Ministries & Spirituality

There seems to be greater interest these days in the general populous about feeding and nourishing the spiritual side of a person’s life. While not always attached to a religious organization, the idea of developing a more spiritual life is starting to take a higher priority for many people these days. Many people believe that this has to do with the widespread interest in the “Law of Attraction,” which has gain a great deal of attention in the last few years thanks to the movie, “The Secret.”

The fundamental principle of the Law of Attraction is that you will draw into your life the very things that will you give most of your attention to. When it comes to increasing a person’s spiritual life and fostering spiritual development, this would mean that the more attention you put on spiritually oriented thoughts, ideas and activities, the more you will be able to enjoy an increased level of spiritual growth.

At the same time, if you want your spiritual life to flourish, then it is best to let go of any kind of fear-based thinking. Focusing on what you fear or on other negative things will impede spiritual development and will sidetrack you from what you really want out of life.

One of the practices that many people find to be very helpful and supportive in their quest for spiritual enlightenment is meditation. Meditation techniques can be very helpful in the two main areas of the Law of Attraction, which are intention and attention.

First, you must figure out what it is that you want from life, or from a specific event. This would be identifying your intention. After you have clarified what your intention is, then you can put your energy toward focusing on that, or giving it your attention.

The more clearly you can define your intention and the more focused and consistent your attention toward it, the better you will be able to start manifesting your desires. Mindfulness meditation can help to clear the mind, calm it down and focus thoughts, allowing the development of clearer intentions. When the mind is calmer and not distracted by a myriad of cluttered thoughts, attention can better be focused as well.

Enjoying a rich spiritual life comes down to how we choose to spend out time, energy, talents and focus while in this mortal existence. The choice always exists of whether you want to live in a fear-based world or in a love-based world. What people on a spiritual path come to realize, after investing their time, prayers, meditations and focus, is that the world you ultimately experience has more to do with what you consciously choose to think about and focus your attention on.

Those who have been actively and eagerly engaged in developing their spiritual life will also be the first to say that the spiritual journey of each person will be quite different. Because all people begin at different stages in life and circumstances, even when the goal is exactly the same, the experiences that a person will have along the way will be unique to each individual.



By: MIKE SELVON

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How can we find our optimum spiritual self in recovery?

The answer to that is a process that unfolds before us over a period of years or even decades. Why is it like this? Because everything in recovery is essentially a process. Take, for example, the process of surrender when an addict or alcoholic is first coming to terms with their problem and decides to ask for help. For most people, this moment of surrender is not an event, but instead it takes years and years of fighting and struggling with addiction–desperately trying to control their drinking and drug use–before they can finally admit to their problem and take steps towards a healthier life.

Finding our best spiritual self in recovery is no different. This journey is a process just like everything else, and it can take quite a long time for us to seek out our highest spiritual self. The reason for this is mostly because we block ourselves from achieving such a state of spirituality. All of the great spiritual teachers and leaders have essentially said as much–that the answers are within us all if we just take the time to seek them out and practice some simple gratitude in the stillness and quietness of our lives.

One big problem that many recovering addicts and alcoholics have is that their minds are filled with dogma and limiting beliefs that have possibly carried over from their childhood. These might be mental blocks, such as believing that only religious people are spiritual, or that the only way to connect with a higher power is in church. Spirituality is much broader than that and goes outside the boundaries of what other people think and believe. True spirituality is derived from your own personal quest for knowledge and inner peace; it has little to do with what is in books or what a religious figure might tell you.

Another major problem that people have is that they do not give themselves enough credit for their own spiritual progress. We have hectic lives and do the best that we can in recovery, so why beat ourselves up for not meditating for 8 hours each day? Sometimes we have to take peace and serenity when we get it, and be grateful for it as it comes to us. This is the secret of gratitude and in finding your optimum inner self. Celebrate those inspiring spiritual moments and focus on them and recognize them for the gifts that they are. Do not disregard your own spiritual growth just because you are not walking on water or claiming complete peace and serenity during every waking moment. Finding our optimum spiritual self in recovery is about finding peace among the chaos that will inevitably come with your normal, everyday life.

Finding your spiritual self is a natural function of living the creative theory of recovery, as spirituality is the “glue” that holds the creative life together. Pursue the creative life in recovery and your spiritual self will naturally fall into place as you practice the spiritual principles that drive a successful recovery.



By: Patrick Meninga

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