Mistakes are an important aspect of growth and every experience serves a vital purpose in your soul’s awakening. Some who divorce after years of marriage may believe they wasted the best years of their life. Those who struggle but never reach a particular goal may feel that chasing an impossible dream was a bad life decision. However, one must consider the lessons that were learned and the people that were met along the way.

We often begin a journey with a particular destination in mind. The awakening soul discovers that the journey itself is the adventure and the destination was nothing more than the impetus to begin moving in the appropriate direction that ultimately facilitates our souls growth.

No matter what you have experienced, no matter what unfolds, you are engaged in a beautiful dance of nirvana. The greater the challenge, the greater the breakthrough. Trust the processes of your own evolution. Act, and allow life to unfold as it will, for you are a master in the process of awakening.

Do not avoid your challenges; instead, approach them with conscious intention. Awakening souls seek to be tempered by experience. We actually want to see our progress in action. When problems arise, they provide an opportunity to be a witness to our own evolution. Life is a barometer that will always provide a indication of your level of consciousness.

Learn to create sacred spaces within your experience. Sprinkle gratitude, prayer, meditation and stillness throughout your day. Often, stop and look around you. Be a loving witness to life itself. These brief pauses will move you out of the mind and into Being.

Those who have risen above tremendous challenges have a deeper level of compassion and strength that can benefit the world. Consider that you have chosen your life-path with a specific purpose in mind and share the gifts you have discovered.

When we get caught up in the ego-driven role that someone may be playing in this life, it is easier to judge them, see them as “wrong” or something to fight against. This is the trap of the human experience; however, there is far more to life than meets the eye.

Spiritual seekers have the opportunity to see beyond the mundane. Those that challenge us are willing to play an antagonistic role (sometimes at the expense of your love and good-will in this lifetime) in order to fulfill a sacred promise: to assist in our spiritual awakening.

While it may initially be challenging to be objective in the midst of drama; you may discover that you get there more and more quickly as time goes by. What once took weeks, months or even years to heal will eventually move through your experience in minutes. Ultimately, we will cultivate mastery, compassion and unwavering love.

A shift in perception can create powerful changes in your life. Awareness calls upon us to consistently focus upon the blessings that surround us. This purposeful act of gratitude and willingness opens the door to new experience.

The challenges we face allow us to cultivate the ability to rise above fear, to act with empowerment and faith and ultimately surrender to what is. Every circumstance has a purpose and all life supports our spiritual growth and awakening.

We are on a grand adventure. Here, playing in time and space, we walk with one another through life’s experiences. Each of us is supported in ways beyond imagining. Be patient. Immerse yourself within this moment and discover the joy of being.

Rather than avoiding discomfort, we must pay attention to the “small deaths” we experience within life – moments of disconnection, judgment, fear-based decisions, self-imposed suffering – and choose instead to live with an open heart. The mind craves security and safety while the heart seeks connection. That can only be experienced through openness in the present moment.

Observe your body language. Do you ever notice yourself crossing your arms? That is an outer sign that you are attempting to protect your heart chakra (fear of being hurt) or your solar plexus chakra (fear of losing control). Listen to any protective measures that the ego is attempting to instill and instead, open your arms by placing them at your side or even opening them wide. This will allow energy to move through you more freely.

Haruki Murakami once said, “Pain in inevitable. Suffering is optional.” Once you move past the mechanisms of the ego, you will be able to approach any situation with greater awareness. Keep in mind that resistance will keep the negativity in place while acceptance and right action will create a breakthrough.

It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone. Whether you’re ready for a change or life forces one upon you, simply take one conscious step forward. Whatever you choose to do, do it totally. Let the power of the present moment ignite your journey with renewed passion and purpose.

The mind may say that you’re not ready or that you need to wait for a particular date, event or sign from heaven before you should begin. In actuality, your movement sends energy outward and the way will make itself known. All of existence responds to you.

Your life experience sets your spiritual transformation in motion. This subtle, powerful, continual awakening is your soul’s purpose. You are right where you need to be and you already have the tools you require. Know that you are guided, supported and loved each and every step of the way.

Life is in a constant state of motion, ever evolving, expanding, changeable. And yet, we strive to control the events of our experience or even feel frustrated when we perceive that things don’t go our way. This moment is filled with infinite possibility; therefore, don’t create limitation with expectations created by the mind. Act, and allow it to unfold.

Experience this moment as if you had created it with a specific spiritual purpose in mind. Observe it rather than fight against it. Continue to bring your attention to your state of consciousness. Are you at peace or is there struggle in your experience?

Attempting to control the world can drain your precious energy and bring on exhaustion. It reaffirms that you don’t trust your inner guidance or the bigger picture of your awakening spirit. The ego fears the renewal of your spirit and seeks to distract through thought. With awareness, we can see through this fear and tap into the beauty of our awakening.

No matter what is unfolding, your consciousness can transform your experience of it immediately. The key to being happy is not minding what happens. The awakened spirit simply responds to what is without resistance.

When you find yourself in a position where you must articulate spiritual ideas, give advice, teach or explain your beliefs, the act of articulation actually solidifies your inner wisdom and brings it into the world of form.

Others may seek your advice. Pay attention to the words you say, for more often than not, the advice will also pertain to your own life situation. The other person is there to play the role of a sounding board and through it, your inner wisdom can emerge.

This is a gift that we give to one another. Speaking with compassion while sharing high level concepts such as acceptance, willingness, forgiveness, karmic balancing or love can sometimes allow us to bypass the ego and speak profound spiritual truths. Pay attention. You are wiser than you know.

The more you articulate and apply your inner wisdom, the more you cultivate an authentic understanding of your interpretation of the Divine.

Have you ever longed for for something different only to discover that the smallest of changes set off a cavalcade of transformation that ultimately altered the course of your life?

Everyone faces moments when the desire to create change seems daunting. We long for transformation yet seem to remain stuck in patterns of behavior that solidify the very things we have outgrown. Whether changing habitual patterns in regard to eating, addiction, relationship challenges, judgmental thoughts, gossip, reactivity or spending patterns, it’s best to start small. Focus on one thing and approach it mindfully. Don’t allow the ego to derail your momentum with its stories of limitation or difficulty. One conscious change can set a world of difference in motion.

The mind will always cling to the known until the hatred of the known outweighs the fear of the unknown; however, you don’t need to reach your personal breaking point in order to create positive change. Give yourself small wins, seek to embrace the new and follow the resulting energy wherever it leads. Love yourself enough to set something expansive in motion.