In Pursuit of the Spiritual - Why We All Have to Become a Spiritual Warrior
I decided to watch the Ironman event televised from Hawaii. Thanks to a former boyfriend, I know a great deal about professional cycling and events like the Tour de France. I had never watched the Ironman before, but it definitely brought back memories. What is it about these events that hold so much appeal for me?
They are noble. And they are very much like the pursuit of a spiritual quest.
The men and women who participate in these events are absolutely the epitome of physical strength and endurance. They are dedicated. What was it the announcer said about why they participate?
“They come to find out what they are made of. It takes passion, courage, and determination.”
And he is right. They are warrior athletes. Their life is dedicated to the perfection of their body and their skill. And in the race, it often comes down to what’s in their mind. Mental strength wins every time.
Have you ever watched the Tour de France?
Hour after hour, day after day, they ride. It doesn’t matter what the weather is. It doesn’t matter what the other racers are doing. They each have to do it on their own. Sure they have support from people in a van with food, water, spare tires and encouragement. But no one is out there riding for them.
They see the ridiculously challenging mountain ahead of them and they have a choice. Do they continue with “their journey,” riding their best, trusting that they have what it takes to finish, or do they quit?
If they continue, do they do it at less than their best, letting the physical pain and exhaustion overshadow their desire to succeed? Or do they ignore what’s happening in their body, in their surroundings, and stay in a centered place looking always at the goal and going after it with everything they’ve got?
Those are questions I will also ask of you?
What is a spiritual journey about anyway?
There are a million different spiritual paths and spiritual journeys to take in order to get there.
Where is a Spiritual Journey leading to?
Each path is leading to freedom and joy.
What kind of freedom?
The freedom to be who you truly are - a Divine being without limitations of any kind. A person walking around completely in union in every moment with Spirit.
In that space there is only love, there is only joy, there is only compassion, there is only perfect health, there is only peace, there is only abundance, and there is only the desire to assist other humans in achieving the same.
There is no room for lack, for fear, for worry, for war, or for strife.
If that is the end result you are attempting to attain, then . . .
What is required to get there?
Can you just sit at home, read a few books, take a few seminars, pray, hold a few crystals and experience instant enlightenment?
The answer is a very big NO!
It requires dedication. It means finding out what you are made of. It takes passion, courage, and determination.
It is a quest well worth the effort. But, just like the Ironman or the Tour de France, few athletes ever even get to participate in those events. Most people don't have what it takes.
How dedicated are you to your spiritual quest?
What have you done that proves you are totally dedicated?
For me, the greatest metaphor for the spiritual journey is the quest for the holy grail which includes knights slaying dragons and facing numerous other perils. When the going gets tough, the best still persist.
How many dragons have you slain lately?
During the course of my conscious spiritual journey, I’ve done what I consider to be some pretty amazing and scary things.
For two and a half years, without exception, I arose at 4 a.m. and meditated, did yoga, and prepared for my day.
I felt inner prompting to do things and go places that felt very uncomfortable. Yet I followed the inner promptings and was exhilarated by each one.
I rode horses bareback and blindfolded. I walked on fire. I ran at top speed blindfolded down a hill that ended at a huge cliff that dropped into the raging ocean below.
I left a perfectly good job with very high pay to travel across the country to live in a place I’d never visited before and to start a nonprofit for dolphins and whales.
And if that isn’t enough insanity, after seeing a guy only 4 times I asked him to move in with me. I didn’t even know his last name. Yes it was Raven - now my husband. And yes it was a wonderful choice.
O.K. so I’m daring. I follow my intuition. And I’ve done some physical things that prove I’ve got some spiritual dedication.
But what about the REALLY hard stuff?
The things I’ve already mentioned are actually quite easy compared to facing the real dragons.
What Are The Real Dragons You Must Face?
What about looking at every facet of yourself and seeing the truth. What do you fear deep down inside? What beliefs do you hold, false beliefs, which are holding you back at every turn? Who and what do you judge as wrong or bad or it shouldn’t be that way? What happened in your childhood, or even a past life, that you haven’t REALLY gotten over?
You can’t just face these dragons. You have to slay them.
This is where you get to discover if you are truly dedicated to the spiritual quest and will actually achieve freedom and joy. Or are you just another weekend athlete with a dream you’ll never actually pursue?
People often call to ask me questions about my various products. When we start discussing Fear Buster and Core Issues, I explain that these essences help those dragons come fully to the surface. At this point the person usually laughs, you can sense their tension, and they say they aren’t sure they want to look at those things.
Ah, but isn’t that the real challenge of the quest?
What the Spiritual Journey Requires of You
Without looking at the shadow, the fear, the thing you are sorry and ashamed that you did or said, you are only pretending to be spiritual.
The spiritual journey requires that you face those things head on, that you discover your weaknesses, that you heal the wounds, that you forgive even what or whom may seem unforgiveable - including yourself.
It requires that you take responsibility for the part you have played in every thing and event that has ever happened in your life. It requires that you learn to rise above circumstances and even your own weaknesses to do what you know is right - even when that is downright and sometimes paralyzingly uncomfortable.
It requires a great deal of maturity, responsibility, compassion, and over and over again forgiveness.
As long as there are dragons, they have to be slain (looked at, learned from, and dismissed forever). Otherwise the end result can never be attained.
Are You Truly a Spiritual Warrior or Are You Just Pretending?
Who have you refused to forgive?
In which event from your past do you still feel like you were a victim?
What issues, situations, or people can instantly press your sadness or anger buttons?
If you give up when having to face those situations, then you are just pretending that you are dedicated to your spiritual journey. You are simply being an armchair observer instead of a full out warrior participant.
The dragons show up as the things that aren't working in your everyday life.
Make the commitment to yourself and to Spirit to face them head on.
Ask for help - it is there in every moment.
And never ever ever give up.
Here’s to your journey,
Takara
