By Emma Mildon
Insert spiritual key word search here >> [Google]
Let’s admit it, we’ve all done it. Self-diagnosed our self with a rare and exotic illness. Unearthed the meaning of life from a buzz feed quiz that explains what we were in a past life, or found out that if we were a mythical creature we’d be a wood forest pixie. We’ve tried to find answers about what really does happen when we die, about angels, about guides. And quite simply done what our ancestors spent life time’s doing soul searching, learning, expanding and enlightening themselves in one, simple, single-word, search. In fact, you and I have one spirit guide in common, a mutual guru, a collective acquaintance who is the knower of all, a united knowledge master… Google.
Do you know that thousands of people did a Google search last year on ‘how to be spiritual?’ The catch, you can’t learn how to be spiritual from Guru Google. So, let’s take it back old school spirit style. Before the word of g-to-the-oogle and reconnect with our organic spirituality, this brings us to the first thing that Google won’t teach you about spirituality…
1. Connection
Bear with me, because I totally get how ironic this is. The world-wide-web, turn internet, turn www means we are constantly ‘on the line’, plugged into social feeds, emails, and chats that are said to ‘connect’ us – however the world has never been more disconnected. Hear me out. When was the last time you sent a thank you letter? (erm, letter, hand written. Emails don’t count.) Picked someone some flowers? Given someone who didn’t ask, but desperately needed some support a huge hug? Smiled at a stranger? Sorry, an emoji just doesn’t cut it. I don’t care if you post a smiley face, heart, peace sign and the snap chat ghost to my ‘wall’ the fact is, we didn’t share a connection. In fact in the physical realm if you ‘posted’ something to my ‘wall’ it would be considered graffiti. Yeah, you ponder that one.
A connection is a mutual parting of energy. That moment, if only for a second, you get to share with connection at a soul felt level, eyes connected, listening, feeling and embracing the other person’s energy if just only through a physical smile, exchanging words or simply sharing some good vibes. I think of it this way, you plug your smart phone into a socket to recharge it. A smile at a stranger recharges your soul. Socket for smartphone. Smile for soul. An input and an output of energy. Got it? That is real connection. Offline. Ironic ha!
Bear with me, because I totally get how ironic this is. The world-wide-web, turn internet, turn www means we are constantly ‘on the line’, plugged into social feeds, emails, and chats that are said to ‘connect’ us – however the world has never been more disconnected. Hear me out. When was the last time you sent a thank you letter? (erm, letter, hand written. Emails don’t count.) Picked someone some flowers? Given someone who didn’t ask, but desperately needed some support a huge hug? Smiled at a stranger? Sorry, an emoji just doesn’t cut it. I don’t care if you post a smiley face, heart, peace sign and the snap chat ghost to my ‘wall’ the fact is, we didn’t share a connection. In fact in the physical realm if you ‘posted’ something to my ‘wall’ it would be considered graffiti. Yeah, you ponder that one.
A connection is a mutual parting of energy. That moment, if only for a second, you get to share with connection at a soul felt level, eyes connected, listening, feeling and embracing the other person’s energy if just only through a physical smile, exchanging words or simply sharing some good vibes. I think of it this way, you plug your smart phone into a socket to recharge it. A smile at a stranger recharges your soul. Socket for smartphone. Smile for soul. An input and an output of energy. Got it? That is real connection. Offline. Ironic ha!
2. Experimentation
If what they say is true, and we learn from our mistakes I must be a spiritual genius! Are you with me? In fact you could say that I have epic fails down to a fine art. The truth, I wouldn’t take any of the embarrassing ek-I-just-farted-out loud-mid-yoga-class or oh-sorry-I-thought-chia-was-the-new-slang-for-cool moments away from my spiritual evolution. I learnt from trial and error, understanding what worked for me and what doesn’t and most importantly I learnt through the experience of it all. Not through googling someone else reaping all the rewards of getting to experience something and all I get is the sloppy second buzz from my dusty crumb covered couch. In fact, how says that that persons experience could even remotely reflect I may connect with trying a yoga class, reading a new age book, or going to a spirit and wellness expo. So make a point of doing less scrolling, and more searching: in the real world! You will trip up, turn down wrong roads, get lost, find yourself and then get lost again. The key, embrace the experimental stage and while it is definitely helpful to learn from others trial and errors online (aka. Do not wear spit through leggings to yoga class) your own lessons and working out what resonates with you personally is going to be the key to unearthing new dimensions to yourself and your spirituality.
