Step #1 is to take your next step spiritually. When I talk about spirituality, I mean a connection with a higher power (God, for me). To demonstrate the importance of this first focus point, I'll give an analogy from my violin teaching. The first thing I teach a brand new beginner is how to hold the violin solidly. I tell them that this is the foundation, that if the violin is unstable, drooping, or wiggling around, they will not be able to build on top of it with fancy tricks and beautiful sounds. It will all fall apart. It is the same with spirituality. We will be working on healing our issues, developing talents, getting our bodies and physical health in shape, becoming our true selves, and adding all sort of simple beauties to our lives, but the glue that makes them all stick into place and make sense in relation to one another...stable and strong and lasting...is spirituality.
There is an energy healing system called The Healing Code that was a huge part of me overcoming my depression dragon (we'll get to the Healing Codes in a later post). In the book, Dr. Alexander Loyd prefaces the science behind the Healing Code with this...
"...the deepest healing every person on earth needs is not physical or emotional, but spiritual, and it involves healing any disruption of a relationship with a loving God. That is something only God can do. That is something that is between you and God." (Loyd, pg. 28-29)
The Healing Code itself involves prayer and asking God to enter in and fix all that is not right in your body, mind, and life. Again, the importance of a spiritual foundation in all our efforts to find peace, joy, and oneness in our lives.
In our Simple Abundance book on February 26th we read about "real life beginning with reverence." Her definition of reverence is "that altered state of conciousness when you feel awe and wonder because you know you are in the presence of Spirit." Reverence and spirituality, to me, are inseparably linked. When I feel the most reverent, it is when I feel the most connected to God. She goes on to say...
"Real Life--the real life of joy we are meant to be living--begins when we restore a sense of reverence [spirituality] to our daily affairs."
Last, but not least, of the inspiring support I found on spirituality being of the utmost importance comes from The Book of Mormon, a book of scripture believed to be another testament of Jesus Christ along with the bible by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In 1Nephi chapter 11, the prophet Nephi is seeing a vision of "the tree of life," and it is being interpreted to him by the Spirit. He is told that the tree represents the love of God. Nephi uses these phrases to describe the tree, or the love of God...
"...the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow."
"...precious above all."
"Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore it is the most desirable above all things...Yea, and the most joyous to the soul."
Such beautiful words to describe the love of God. Doesn't it sound like something you want to feel and experience at all times in your life? We are all ultimately searching for joy, whether we consciously realize it or not. These scriptures are telling us where joy is found: being connected to the love of God. His love is always there, that's not the issue. Are you tapping into it fully?
The first step to "slaying your dragons," and the only one I ask you to hold yourself accountable to for now, is taking your next step spiritually. Maybe you're not sure if God really exists--make it your goal this week to pray throughout the day and ask and open your mind. By the way, don't let this be a baby step towards taking your next step spiritually. Challenge yourself! Take the plunge! The power to change your life comes from really doing something different or with more conviction than you've done in the past.
When I took this first step to overcome my depression last October, I felt that it would be a challenge and step up for me to start going to my church's temple once a week. The temple is a sacred place where we believe we can be closest to God out of all the places on the earth. It was certainly a sacrifice for me to take four hours or so out of my week, but boy did I start to feel the power of that place. I noticed myself being able to handle a lot more, and I just felt stronger spiritually like how your body starts to feel glowy and stronger when you've been exercising consistently. Click this link if you'd like to find a temple near you. You may not be able to go inside, but just being on the grounds will give you strength and solice.
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I'm convinced that you will start to feel strength and power to overcome with whatever step you decide is right for you. Really open your mind and meditate about it. Ask! Whatever thought comes to your mind...make it your top priority.
You're posts are always inspiring! They make me want to go outside and run through a field of wildflowers just to feel peaceful and happy! Thanks for all your awesome thoughts.
ReplyDeleteRun Paigey, run! :D
DeleteYa!!!!I will!!! Hahaha
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