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Spiritual Explorations and Personal GrowthWe sometimes become so immersed in our daily routines and hectic schedules that we lose ourselves in the process. When we look at the mirror, we see the image of someone whom we know to be part of ourselves, but we also know it to be superficial – someone who appears happy, on the surface, but somehow lacking in an indefinable way. Perhaps what we have lost is more important than what we seem to think is important? Indeed, you may have all the material wealth the world can offer but you will never feel fulfilled unless you’re living a life that is in harmony with your beliefs and your inner self. So before you go off searching for that thing which you think will finally make you feel happy, go on a spiritual journey of self discovery. When we talk about spirituality, we’re not talking about it in the traditional context. In the old days, spirituality is closely associated with religion. Today, however, spirituality has grown beyond religion. It has become personal rather than institutional. It now involves personal beliefs and is deeply integrated into a person’s life. Discovering Beyond ChildhoodSome people go through their lives not knowing what will truly make them happy, while others seem to be very adept at knowing their own happiness and inner peace and love simply radiates from them. We go through life carrying certain beliefs about everything under the sun – from religion to politics that we have inherited from our parents. The way we were brought up plays a crucial role in the development of our personalities and our spiritual growth. For some people, going beyond what they have been taught as children is not an option. Thus, they live the rest of their lives never really knowing whether there’s something beyond their childhood beliefs. Don’t you want to find out if there’s something more, something better that you can take with you as you journey through life? We become stagnant and our personal growth stunted when we refuse to go beyond what we have been taught. As children we were taught that doing certain things result in certain consequences, but these did not stop us from trying all kinds of forbidden things. We were more daring because we wanted to find out for sure if what we were told was correct. Sometimes they were; sometimes the consequences weren’t as grave as we had been told. When we grew up, we became more cautious. We stick to what we have been taught and what we have learned from childhood because we don’t want to risk getting hurt, rejected, fired from our jobs, or be ridiculed by society. Spirituality and SocietySociety has become more accepting of individuality and non-conformity. This age of self-discovery has taught us to respect other people despite differences in spirituality, color and culture. Now is therefore the best time to explore our own spirituality. We are no longer constrained by the social boxes that confined our ancestors. Today, thinking and living out of the box is encouraged. The only law to which we must abide is the law of humanity. As long as you are not hurting anybody (yourself included) in your process of spiritual discovery, you can live your life the way you want to. We are only limited by our own understanding and beliefs. But this limitation does not constrain us, and its presence doesn’t mean we cannot live life to the fullest. It actually helps you define how you want to live your life, regardless of anybody’s opinion. Once again, for as long as you are abiding by the law of humanity, you are free to just be. Defining your own Spiritual ExplorationsThousands of books have been written on how to awaken inner spirituality and discover the Self. While these books can help individuals discover and be true to their inner selves, they are just guides. They do not prescribe nor set the rules of spiritual discovery. You can (and are in fact encouraged to) make up your own processes as you go along. As spiritual guides, these books can be very useful. Reading these books will give you different perspectives on different levels of spirituality. However, not going beyond what you find in these books’ pages actually defeats your purpose. After all, you are on the road to self discovery but you refuse to listen to what your Self is telling you. The Wonders of Self-DiscoveryWe have met people who say that, for the first time in their lives, they have finally come to realize what will truly make them happy. For the first time, they feel alive and vibrant and excited just to be alive. These are the people who have gone beyond their childhood beliefs in the hope of discovering something more meaningful. What they have discovered is that the things they have long thought would give them happiness – a good job, their own house, expensive cars, wonderful kids, etc – are consequences of a truly happy life and not the source of happiness. What they have discovered is that genuine happiness lies within them and it’s been within their reach all along. It just got buried under all the emotional baggage that they have accumulated through the years; and it was forgotten due to their preoccupation with chasing after material things. When you discover this for yourself, you will find that what used to be so important to you in the past is no longer as important. Let’s suppose that you believe your happiness lies in being well-liked by your co-workers. To achieve this, you do all the dirty tasks they don’t want to do, smile at everyone you pass in the hallway, bring cookies and cake on your birthday, and invite them to weekend barbecues. In the end, you’ll probably be very popular. But do your co-workers really like you or do they really just like the free barbecue? You’ll never know for certain. What’s certain is that some of them genuinely like you, but some of them probably don’t. It is pretty certain, too, that you will never be completely happy in this case. If, however, you have discovered the source of true happiness, you will probably act differently. You may still do all of the above things, but not because your happiness lies in being well liked. It will not break your heart to learn that some of your co-workers really just don’t like you; that’s not your problem, it’s theirs. The wonderful thing about self-discovery and personal growth is that what other people say about you will no longer matter. You’ll find that you are not so easily affected by external forces that used to bother you all the time. Ironically, once you find your Self and true source of happiness, all other things that you used to obsess about – financial security, popularity, etc. – will automatically follow. 
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