8 Powerful Steps to Unlock Your Spiritual Awakening

Discover the path to deeper understanding and spiritual growth in '8 Powerful Steps to Unlock Your Spiritual Awakening'. This guide will help you on your journey towards a more peaceful and joyful life.

In this detailed video, I share my personal journey from a combat soldier to a spiritual guide and outline eight essential steps that anyone can follow to start their spiritual awakening. 

You'll learn how to become more aware of your surroundings and inner self, set meaningful spiritual intentions, and create a sacred space for meditation and reflection. We also cover the importance of daily meditation, continuous learning, and the power of journaling to enhance self-discovery. 

Each step is designed to help you connect more deeply with your true self and the universe. Whether you're new to spirituality or looking to deepen your practice, these insights will provide valuable guidance on your path to enlightenment.

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Transcript

0:34

I was a soldier who spent 12 years in combat zones in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. And now I walk a spiritual path and I get to talk to people like you every single week. Have you ever felt like there's something more to life than what's on the surface? That beneath all this hustle and noise, there's a deeper, more meaningful path? If you've ever since this call to explore beyond the ordinary and step into this extraordinary personal discovery, you're not by yourself. You're not alone. And today, I'm going to guide you A path that promises to transform your life from the inside out. And you'll awaken to a life filled with deeper meaning and peace. I'm also going to tell you which step I think is most often overlooked, and it's one that I think can derail people the fastest. before we get into the eight steps on how we're going to start your awakening, I feel like it's important for you to understand what spiritual awakening is all about, and it's going to vary from person to person, but there are overlapping consistencies in what you might expect and see and feel, and we need to set a base or a foundation that you can build from being able to see your sense where you're going to be going is this really powerful thing. I personally described my awakening event as having ultimate clarity or understanding of the universe, and I really think it's just that simple for me, and I. I don't know a better way to describe it, but for discussion sake, I think we have to expand on that because I don't think that's enough. There's an expansion of consciousness. It's moving beyond the everyday sense of self where you experience at greater and more connect and have this awareness of your true self in the universe. you'll have increased perception, experiencing heightened sensory, emotional and intuitive perceptions of the world around you. Things that are happening deep inside of yourself, which is that connection to the universe. You're going to have a greater sense of all that you're going to have a better idea of inner peace and what true calm really looks like. It's this enduring peace and calmness that persist through all of these challenges that you face in life. So as you are faced with things in life that are difficult, you're going to find yourself more resilient. You're going to have insight into universal truth, gaining insight into life, existence and just these things that govern your reality. There's a sense of empathy and compassion that comes along with awakening. It's an increased sense of these things towards others. And I think it's probably driven by this interconnectedness that you will feel when you're more awake. There's a transcendence of that ego in the mind where you're less attached to materialistic things, and these things that are associated with your physical self and the ego and mind. They're so loud in our day to day life, they're always talking to us and they're telling us all these things are trying to keep us alive. They're really good at that. It's a super important function, but they overperform. And so as you start to wake up, you start to realize that your mind and ego are way too noisy and that you kind of need to set them aside a little bit, still listen to them, but have them kind of in a corner, kind of in a more disciplined way. You're going to see a realignment of values and beliefs and a shift in priorities towards more fulfilling purposes. And this can lead to pretty significant lifestyle changes. And you might see a sense of purpose and direction. And this is usually where you're going to see something like higher purpose or your dharma. You know, what you're meant to do in this world. I kind of think we all have this one unique thing that's, you know, specific to us that we're meant to do in the world. And so as you start to spiritually awaken, you start to come into focus of what that thing is specifically for you, where your higher purpose is. You're going to have an enhanced, intuition and enhance creativity. Your creativity is this base universal thing. And so is intuition. again, going back to that mind and ego that are telling you things that are kind of important to keep you alive, you know, watch out for this. Oh, hey, go over here. Don't go over there. You know, some important stuff. But your intuition is that gut feeling that is separate from your mind, and you go, it's that connection to the universe to saying, this is what you know is the right way. So