Is the fact that you practice yoga, spirituality, religion or any studies of enlightenment or otherwise giving you an attitude of superiority?
Are you using the fact that you have grown and come to understand many things you didn’t before allow your ego to grow out of control??
Are you staying connected to the people around you or are you feeling so superior that you don’t have the time to relate?
GET OVER YOURSELF!
If you feel you are above others then you cannot connect with them.
These are questions I constantly ask myself. These are questions I feel we can all ask ourselves daily. It’s called checking in.
I’ve been reading a lot of posts lately and seeing a lot of behavior that makes me wonder. I’ve experienced first hand with people in my life that I’ve introduced to certain spiritual teachings, books etc thinking they would find the value I found, only to watch them grow into egotistical maniacs who thought they were spiritual gurus and then use this knowledge against others. I’ll admit that can be shocking to see and quite frightening!
I have witnessed yogis/yoginis and those that are on the path of spirituality acting very self righteous in their behaviors and opinions. Preaching peace and love, and non-judgment and blah, blah, blahh ….only to turn around and then act the exact opposite way.
I will be the FIRST person to call myself out when I am not living what I am learning & or teaching. And you know what, IT HAPPENS! It happens to all of us because none of us are perfect. That’s what is so great about being human…..
THERE IS NO PERFECT!
And maybe the reason I see this self righteousness is because I, myself, have felt or experienced it first hand. Oh yes, believe me there are MANY times I have had an argument over my opinion or beliefs being THE ABSOLUTE, THEE BEST and THEE MOST accurate.
I grew up in a family where I was surrounded by religion. Religion that I took (in my opinion) enough time to know all I wanted or needed to know about. I had family who was, and still is, Mormon & Jehovah’s Witness. I was surrounded by friends that were Catholic, Baptist & Christian. I went to church with them. At 19years old I was attending a non-denominational church by myself weekly because none of my friends or family wanted to go. I was introduced to Astrology and Psychics by my very own mother when I was in grade school, who has now, in fact, become a Jehovah’s Witness and to my knowledge no longer believes in what she herself introduced me to. I have always had a deep spiritual connection to something higher than myself. Since I was little girl it was something I couldn’t explain in words. I just felt it at my core.
My point of sharing all of this is that, I have definitely been down the road of thinking that my own differing opinion was the SAY ALL, BE ALL. And I have spent some time looking into many different truths, some willingly and some not so willingly, in order to find my own truth.
I heard this spiritual quote for the first time, years ago:
“Religion divides. Spirituality unites.”
CLARIFICATION: This is in NO WAY insinuating, from my perspective, that there is anything wrong with religion. Let me just be clear on that.
All paths serve their purpose.
This quote rang so true to me because when you are operating from your heart, no matter what spiritual path or religion, you will not allow yourself to be divided by beliefs.
You may decide, or realize, that certain people or situations are not best for you but you will not allow a superiority complex, or self righteous attitude to divide you. You will be able to see and find some kind of common ground that reveals to you your likeness.
The heart of union is always LOVE. ♥ We all want and need to be loved and accepted.
There are people in this world that I have been less than loving or understanding of. There are certain things I have had a challenging time tolerating. There are people I’ve come across that I’ve felt were sooo far on a different thought pattern than I am and their behavior so outrageous to me that I could barely find the common ground, if I found it at all. But, every day I try again to do better than I did before.
On my path of learning through yoga, astrology, spirituality and other studies I’ve realized that this kind of superior, dogmatic and opinionated attitude doesn’t help. Although, the tugging inside to “help” someone understand something YOU THINK you already understand better is still there inside of me for sure, and sometimes it’s stronger than other times, but I realize it’s only the ego.
The question is:
WHO ARE YOU TO SPEAK CONDESCENDINGLY TOWARDS OTHERS AND ABOUT THEIR PATH?!?
WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE WHAT YOU FEEL IS THE BEST WAY TO DO SOMETHING????
AWARENESS: Refrain from thinking that because you practice Yoga, or because you go to church every week, or because you have traveled to another country and have had the means to give to those less fortunate (since you are living a fortunate life), or because you have more experience, or because you THINK that you do, or because you have a degree here or there and you graduated with it first {before ‘them’}, or because you are friends with this or that person that all of a sudden you know better than everyone else??
We’re all traveling down our own road. We are all learning at our own speed and in our own way. We are all good enough, capable enough, worthy enough. Just because you did or do things differently doesn’t mean that you can now say—-This or that person or group of people should be doing it this or that way.
Well, let me correct …. You can say that! But, guess what?…it’s only your opinion. And guess what else? It’s quite possible you are coming off like a pompous, self righteous, better than thou, egotistical snob.
Which, I’m pretty sure is exactly the opposite of what you’re trying to accomplish or create.
Rules I try to live by:
♥ Watch your words, they can hurt or heal
♥ THINK before you speak or write
♥ Judgment kills your creativity and success
♥ Remember the need to think you are “special” or separate from the group is an egotistical need
♥ We are at our core all the same: Love
♥ We all want the same thing: Love
♥ If you mess up today, try to do better tomorrow
♥ Be honest in a compassionate way as often as you can
I can’t say that I am always successful with these things because I am human. As a human I am always learning and growing. I am proud of that.
When I stumble and fall, when I get off track, when I lose my way that is my opportunity for growth!
Messing up is an opportunity to stand back up and try again.
It’s an opportunity to be humbled.
So called failure can cause you to fall into the trap of ego as well. NOTICE it when it comes up!
We all have our own unique path and way of doing things. That’s what makes this life so interesting! It may not be for you but I’m sure it will serve a higher purpose for something, or someone, somewhere.
♥ AS LONG AS YOU ARE OPERATING FROM YOUR HEART, FROM LOVE AND WITH AS MUCH COMPASSION AND PASSION AS YOU CAN MUSTER TODAY THEN YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT. ♥
Some of us find what resonates with our heart through a specific Religion.
Some of us find it through Yoga.
Some of us find it through our own unique path of Spirituality.
Some of us find it through Nature.
Some of us find it simply through our Relationships with others.
ALL of it is okay. ALL of it is ‘right’.
Here’s my opinion: {Because besides the actual facts of certain things, let’s face it, it’s all only your own opinion.}
♥ You don’t need a degree. {Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about learning and education. I’m just saying it’s possible to have the knowledge or experience without the actual degree/certification}
♥ You don’t need to say and do things a specific way or by a specific book or standard.
♥ You don’t have to follow someone else’s rules of what is ‘right’.
♥ You don’t have to find your enlightenment on one specific path.
♥ You don’t have to call things by a certain name.
♥ You don’t have to be a certain way to be extraordinary.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING THAT DOESN’T RESONATE WITH YOUR HEART AT A SOUL LEVEL.
Believe it or not:
♥ You can teach without a specific kind of certification or special degree.
♥ You can call things by any name you please.
♥ You can teach in any way you please.
♥ You can make your own rules.
♥ You can find your own path to enlightenment.
♥ You can be a part of the crowd and still be extraordinary in your own way.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO ONLY THE THINGS THAT RESONATE WITH YOUR OWN HEART AND SOUL.
You do what you want because, guess what?? —> IT’S YOUR LIFE!
Self-right·eous: confident of one’s own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.
DO YOU SEE THIS PATTERN OR TENDENCY COME UP FOR YOU??
DO YOU FIND IT CHALLENGING TO CHANGE OR DEAL WITH?
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LEAVE ME A COMMENT!
