning is a person adrift, and usually not a very happy person.

Spiritual growth leads to the recognition that all things are connected. Spirituality stresses that all things – people, animals, plants, and even inanimate objects — are related. Religions with a focus on a deity also teach of the connectedness between people and a higher being. Connectedness from a psychological perspective refers to self-transcendence, which is moving beyond the ego into the soul, where all things are connected. When you realize that you are connected to all that is, you are more appreciative and respectful of everyone and everything. You recognize that your actions have an impact on everything else so you are more kind and careful in how you treat other beings.

Spiritual growth affects all aspects of your life and all aspects of your life can contribute to your spiritual growth. We might not get it right with all of our actions, but as long as we keep trying, learning and experiencing, we will find spirituality in our lives and we will continue to achieve spiritual growth.