you kind of learn to listen to that and be able to hear it in a much more, intentional and clear way. And so now we're going to get into what these eight steps are. But before we move on, please subscribe by hitting the watermark in the lower right hand corner of this video and share this with your friends or family who you think might benefit from it. We're always trying to help people out. That's what our channel is all about. So step one is becoming aware. Awareness is this crazy thing. It's easily right there within our grasp, but we don't reach out to it. We know it's there, but we don't use it often. We we move through life without being aware of how we're moving through life or what we're doing, and we're reacting to things without considering how are reacting or why we're reacting in a certain way. And if we can slow things down, then suddenly we see that all we ever have is this present moment. Mike here now, like you watching this video and being here listening to me and like, we're having this kind of connection, this moment is present moment that that's life. And everything happens here, right now, in this moment. All the other stuff that that was or may be, it doesn't matter. And awareness is this habit. there's a trick to it where you have to become aware that you need to be aware. And I think maybe that sounds a little strange or impossible, but it isn't. It just takes practice. So try and set something out that will remind you to be aware. It could be a stone Buddha, or across some type of crystal, or a necklace. It doesn't really matter what it is. It only matters that you remember to be aware and stay in this present moment. That's where spirituality happens and happens when you're present. Because regardless of where you think you're going or where you think you might get to, it's hardly ever going to look like what you think. And so if we don't enjoy the journey along the way, then we're just kind of wasting away our life or wishing it away because we're so focused on something else. So we really have to appreciate this present moment. There's deep spiritual things that happen when we're here in the present. Step two is setting intentions work to establish a clear goal that guides your spiritual practices and your daily life choices. This isn't some fleeting or passing things. This is not a this isn't a whim. It's your mission and something that you have resolve in. And so ask yourself what's moving you and motivating you to pursue this path to seek spiritual awakening. Do you want it? Do you need it? And try to ensure that your intentions align with your core values and your higher beliefs? They are you living what you, what you are meant to live, as far as what you value and what you believe. And you're going to have this resolve. But you also have to be dynamic and adaptable because things change. The universe is always changing. The universe is always in motion. So be open to the universe, and you got to put yourself out there and receive mode and don't have this predetermined expectation about what this is going to look like, because we really don't know what the universe is going to send our way. We may ask the universe for something and it may send it, but we're looking for something else. So embrace change and be in the rhythm and flow of the universe and regularly reflect on your intention, this mission that you're on, and see how the progress is going and reaffirm your commitment and make adjustments. And remember that those adjustments are critical because they're just adjustments as you walk down this path. And there might be something in the way. So just notice it and move around it or under it or over it or through it, and maybe even write down what your intention here is like. I'm on the spiritual path. I'm seeking spiritual awakening, however you see it. And then after you've written it down, speak it out loud each morning. The spoken word has this great power. And so when you speak things out loud, you speak them into existence. They're far more likely to happen. Step three is creating a sacred space. It's important to create dedicated spaces for your spiritual practice. You have to choose the right location. Select something and some place is quiet, undisturbed. Some place probably in your home that feels comforting and secure. You want to feel safe. There, and it could be a small corner of a room. A whole room could be part of your garden. You know, I've set up space in my closet, and it was this great, amazing place. I felt safe there. it was clean. It was. It was simple. And I was able to get a lot of reflection done there. And so clearing cleanse your space. You might, start by physically clean the area up, make it organized, make it approachable. You can even spiritually cleanse it, with maybe some sage. And then personalize your space decorated with stuff that has significance to you. This could be pictures, crystals, stones, statues, candles or almost anything that is important to you. And you can add natural elements. Maybe you have some plants or maybe some water features. Maybe a little portable fountain. Something that creates this grounded atmosphere because it's always really great to be connected to the natural world. You have pillows and cloth to make it as comfortable as possible. You want this space to be so inviting and welcoming that you want to go there. You seek it out. You can set up lighting so that the ambiance is exactly what you need it to be for you to be centered and happy. So whatever that level