So Chris,
I have a simple, yet serious question for you. Is service to others integral to spiritual growth?
Signed,
A seeker
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Well, seeker…great question.
I’m not entirely sure I’m the best qualified to answer. However, what I’m willing to do is provide my own personal perspective.
I’m also going to suggest that you already KNOW the answer to this question…:)
I’ll say more about that in a second.
This website that I’ve lovingly created and the whole philosophy of How to Beat Self-Defeat, as well as my business name – Spark of Brilliance are ALL based on service to others. I believe I’ve been blessed with this platform to simply, “remind” you, that your greatness is within and always accessible to you.
So my first response to your question is service to others is a joyful thing, if it’s YOUR thing. You can imagine that there are people who find spiritual enlightenment without interacting with others at all. And that’s THEIR thing.
No right or wrong there…personal preference in how you get there. As I’m often reminded in my meditations, all paths lead to the same place.
I’m now going to focus on the word “growth” in you question. Serving others and the joy you can feel in that, can give you a physical, emotional and mental marker for “knowing” your spiritual growth.
If you were doing your own thing, not serving others but feeling a deep spiritual connection with your Source, that would feel awesome. So how would you know that you’re growing in the spiritual sense, outside of that connection. Where’s the “marker” for your physical, emotional and mental feeling.
Serving others, gives you that experiential feeling that you can see, touch and feel.
Now I don’t want to misread you seeker, and if I am, apologies. I think sometimes we’re “made to feel” that we MUST serve others. If you aren’t then you’re NOT spiritual and cannot grow.
If that’s what you’re experiencing, then we now get to my earlier point.
You already KNOW the answer to this question…for you. It is YOUR choice and only yours to identify how you wish to experience YOUR spiritual growth. If you want to be as Buddha and sit in quiet contemplation while growing spiritually, right on. If you want to get out and help at a food bank to touch and feed others, yay!
Two things, seeker…
One, remember all paths lead to your Source.
And, two…do you. (always!)
~ Fear nothing. Love everything.
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Thank you.