Walking the Spiritual Path Day 63

All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.    Calvin Coolidge

As often as you fail, get up and try again. Goddess will never let you down, so long as you don’t let Her down, and so long as you make the effort.    Paramahansa Yogananda
No one succeeds without effort.  Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance.    Ramana Maharshi

There was a time not so long ago, that I thought once I had reached the place of turning to my higher mind and soul consistently, I could relax.  This same reasoning said that when I finally stop believing the the chatter in my head, I could kick back and relax, knowing the hard work had finally paid off.  This delusion said there wasn’t anything else required of me to stay on the spiritual path, now that the worst is over.

Yes, I know.  I am laughing too.

The truth is that walking the spiritual path is a life long commitment requiring daily time and effort.  I became smug and complacent once and slacked off in my spiritual duties.  This is a debt that will take me a long time to repay, and much of the damage can never be undone.

But I can learn from this mistake, and replace this lazy self-congratulatory thinking with the truth:  every day I need to show up.   Every day I need to put the work in.  Every day I need to bring my best effort to my spiritual work.  Slacking off is not a mistake I will ever make again.

The fact is that it’s not what you have as a matter of birth or intelligence that counts.  It’s what you do consistently and persistently that makes you the person you are.

Affirmation:  Today and every day I am persistent and consistent in following only my higher mind’s guidance and direction.