of lighting is, use that and make that happen. Consider what sound you'll have available. This could be something like soothing music, nature sounds, guided meditations. You might even play an instrument, something like a panda drum. and keep this space sacred. Set boundaries around this space so that you're able to maintain your spiritual connection to it. and just make it something that is just yours. And other people may come and go, but make sure that you have this attachment to it. We have a whole video on creating your own rituals, and if you're interested, please click on a watermark in the upper right hand corner of this video and check it out. It's really, important for you to create something that works best for you, because what works best for me, or what works best for someone else may not be the best thing for you. Step four is daily meditation. It's hard to reach that awakening point if you don't work to connect with yourself in your base consciousness every single day. And we're talking about that inner self, or that divine thing inside of you that connects you to the universe. There's hundreds of ways that you can meditate, and what meditation works best for you is kind of like what I just said with rituals. the meditation that works best for you might not be what works best for the person next to you. And so remember that meditating doesn't have to look like any single thing that you've been presented with in movies or books. There's no right or wrong way to meditate, and meditation isn't something that's always easy to get into. And so I want you to know that it sometimes requires this intent to set all this noise aside. That's in the world around you and inside of you. There's all this external distraction and noise that you have from your digital devices or people who want your attention, your relationships. There's internal distractions from your mind and your inner monologue that's noisy stuff. And so when you sit with yourself and you begin this process of stillness, you have to face yourself. And you know that can be uncomfortable. It can even be really difficult. It can be a little scary. And I think we can admit that to ourselves. I think sometimes we have to have that that vulnerability in ourselves and for ourselves, because that's how we get through to the other side. And during these initial periods of meditation, you are going to face these uncomfortable aspects of yourself and maybe stuff from the past. It might be anxiety about the future. And we have a pretty great video on getting started in meditation, and you can check it out by hitting the watermark in the upper right hand corner of this video. It can really help you get started, but what I would encourage you to do is figure out what works best for you and just start. Commit yourself to just five minutes a day for a whole week, and then commit yourself to ten minutes a day for the week after that. See where this takes you and give it a real chance. Like be true to yourself and be true to the process and make this effort. Stay consistent for yourself. Be patient and have grace for yourself. Understand this is okay. This is hard. Where I didn't get through the whole five minutes, or I felt like I wasted the whole five minutes. That's okay. Keep doing it. there's a lot to be said for not having success the first time, or not having this thing be what you thought it was going to be the first time, and sticking with it. That's how you start something special. That's how you start this journey of a thousand miles, right? You have to take that first step, but you have to also take the next step. It's not just about taking that first step, it's about taking the next step and the step after that. So commit to that. Commit yourself to taking those steps. And I definitely recommend that you start with something like maybe guided meditations. You can use an app like Insight Timer. It's free and easy to use, and it can really help you start this part of your journey. And I'm not affiliated with Insight Timer in any type of way. It just works great. And like I said, it's free. Step five is educating yourself. You never stop learning. It's a keystone to both personal and spiritual growth. After I had my awakening, I think I read it over to 60 books in four months. That's all I did. I just read, and as I read I would rotate between the Abrahamic religions, Hinduism, the eastern faiths, indigenous traditions, paganism, philosophy, New Age spirituality, self-help. I mean, I would rotate through all these different genres, and then I would just kind of go back to the beginning and read different books from all those different genres again. And I wanted to understand all the different possible paths for my spiritual journey, because I didn't know where I was going to go. And I wanted to be able to speak to people like you in terms that you'd understand and relate to. You know, regardless of what part of the world you're from or what spiritual philosophy that you believe in. I wanted to be able to have that conversation, and you never know what's going to speak to you. You never know what message you're going to hear that resonates with you. Because, you know, we hear all these different things from across the world in different sources. That's what makes, you know, spirituality and religion, all around the world so powerful. There's all this different stuff and, half our videos, on this channel, our spiritual discussions about our journey and what it is and where it may go. And the other