If what they say is true, and we learn from our mistakes I must be a spiritual genius! Are you with me? In fact you could say that I have epic fails down to a fine art. The truth, I wouldn’t take any of the embarrassing ek-I-just-farted-out loud-mid-yoga-class or oh-sorry-I-thought-chia-was-the-new-slang-for-cool moments away from my spiritual evolution. I learnt from trial and error, understanding what worked for me and what doesn’t and most importantly I learnt through the experience of it all. Not through googling someone else reaping all the rewards of getting to experience something and all I get is the sloppy second buzz from my dusty crumb covered couch. In fact, how says that that persons experience could even remotely reflect I may connect with trying a yoga class, reading a new age book, or going to a spirit and wellness expo. So make a point of doing less scrolling, and more searching: in the real world! You will trip up, turn down wrong roads, get lost, find yourself and then get lost again. The key, embrace the experimental stage and while it is definitely helpful to learn from others trial and errors online (aka. Do not wear spit through leggings to yoga class) your own lessons and working out what resonates with you personally is going to be the key to unearthing new dimensions to yourself and your spirituality.
3. Journey
Paper maps, remember those? The lost art of planning a trip. A modern day soul search consists of a visa card and a smart phone. And while I will be the first to admit I love the convenience of having a google map, a bank and a flight booker at my fingertips it makes for the ability to ‘get lost’ near impossible. It also makes the mystery of the unknown distinct. And that forgotten concept of being ‘off the grid’ pretty unattainable. You can always be found, checked in, liked, commented on and tagged into life. So I ask this of all of us, anyone who owns a smartphone – take less selfies, and take in more views!
Paper maps, remember those? The lost art of planning a trip. A modern day soul search consists of a visa card and a smart phone. And while I will be the first to admit I love the convenience of having a google map, a bank and a flight booker at my fingertips it makes for the ability to ‘get lost’ near impossible. It also makes the mystery of the unknown distinct. And that forgotten concept of being ‘off the grid’ pretty unattainable. You can always be found, checked in, liked, commented on and tagged into life. So I ask this of all of us, anyone who owns a smartphone – take less selfies, and take in more views!
4. Gratitude
Have you ever finished reading an online article and muttered the words “thank you” in gratitude for the wisdom the writer imparted? I didn’t think so. You are welcome by the way. We are all guilty of falling victim to the selfish, instant, download, share and pass it on of ungrateful wisdom, losing the connection with the true source, diluting the ability to pass on a compliment, a life changing experience or a soul sparking a-ha moment from reading someone’s spiritual teachings or experiences. So not to sound like your spiritual mother, but did you say thank you? Post, comment or give a shout out to the author or blog that is your go-to for spiritual wisdom, advice or a pick me up. You’ll be surprised at how grateful the recipient is for how grateful you are – see the trend?
Have you ever finished reading an online article and muttered the words “thank you” in gratitude for the wisdom the writer imparted? I didn’t think so. You are welcome by the way. We are all guilty of falling victim to the selfish, instant, download, share and pass it on of ungrateful wisdom, losing the connection with the true source, diluting the ability to pass on a compliment, a life changing experience or a soul sparking a-ha moment from reading someone’s spiritual teachings or experiences. So not to sound like your spiritual mother, but did you say thank you? Post, comment or give a shout out to the author or blog that is your go-to for spiritual wisdom, advice or a pick me up. You’ll be surprised at how grateful the recipient is for how grateful you are – see the trend?
5. Embracing the Unknown
Rumi said, “The wound is where the light enters us.” Those moments when you hit a dead-end in life and are confronted with re-evaluating every element of your life and its purpose are the defining moments. Those moments you keep pulling guidance cards for reassurance, find yourself huddled over a crystal ball seeking answers to your future or (cough,cough dear I say it) googling ‘how to cure my crap life’ are the reinvention, lotus blossoming, angel harp choir encouraging situations that define you. You know those moments, the one when it is just you and you’re on your personal spiritual journey. You brace yourself. You embrace the situation for good and for bad. Take the leap and totally embrace the unknown. Next stop, awesome.
Rumi said, “The wound is where the light enters us.” Those moments when you hit a dead-end in life and are confronted with re-evaluating every element of your life and its purpose are the defining moments. Those moments you keep pulling guidance cards for reassurance, find yourself huddled over a crystal ball seeking answers to your future or (cough,cough dear I say it) googling ‘how to cure my crap life’ are the reinvention, lotus blossoming, angel harp choir encouraging situations that define you. You know those moments, the one when it is just you and you’re on your personal spiritual journey. You brace yourself. You embrace the situation for good and for bad. Take the leap and totally embrace the unknown. Next stop, awesome.
