Why We Do the Inner Work
We do not do spiritual work with the expectation of geting something out of it. We do spiritual work with the intention of learning and living.
All inner spiritual work is an unfolding process of learning and experimentation to realize higher manifestations of energy. A continuous dialogue with soul and spirit, if one can learn how to plug themselves back in to energy and nature. Spiritual work or inner work is living life itself. Embracing the perspective of life as a unique, creative experiement founded on the realization of soul Truths. We do this work not in competition or expectation, but rather, because it is our natural purpose in life. Like all natural beings (trees, plants, animals), we exist to be and to evolve. This evolution is not done in just one lifetime, but over the cycles of many lifetimes.
All too often, individuals want to do spiritual work to gain something, whether it is to manifest more wealth or love, or perfect the image of the self, or achieve a “higher vibe”, or to gain esoteric achievements or enhanced spiritual abilities. People participating in the spiritual industry oftentimes seek credentials and validation. Oftentimes putting much of their effort on the external and physical, and less on the internal and the soul. But the real work is an internally-driven endeavor. A willingness to be alone with your self and to dive into the inner depths of the void. Spiritual work is not 100% good vibes and smiles. It is real work, for your self, and no one else’s approval. It will never be achieved through consumption, nor through external sources.
The work is also not in the overlooking, displacing, or bypassing of what triggers us, what pains us, what challenges us, what angers us, or what frustrates us. To grow, one must take personal responsibility, accept it, and be brutally honest with it all. To be willing to see and feel your self as you are. Not what you need to see and feel. It asks us to burst our personal bubble, to perceive beyond our known experience and thoughts, and to learn to see the bigger picture of what an experience is trying to teach us.
There is no inner work to be done if one does not experiment in life. It is our natural birthright to change, to go through the perceived “ups and downs”, to face challenges and struggles, to not know 100% and make decisions anyways, to take risks, to learn through it all, and to follow our unique path. To experience love and loss, to feel sadness and joy, to grow from pain and uncertainty, to feel utterly alone and sometimes beautifully connected. To question everything and to wonder what could be? The beauty of living is in all of it. Our pain and our joy is what gives life depth and nuance and meaning. And this experience of life is what fuels our inner spiritual work and growth.
The challenges and obstacles of life are a critical part of how we evolve. It is in the breaking down in which we can build back up to strengthen and grow. But only when lessons are learned and embodied. Every challenge forces us to see, realize, and feel more, if we let it. If we deny it, we deny the opportunity for growth. Our growth comes when we learn to open our hearts more, feel more, perceive more, and understand more beyond humankind’s incredibly limited understanding of our selves and the Universe. As long as you are alive on this planet, you have lessons to learn. The intent of inner work is not to gain, but to open and to expand.