Passive Spirituality

Many of us on the spiritual path have very strong views on what it means to live a spiritual and higher-consciousness life. And usually those views involve staying the course and maintaining an air of peace, tranquility, and optimism. Now, while this is all fine and good, it is also important that we remember to speak our truth and advocate for our values without fearing that we will disconnect from our spiritual center by doing so.

Some of us believe that to be enlightened or spiritual we must live in a bubble of only optimism and positivity. However, while it is important to stay focused on what we do like and what we do want to experience in our lives, we must also trust that our power to affect change depends on our willingness to face the uncomfortable so that we can actually transcend it. And this is true both in our own lives and when looking out into the world.

When I first embarked on my own spiritual journey many years ago, the message was very clear: Stay happy and upbeat and you will manifest more of the same. However, at times I felt pressured to maintain this semblance of contentment, even when my feelings contradicted it. I mistakenly believed that I could not react to the indiscretions of the world around me if I wanted to stay aligned with my personal well-being. What I didn’t understand then, that I do understand now, is that passive spirituality that comes of fear is just as misdirected as any other behavior that comes of fear. I also now understand that as spiritual seekers we can be active with our voice and speak up for what we believe in without losing our spiritual alignment along the way. It’s simply a matter of our motivation.

Peace of mind does not come from ignoring everything other than what we want to see. On the contrary, peace of mind comes from knowing and trusting that Source Energy/The Divine/God is on our side, seeing us through to the best outcomes, no matter what. Knowing this, we can then always be confident that taking action on our values will not disconnect us from our sustenance or from our joy. In fact, we can be an active positive influence while also remaining calm and centered. Being aware of things that need changing does not automatically align us with the problem. Instead, if we are neutral and calm about it, and if we come from a place of education and curiosity versus anger and fear, we will elevate the energy around that issue enough to actually come to a viable solution.

Remember, it is not so much about the “what” as it is about the “how” you feel about the “what.” Meaning, if you engage in any topic from a place of calm and certainty that you are doing the right thing, and if you have faith in the best outcomes, then that faith, calm, and certainty will be your point of attraction, and not the issue you are looking to resolve.

If all of us looked the other way at things that were unknown or even uncomfortable, human evolution would not exist. Outside the box thinking is necessary for the advancement of society and its consciousness. Some of us who are spiritual seekers believe that looking the other way is what helps us to stay happy and aligned, but empowerment does not come from being apathetic or closed off from the world. Rather, empowerment comes from maintaining a sea of calm regardless of the storm around you. Spirituality is not only about being happy and nice; it is about applying the principles you have learned in order to make your life, but also the world, a better place.

The truth is, if everyone throughout history ignored the issues of their time, change might never have happened. When a unified group comes together in a common goal or cause from a place of empowerment, knowledge, higher consciousness, love, and a belief and knowing that all will ultimately be well, that is when positive change occurs. And that is when your spirituality shines.

I know that my mission is well beyond myself. I know that my happiness will ultimately bring happiness and joy to many others. And I also know that my willingness to speak up when things don’t seem right is an important contribution that I can make to the world. I have moved from a place of frustration into the realm of peace because I know that while fighting against something is not the answer, advocating towards the solution is.

When I see and hear about issues that do not make me happy I now respond with love. I respond with curiosity. And I respond with the question, “How can I help?” And that’s the real test of our spirituality. We each need to understand our personal contribution to the whole, but also know that each of our contributions might very well be different, and that’s okay. No one has the right to judge any of us as doing too little or not enough. However, if we are honest with ourselves, we will determine when we are indeed allowing our fears to make us too passive.

I no longer get angry or frustrated at the problems that exist in the world. But that does not mean that I do not care. It just means that I now choose to approach those subjects from a place of love, trust, and faith. Instead of ignoring the topics that need my attention out of concern over my own alignment, I choose to be true to myself and come at everything from a place of peace and calm, knowing that I can actually do my part without compromising my personal alignment and what is in my best and highest good as well.

I believe that in order for any action to have the most impact and power we must first line up the energy behind it. I also believe that doing our part energetically to uplift our own consciousness, and then that of others, is just as powerful, if not more so, than taking any action alone. But I also believe that sitting on our hands out of a fear of rocking the boat, even when our assistance is necessary, will not ultimately make us happy. When we know we are able to do something or say something that will help the common good, we must find a way to do so if we truly want to practice our spirituality.

At the end of the day we need to ask ourselves but one question: How would Source Energy see all of this? If we try to view the problems or issues in our own lives, or in the world, from this perspective we will quickly realize that there is a bigger picture of which we might not yet be aware. As such, instead of trying to resolve things from a place of doubt and uncertainty, we can see these issues from above and trust that anything we desire is truly possible to achieve. That way we can observe and participate where needed without losing our alignment with our higher realm of consciousness.

If we look at everything through this lens we will start to see knowledge where there was ignorance, freedom where there was imprisonment, love where there was hate, calm where there was fear, unity where there was division, compassion where there was judgment, fairness where there was injustice, abundance where there was lack, and well-being where there was malaise. As long as we are not coming from a place of fear, anger, or frustration we can truly see everything from this bird’s eye view. And from that place we can educate, learn, and empower ourselves and others in favor of creating a better world.

We each have the right to assess our own risk to reward ratio, and we also have the right to choose what we want to do without being judged for it. But if there is a fire inside of your soul that you have been ignoring, know that eventually it will want to come out. You get to decide if or when that day will come, but if you learn to trust in your ultimate well-being, fear will never be the factor that causes you to ignore what you came here to do.

And so my advice now to any spiritual seeker is this: Line up the energy, maintain your air of calm, and then go do what you are called to do, if/when you feel the time is right.