6. Light Council
I don’t care how many facebook ‘friends’ you have. Spiritual evolution is fuelled by what I call a Light Council, a group of people you choose to surround yourself with to guide you. Think of yourself as the CEO of you.com. You are in charge of appointing the right people for the job, the mentor, the coach, the counsellor, the cheerleader. These people are real, not digital. Think about the people in your life who inspire, teach and guide you and make a point of spending more time in their physical presence. Make more time for a handful of people who aid and support your spiritual growth, and give less time to those who take from it.
I don’t care how many facebook ‘friends’ you have. Spiritual evolution is fuelled by what I call a Light Council, a group of people you choose to surround yourself with to guide you. Think of yourself as the CEO of you.com. You are in charge of appointing the right people for the job, the mentor, the coach, the counsellor, the cheerleader. These people are real, not digital. Think about the people in your life who inspire, teach and guide you and make a point of spending more time in their physical presence. Make more time for a handful of people who aid and support your spiritual growth, and give less time to those who take from it.
7. Solitude
This is your soul speaking. ‘I feel neglected, like you never have time just for me anymore. We use to hang! I miss you.’ Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to spend some quality time with yourself, drinking up lots of self-love, eating up lots of wisdom and digesting all that energy you give out to everyone and everything else but yourself? You should that smartphone of yours more respect than your soul. It deserves just as much of your attention. The next time your phone calls, consider it your soul calling…
This is your soul speaking. ‘I feel neglected, like you never have time just for me anymore. We use to hang! I miss you.’ Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to spend some quality time with yourself, drinking up lots of self-love, eating up lots of wisdom and digesting all that energy you give out to everyone and everything else but yourself? You should that smartphone of yours more respect than your soul. It deserves just as much of your attention. The next time your phone calls, consider it your soul calling…
8. Ego vs Spirit vs Static
What does your wise guide inside sound like? The voice you should be taking guidance from isn’t the one in your head, it should be your soul source, your higher self, your guide – whatever it is you label it, listen to it. Letting Googled voices override your wise guide can be the equivalent to committing spiritual suicide. So every time you are tempted to hit enter on the search bar remember, you are muting your higher self. Search with in…
What does your wise guide inside sound like? The voice you should be taking guidance from isn’t the one in your head, it should be your soul source, your higher self, your guide – whatever it is you label it, listen to it. Letting Googled voices override your wise guide can be the equivalent to committing spiritual suicide. So every time you are tempted to hit enter on the search bar remember, you are muting your higher self. Search with in…
9. Letting Go
Admit it. You are guilty of Google stalking an ex. Don’t worry, you are not alone. The ability to easily peek into the window of our past is sometimes too tempting, making the art of letting go hard! The idea of bumping into an ex-lover with their new partner in the street has been switched out for a mutual friend, looking, sharing or commenting on a relationship status that sees your past literally posted in your face. Ok, less Google, more facebook. But you get the jist. Old school spirituality would have let you hit the delete button on relationships and situations that no longer served you and move on free of any haunting digital emotional baggage. Leaving the will power in our hands, to mentally hit the delete button so we are not tempting to browse our past.
Admit it. You are guilty of Google stalking an ex. Don’t worry, you are not alone. The ability to easily peek into the window of our past is sometimes too tempting, making the art of letting go hard! The idea of bumping into an ex-lover with their new partner in the street has been switched out for a mutual friend, looking, sharing or commenting on a relationship status that sees your past literally posted in your face. Ok, less Google, more facebook. But you get the jist. Old school spirituality would have let you hit the delete button on relationships and situations that no longer served you and move on free of any haunting digital emotional baggage. Leaving the will power in our hands, to mentally hit the delete button so we are not tempting to browse our past.
10. Being Present
Think about how many minutes, hours or even days of your life have been wasted if you added together all the countless times you have been sitting on your smart phone or scrolling deeper into a Google hole of time wastage. You know, those days you end up googling something, finding a funny cat video, next minute you check the clock and you have watched the equivalent to the whole directors cut addition of Titanic worth of cute kitty you tube clips. Meanwhile your soul mate walked pass and checked you out, and there we were, lost in our work emails, facebook newsfeeds or that addictive and luring kittens. Look up more.
Think about how many minutes, hours or even days of your life have been wasted if you added together all the countless times you have been sitting on your smart phone or scrolling deeper into a Google hole of time wastage. You know, those days you end up googling something, finding a funny cat video, next minute you check the clock and you have watched the equivalent to the whole directors cut addition of Titanic worth of cute kitty you tube clips. Meanwhile your soul mate walked pass and checked you out, and there we were, lost in our work emails, facebook newsfeeds or that addictive and luring kittens. Look up more.
Finding is reserved for those who seek within, not online. Happy searching!
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