Someone asked me a question recently about ways to recognize the part of us that is Spirit.  They expressed curiosity about knowing when their higher, spiritual self was orchestrating events.  What would one look for to recognize the desires of their spiritual self?

This perspective of recognizing the flow of Spirit in one’s life is one I’ve played with for many years.  I’ll use the remainder of this posting to share my point of view on recognizing spirit, with the caveat that the view for each of us will be unique. Ideally, what I’ve experienced and learned will stimulate your journey to your own truth about being aware of Spirit in your life.

I notice that, for some people, their connection with the part of themselves that is Spirit is open, clear, and free-flowing.  Whether innately or through much inner reflection, such people seem to hold a gentle, calm awareness of the reverence of Life and exhibit a life guided by such recognition.

For others, and I number myself in this group, the connection with our spiritual Source that runs so clearly at the birth of us as spirit into a body becomes intermittent.  Sometimes I feel in tune with my spiritual essence, and sometimes there’s a sense of disconnection or fragmentation.

I hold the perspective that one of my purposes this lifetime is to re-connect the pieces of myself and strengthen the connection with Spirit.  To do this has required me to grow in awareness of the energetic blocks that obstruct smooth communication with Spirit, and to clear the blockages.

The path of increasing my awareness of Spirit has allowed me to recognize some different ways to accomplish this purpose. 

The first experience I had was one I’d call a “wake-up” call. My connection to my spiritual self had been clogged with limiting thoughts generated by the rational mind and uncomfortable feelings from the emotional body to the extent it was difficult to find joy in Life. One night as I went to sleep,in desperation I asked for spiritual assistance. In my dream state I experienced a golden bliss never before encountered. It mobilized me to take steps in the physical world to begin to unravel the heavy depressing energy blocking my connection to Spirit.

I’ve encountered “reminders of agreements” from Spirit. For me, these experiences manifest as synchronistic meetings with people who can help me learn something new, or receiving pieces of information that suddenly open my awareness to a whole new way of looking at an issue. I see this as my spiritual self reminding me of something I’d wanted to learn or experience this lifetime.

Finally,there are “spiritual lessons.”  A spiritual lesson, for me, is at work when I can see the grace and beauty of Spirit within an event or experience that on the surface seems unexpected, unpleasant, or unnecessary.  When I can step back and view the event as providing an opportunity for me to respond to Life with more awareness and clarity, I’ve encountered a spiritual lesson. I’ve had an opportunity to choose to respond with the best that is within me and to strengthen the connection to Spirit.

These are just a few of the ways our spiritual self sends us communications.  For me, these communications and opportunities enhance my Life, providing feelings of empowerment, joy, grace, ease, and expansion. Each time we recognize the connection with our Spiritual self, both we and it are strengthened, empowered, and uplifted. When your experience contains these kinds of thoughts/feelings, there’s a strong possibility you’re recognizing yourself as Spirit! 

The ingenuity of the higher, spiritual aspect of myself and the beauty of the flow of Life continue to amaze and delight me.  This spiritual part is passionate about learning and growing.   And sometimes the learning and growing takes place in unexpected ways, and as the result of unimaginable circumstances. 

While our rational minds and our all-too-physical body may have one perspective on how we’d like to have Life to unfold, Spirit always has access to multiple perspectives and possibilities.   Bringing wholeness is the goal of the spiritual part of us.  Spirit delights in weaving these many pieces into oneness.  And the creation of Spirit’s tapestry unfolds in ways that may not be apparent in the moment.  Let me share an example pertinent to this blog.

More than six months ago, I put forth the intention to communicate via the blog format. I went so far as to write an article or two, and some welcoming words for the blog.  I delighted in the appearance of the page that had been set up, just in time to be viewed by a new audience at a local wellness event where I was speaking.

With great enthusiasm, I went and gave a presentation about happiness as a key ingredient to well-being.   I stepped into what my rational mind and all-too-physical body viewed as my next growth opportunity ~ building my practice with a web and local presence.

But Spirit had a different idea about my next growth opportunity.  With the activation of the intent to ‘be seen’ by others,  all the energetic blocks to this happening in my life promptly became ‘right in my face’ for resolution.  Indeed, how could I be seen clearly when there were still areas for me to become more aligned as body-mind-spirit?  (I’ve found that it works so much more smoothly and has greater credibility to first accomplish for oneself what one desires to share with others!) 

In regards to the blog, everything that could happen to get in the way of writing and posting material did get in the way.  (At least, that’s the story my rational mind tells in justification.  Gotta love the rational mind, it tries so hard to keep one safe and to publish the ego-sanitized version of things.)  Suffice it to say that a change in family circumstances arose that provided an opportunity to re-experience stresses around lack that I’d considered a thing of the past.

In retrospect, I recognize that the changes I was positioning myself to make to be more visible in the world were allowing everyone else in the family dynamic the opportunity to make changes.  Some were more willing to change gracefully than others!  Collectively, we were bringing light to the issue of lack, to support its healing and release.

This time, I had energetic tools that allowed me to discover the unconscious belief systems contributing to my personal component of lack, and I used these tools to help dismantle its limitations. While my rational mind and all-too-physical body had no conscious intent to revisit the past, and my ego seemed ready to jump into creating this blog as a way to be present on the web and locally, Spirit had a different roadmap in mind.

By presenting the lesson around lack for re-examination, Spirit facilitated a realignment to wholeness. Being in lack means that something is missing.  It’s not possible to be present fully with people when something is lacking!   Clearing the stresses around lack in the past six months has allowed me to be present fully with family members and friends, in a space of compassionate allowing.  This kind of Spiritual gift is one that the rational mind and body could not have come up with alone.  The growth has been a necessary part of stepping forward into being present on the web with this blog.  

In a way, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to re-member that Spirit’s path to wholeness holds a vastness that the mind/body alone cannot achieve.   This article is a gentle reminder for me that our greatest well-being comes from the alignment of all aspects of body-mind-Spirit together.  And trusting Spirit’s roadmap and Spirit’s ability to orchestrate the lessons of the re-alignment is a great place to start!