half of our videos on our channel are about books, these books on spirituality, religion, philosophy, self-help. please check, our videos out. We have a playlist for each of these. One's called your spiritual Journey and the other is our Beyond the Book series. So go out and read books for yourself as well. There's so much amazing wisdom out there and the overall theme here again is step five. Never stop learning, always be learning. it's really going to progress you down your path and really strengthen what you see in the spiritual realm. Step six is reflection and journaling. And as you're doing all the things that we've already talked about, it's important to have perspective and reflect on how your journey is going as you're doing it. Are you happy? Are you sad? Are you in the flow? Are you frustrated? And be honest with yourself and consider journaling about your experiences. And there's few things that you're going to do as you're walking down this path that can be as powerful as journaling. When you speak to yourself, you have this uncanny ability to work through things. You'll discover paths that you didn't even know existed, and you'll be able to identify obstacles that you couldn't see. And I just want to give you a few journaling prompts that you could use along the way. These are just suggestions. You can find more online. how am I feeling today? Really? What emotions are surfacing and what might be triggering them? You can write something on that. You can also write something about. Am I feeling in sync with my spiritual practices? What aspects of my journey feel flowing, and where am I encountering resistance? Another one could be. What challenges have I faced recently in my spiritual practices? How have I address these challenges and what have I learned from them? Another one could be in what areas of my life am I struggling to be honest with myself? How can I confront these truths to foster growth? So there's just a few prompts that you can use as you're kind of reflecting on the journey you're taking, and how you can make adjustments that work best for you. Step seven is finding a community or a support group. People often believe that the spiritual path has to be this lonely thing, that couldn't be further from the truth. And I it's a common misconception. spirituality will always be something that is deeply personal to each person. People can be completely empowered with themselves and still reach out to a group or a community to have meaningful discussions, and what works for someone might not work for you, but it might inform your own practice or philosophy in a meaningful way. we're communal tribal creatures, we just have to find good communities and good tribes, and we don't have to to fight that. We can embrace it, and then we're going to come out stronger for ourself. And Kishar is a nonprofit, online spiritual community that sponsors this channel. We have discussions and work on subjects like this every day. And if you head over to kishar.org you can join our community. I encourage you to go over there and join up. But regardless, try and find warmth with others as you walk your path. Wherever you find it, just find someone out there that can can discuss this with you and help you. Step eight being grounded in your day to day. I told you I'd let you know what I thought the most overlooked step was on the path to spiritual awakening. And it's this step. If you aren't grounded in your daily life, it's going to be tremendously difficult to find your way down your spiritual path. We're talking about things like sleep and nutrition, fitness, relationships, finances, and everything else that we're managing every single day. When you're centered and grounded and your routines and habits, suddenly you have all this space to be spiritual and you have time to be spiritual. And I call these daily things in our life the life blocks, because these blocks of life create this amazing foundation for us. and when they're all in alignment, we're going to be more prone to be calm, peaceful, and joyful. It really supercharges your spiritual journey. So again, the eight steps are becoming aware. Setting your intentions. Creating a sacred space, meditating daily, educating yourself. Reflecting and journaling. Having a community and being grounded in your day to day. If you do those things, you're going to find your way to awakening. You're going to find your way to peace. You're going to find your way to this amazing letting go and surrender where you're completely connected with the oneness of the universe. It's something that I hope that each of you are able to do. I hope that each of you are able to find your way and I would encourage each of you to to take this journey at your own pace. Don't feel like you have to get there tomorrow or next week. You know it happens when it happens and enjoy the journey along the way. Again, if you're not enjoying the process, it's going to be harder. And so what's your own experience with spiritual awakening? And have you had an awakening? Are you moving anywhere? Are you moving towards an awakening? And how do you think that these steps can help you on your spiritual journey? Please hit me up in the comments and I will absolutely get back to you. I feel like what I want to do here is have a conversation with you, then have a two way conversation. So please comment. Let's talk about it. please like this video. If you want us to keep making content just like this. And until next time, I wish you peace on your journey.