spirituality for rat racers

Christophe Spiessens
 

Is it possible to combine spirituality with every day life?  Of course!  And the great thing is that it won't cost you any of your precious time.  Welcoming spirituality into your life does not require that you spend all of your free time on soul searching and reading about spiritual matters or self-help books.  Nor does it require hours of meditation or attending gatherings with like-minded people.  Becoming more spiritually aware is a wonderful pathway that's open for you to explore, in your own time, without any pressure, and you decide how far you wish to journey.  And just so you know, you don't have to be religious to be spiritual.

Madness...

So here we are, waking up at 6am and then rushing around all day. Many of us don't get home until 12 hours later.  It's madness!  With a thousand and one things to do and with ever increasing expectations from society, for many people life is simply becoming too stressful and overwhelming.  Many of us are trapped in the rat race and are looking for a way out, or at least to slow down.  Many of the options available such as drugs and food abuse or retail therapy, however, are naturally far from beneficial and can lead to even more stress and unhappiness.   

This is where spirituality comes in.  It has all the potential to alleviate much of this daily stress and to help you calm down on many levels.  It can help you see the woods for the trees.  It can recharge your batteries and this new supply of energy will help you soar higher than ever before, with a new sense of clarity and purpose that you had only imagined possible!  It will bring new situations, opportunities and people your way as if by magic, so why not welcome spirituality into your life?  Let it take you on a wonderful journey of self-discovery, healing and growth.  It really is possible, and here are just a few tips:

Raise your awareness

...Ask yourself

• How ready am I to bring about changes in my life?
• How will spirituality assist me on my path?
• What IS my path?

Do you know of friends who are already into alternative therapies and meditation or who enjoy movies and literature with a deeper meaning?  As you raise your level of awareness, you will start to notice that spirituality is not some far away concept, but all around you and much more available and accessible to you than you might realise.

Express your gratitude

As often as possible, say silently or out loud 'I am so grateful for this experience', or 'This makes me feel so good inside' or ' That meeting gave me an opportunity to shine' or 'This traffic jam gives me time to enjoy my favourite music, how great!' or 'I am so happy that I was able to help that person' or 'I am so grateful to be in a job' etc.  Spirituality has got nothing to do with religion so there's no need to believe in God, the Universe or whatever, unless that works for you. Just express your gratitude to yourself, or whoever you feel grateful to.   If you do this often enough you will create an overall feeling of self -empowerment and contentment.  

Value yourself and be gentle on yourself

Use positive affirmations to feel better about yourself.  This is so easy to do and requires very little practice.  Affirmations are powerful statements that you can use to boost the way you feel about yourself.  Used regularly they will help you to change limiting thoughts and beliefs.  Unfortunately most people use negative affirmations such as 'I am too fat', 'I am not good enough', 'I don't deserve this', 'I am so stupid', 'I am so…'.  Because of this they undermine their self-esteem and self-worth. 

Positive affirmations, on the other hand, carry a positive message that will empower you and quite simply make you feel better.  Here are some examples that you can start using straight away: 'I look forward to inspire people today', 'I am safe', 'I trust my inner guidance', 'I allow miracles to come to me', 'I attract abundance', 'I have so much to offer to the world', 'I am becoming more of who I want to be every day'. 

And when it comes to 'having' and 'needing' to do things in life, be more gentle on yourself.  Instead of saying: 'I have to go to the gym' and 'I need change my diet', replace it with: 'I choose to go the gym' and 'I decide to change my diet'.  You are always in the driving seat and you have more control of your life than you think.  And if it doesn't always feel that way, then use positive affirmations to instantly remind you of that!

No matter how busy your life is, there might be more room available to open yourself up to spirituality than you think.  Be gentle on yourself and start with small but significant steps towards exploring the information that awaits you.  It may reach you in different ways and formats.  You can use the above mentioned techniques, or simply acknowledge and then express your desire to attract more spirituality into your life, and it will come your way.  Allow it all in and don't resist the flow of information.  Remember, being truly spiritual means valuing yourself and following your own inner guidance.  From all the information on spirituality that comes your way, take what resonates and leave the rest.  You have complete choice over how much you allow to take in.

Have fun with it! Discover how easy it is to combine a busy lifestyle with personal and spiritual growth.  You will soon discover how much easier your life becomes because of this growth