If the devil is doubt, then what sows faith? In a world where we doubt ourselves and criticize our neighbors, finding simplicity and peace of mind can be difficult.
In this article, I will discuss the first steps to breaking down mental blocks and barriers in your life, from the day to day, to a period of time in months or years that has had you weighed down or has sucked your energy. This weight is not the spiritual joy and peace of mind that is in store for you when you focus your attention on your higher calling, your creator, your life partner.
Why is it hard to find simplicity, peace of mind, and faith? (Disclaimer: this article IS a “how to” article related to finding the right fit job, hang in there!)
In order to achieve a higher calling in your life, break through barriers in the day to day grind, you have to have a passion from the heart that goes deeper than your goals to keep rising even when it seems the world is against you.
Getting up when you have nothing left to give, to continue to serve is hard. Most people struggle with self-sacrifice: it is the ultimate thing that differentiates humans. Rising above self-preservation and self-gratification to continue forward even when we do not know if it will help us in the end is self-sacrifice. A job can sometimes feel this way: Should I stay or leave? A decision can feel this way too! You might think, “How will this choice: “Help me ____Give me____Allow me ____?” The mind is always going to talk about YOU YOU YOU, the mind is always going to keep you in the known or the safe zone because the mind’s job is to protect you, the organism. The answer to the question you seek is answered by your heart, not your mind.
I heard recently that you will feel 2 things when you decide with your heart: fear and freedom. Having faith and taking risks will make you feel fear while feeling a great sense of freedom. You are free when you trust – it takes away the burdensome pressure of your own ego trampling you with 60-80,000 thoughts per day. And it is scary to put your faith in something you cannot see, you cannot hear, and that all the noises in today’s world are trying to drown out: individualism, hedonism, ego-centricity is LOUD in our society.
So, what does God want from you? Passion and commitment!
Passion is hard to find, sometimes it is innate in people (and those people are inspiring). For others, passion is not inborn, so it must be cultivated. God discusses the passion we need in order to live a life of higher purpose.
“We are all called to be saints:” sowers of love and peace. And when we fight, we fight to keep peace and love. This is the calling: to find peace of mind and to find true love. We are all called to serve each other.
So, if your job is in service of others – then maybe it is other things that are weighing you down (i.e. bad management, low pay, long hours?) So, how can you rise above these annoyances?
The first step is to change your thought patterns in the midst of negativity because your thoughts shape your moods, your behaviors, and your actions. Your actions become your habits and then – bam – you made your own reality suck a little bit more!
Focus on what you have and not what you do not have. The next post I write will talk about cultivating resilience, creativity, and hope. The follow up post on the importance of cultivating resilience is very important because this quality is what we need to be teaching each other and our children today, as many children are suffering mental health issues more so now than before this time.
Resilience, sacrifice, service of others, and unconditional love are discussed in all great religious texts and are the highest callings for humankind. We need the lessons taught by our elders in the past more so now than EVER BEFORE.
Keep meditating on these concepts, start your gratitude journal, and focus on something beyond the drives of your ego as you go forward making your big decisions. That’s all for now!
~ Dani