If you’re anything like me (and if you’re reading this I’m guessing that we’re similar), then I’m willing to bet you take yourself a little too seriously at times. Am I right?

I’m also wiling to bet that seriousness spills over into your spiritual practice from time to time, too.

Yes?

I thought so.

I like to have fun, just like everyone else. I even think I’m a pretty fun person at times. (No, really.) But I also know I have a very serious side, and sometimes (ok, maybe a lot of the time) that serious side of me can infiltrate into my spiritual practice making it not so fun.

Case in point: A few weeks ago I was really working through an issue. I mean, I was deep in it. In fact, I was spending so much mental and emotional energy trying to extract the root of this particular issue that I wasn’t able to allow myself to just relax and enjoy the process. (Yep, spiritual growth can actually be an enjoyable process if we allow it to be. 🙂 ) Luckily, I finally reached a breaking point where I realized that all of the ‘figuring it out’ was actually working against me.

How could I tell?

Well, to start, I was super stressed out. And that’s never a good sign. Second, nothing was happening. It felt like I was up to my chest in quicksand wildly flailing my arms around. There was struggling for sure, but there was no movement. No flow. No bueno.

When we’re in that place of pushing and controlling not only does it feel awful, it actually holds us back because it prevents Spirit from being able to intervene, which is the ultimate goal. Let’s face it, when we’re struggling with any issue it’s because we’ve exhausted our own efforts and we simply don’t know the best approach. It’s not our job to know. It is our job, however, to become willing to turn it over for spiritual guidance.

This simple two-step process will help you take the pressure off of your spiritual practice and find the guidance that you’re looking for.

1. Release it. Recognize when you’re controlling or manipulating a certain area of your life  (you’ll generally know by the way you feel – anxious and constricted instead of peaceful and expansive) and make the conscious decision to become willing to let it go. A Course in Miracles states that the tiniest bit of willingness on our part is all that’s necessary to welcome in spiritual guidance. Whenever you feel the urge to control, just repeat the intention: I am willing to let this go. Your intention is the most important part here – don’t worry about how you’re going to let go. Even if you don’t yet feel ready to turn the issue over to Spirit entirely, your willingness is all that is needed.

2. Go have some fun. If the suggestion of having fun causes you draw a blank then you need this advice more than anyone. 🙂 That was my exact reaction when my coach suggested it to me a few weeks ago. I was like, “What does she mean ‘fun?’ I’m too busy trying to create the life of my dreams to have fun.” (Do you see the irony here?) When we focus too intently on our spiritual process it becomes heavy and we feel blocked, because we are. On the other hand, when we spend time in joy, doing things we love the heaviness lifts creating the space needed for Spirit to flow through.

If you give this process a try let me know how it goes! Leave a comment below.

xoxo

Kristi