Spiritual Weight Lifting
Spiritual Weight Lifting
Robert Elias Najemy
When we want to strengthen our muscles we lift weights. During
this process our muscles become stronger in response to the need
to cope with the strain, which is put on them.
However, if we increase the weight or the number of repetitions
abruptly, we not only will not strengthen our muscles but we
might seriously damage them.
One the other hand, if we do not lift any objects at all, our
muscles will atrophy. If we lift the same weight everyday, they
will remain at their present strength without any improvement.
The same holds true for our emotional, mental and spiritual
muscles. If we continually avoid facing problems by hiding from
them, or ignoring them, or by seeking external and superficial
solutions such as tranquilizers, drugs or other external
"security blankets", then our emotional, mental and spiritual
muscles will atrophy daily.
We will become weak, fearful and dependent with a poor
self-image. This leads to an ever-accelerating vicious circle of
weakness, fear and dependency.
On the other hand, if we suddenly try to throw away every
external support, we may fail so painfully that we shall fear
trying again. This may then support our basic belief that we
cannot make it on our own, that we are not strong enough. Of
course this is not true. That would be like saying that, because
we fell the first time we tried to walk, we would never be able
to walk.
The solution, then, is to choose our weights correctly. We must
continuously choose new goals of greater self-sufficiency,
developing our inner strength gradually.
Life itself offers us from moment to moment the opportunities,
which we need in order to grow. We need only to respond to these
opportunities. We do not need to look for problems or
difficulties. We can, however, examine our lives to check for
problems which we have been hiding or avoiding. We can start
working on these.
Also very important for weight lifting is regular practice. In
our case this means daily exercise of the body, breath and mind.
So you might want to choose a challenge that you want do deal
with more consciously and create a plan for meeting it.
Answering the following Questions will help:
1. Make a list of your present life challenges ? such as
problems, goals etc. (Consider health, family, profession,
economics and social and spiritual life) 2. Chose the one you
want to work with this week. 3. What will be the first step you
need to make? 4. Are there any inner obstacles (fears,
procrastination) which have obstructed your progress in the
past? 5. If yes, what are they? 6. If yes, What will you do to
overcome these obstacles? 7. What will be your first step this
week towards that growth and change which you desire?
Daily positive projection, prayer, meditation, self analysis,
and other mind strengthening techniques, are an absolute for
those who would like to eventually lift the heavier weights on
our evolutionary path. Practice, Patience and Perseverance
(Adapted from the forthcoming "Contemporary Parables" by Robert
Elias Najemy. His book "The Psychology of Happiness" (ISBN
0-9710116-0-5) is available at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/holisticharmo-20
and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com/psychofhappiness.html. His
writings can be viewed at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com where
you can also download FREE articles and e-books.