Spiritual Awakening Stage 1: A Wondrous Journey from Outer Goals to Inner Peace

Getting older has its pros and cons. The upside? We enter the first spiritual awakening stage, a time when we feel more authentic and care less about appearances. Leaving the house with mismatched clothes or unbrushed hair doesn’t bother me, and I love that. With age comes an increased sense of knowing ourselves better, making it easier to embrace what we love and say no to what doesn’t serve us.

But on the flip side, I look back at all my battle wounds. I’ve climbed a lot of ladders only to find they were leaning against the wrong buildings! In my younger years, I was driven – seeking wealth, a successful career, a perfect partner, and a life filled with exciting experiences. The results I achieved seemed like they’d be the key to lasting happiness.

The Turning Point: Realizing “Stuff” Isn’t Enough

Unfortunately, achieving those goals never delivered the peace, freedom, and enlightenment I unconsciously sought. At some point, the drive for more and better waned, replaced by a longing for simplicity. Relationships, too, proved more complicated than those fairytale ideals I’d carried throughout my youth.

The truth is that it takes time and experience to realize that true peace and fulfillment won’t come from external things. It’s part of the cosmic joke and an unavoidable spiritual awakening stage. We’re put on earth with so many distractions that many never figure it out. To truly ‘win’ the game of life, we must look inward.

The Cosmic Joke: Why We Chase the Wrong Things

So many of us spend our early adulthood tirelessly chasing the markers of ‘success’ society has laid out for us. But, like those wonky ladders, the paths we choose often don’t take us where we most deeply want to go. This is by design, I now believe. Those disillusioning experiences are the universe’s way of prodding us to turn inwards, where true contentment has been waiting all along.

Think of it like this: we’re born as these pure, connected spiritual beings. Then we get plopped into bodies, in a world obsessed with appearances, status, and shiny toys. No wonder we get so wrapped up in the pursuit of these things! But there comes a point, often around midlife, where that initial programming begins to unravel. This signals the start of our personal spiritual awakening stage.

The Battle Wounds: Lessons from Ladders Against Wrong Buildings

When I was young of my biggest ‘wrong buildings’ was my relentless pursuit of the perfect relationship. Through high school and college I went from one long-term relationship to another. In each partnership I looked for someone to fill the void I felt in my heart.  But what I learned was that my unease was never about the man I was with. It was about an inner discontent that no number of relationships could ever resolve. That painful realization was a significant catalyst in my spiritual awakening stage.

Another ladder of mine was the quest for wealth. I poured myself into long hours, office politics, and chasing that elusive next million, certain it would bring the lasting validation I so desperately craved. Yet, when I finally reached ‘financial freedom,’ emptiness lingered. 

Those disillusionments weren’t failures; they were the universe nudging me toward a more purposeful direction.

Signs You’re in a Spiritual Awakening Stage

If you’re reading this, perhaps you’re sensing a shift within yourself. Here are some common signs that might indicate you’re experiencing this spiritual awakening stage in your own life:

• Questioning Purpose: You no longer find meaning in the same things that once motivated you.
• Craving Deeper Connection: Beyond casual relationships, you desire an authentic connection to yourself and others and perhaps a sense of something larger.
• Feeling Disillusioned: Success, material comforts, and even relationships don’t bring the satisfaction you expected.
• Increased Self-Awareness: You’re more mindful of your thoughts, emotions, and reactions.
• Prioritizing Simplicity: Material and mental clutter feel overwhelming, and you crave a simpler existence.
• A Sense of ‘Not Belonging’: You may feel out of place in social settings or like you’re watching everyone else play a game that no longer has the same appeal.
• Changes in Sleep or Appetite: Your body might signal this inner shift with disruptions to your usual routines.
• Intense Emotions: You may experience unexpected waves of sadness, anger, or even joy as unprocessed feelings surface.
• Vivid Dreams and Synchronicities: Your subconscious may send powerful messages, or you’ll notice strange coincidences that seem beyond random.

Check out my article, Spiritual Awakening or Going Crazy.

Shifting Your Focus: From the Outside to the Inside

Remember, no amount of possessions, relationships, or amazing experiences will ever be enough to fill that hole deep within. That means that more clothes, shoes, gadgets, vacations, career successes, or any other external validation are never going to fill the hole that sits in your heart.

Only you can satisfy this craving for the missing piece. Discovering who you really are changes everything. As you deepen your relationship with yourself, those feelings of peace, freedom, and fulfillment will expand. You start to see those external ‘things’ and situations differently. 

You will no longer have to use the outside world to bring peace. Instead, the outside world becomes a test, an opportunity to return to your center and nurture that connection with your higher self.

Practices for Navigating Your Spiritual Awakening Stage

• Meditation: Begin with guided meditations for a gentle entry point (apps like Calm or Headspace offer many options). Explore different styles to find what resonates with you. Here are a few techniques:
  • Mindfulness of Breath: Focus solely on the inhale and exhale. When the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath.
  • Body Scan: Starting with your toes, slowly bring awareness to each body part, noticing sensations without judgment.
  • Mantra Meditation: Choose a phrase like “I am at peace” or “Om” and repeat it silently, allowing it to anchor your mind.
• Journaling: Writing helps clarify your thoughts and emotions. Prompts like “What brings me joy?” and “What am I ready to release?” can be excellent starting points. Other ideas include:
  • Gratitude Lists: Focusing on blessings shifts your perspective.
  • Dream Journal: Recall dreams upon waking and look for symbols or messages.
  • Shadow Work: Safely explore the unacknowledged parts of yourself.

More Practices For Navigating Your Spiritual Awakening Stage

• Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: Start noticing your inner critic. Replace harsh judgments with gentle understanding. Try these:
  • Practice Non-Judgment: Observe your thoughts without labeling them “good” or “bad”.
  • The Loving-Kindness Meditation: Extend positive wishes to yourself, loved ones, a neutral person, a difficult person, and all beings.
  • Inner Child Work: Connect with and heal old wounds through visualization or writing compassionate letters to your younger self.
• Spending time in Nature: Connect with something outside of yourself, whether it’s a short walk or a longer forest bath. Try:
  • Grounding: Walk barefoot on the earth, feeling its energy.
  • Tree Meditation: Sit against a tree, visualizing it absorbing your stress and offering strength.
• Energy Work: If it aligns with your beliefs, therapies like Reiki or breathwork might aid in releasing blockages and connect you to your spiritual essence.

Additional Tips For Spiritual Awakening Stage

• Start Small: Overwhelming yourself is counter-productive. Even 5 minutes of daily meditation is beneficial.
• Consistency is Key: Daily practice, even briefly, helps cultivate new neural pathways.
• Find Your Community: Seek out like-minded people – classes, workshops, or online groups.
• Guidance is Available: If you get stuck, spiritual teachers, counselors, or coaches can offer support.

Important Note: The spiritual awakening stage can feel confusing and disorienting. Be gentle with yourself and allow space for the process. There’s no one right way to navigate this, so listen to your intuition.

Challenges of the Spiritual Awakening Stage (And How to Overcome Them)

• Doubt, Skepticism, and Judgment (from Yourself & Others): As you break from societal norms, you may face internal doubts or external questioning.
  • Overcoming: Remind yourself of the positive shifts you’ve experienced. Connect with others on similar paths. Limit time with people who are overly critical and drain your energy.
• The Discomfort of Facing Your ‘Shadow’: Deep inner work means confronting suppressed emotions, traumas, and unflattering aspects of yourself.
  • Overcoming: Start slowly, perhaps focusing on minor habits you want to change. Seek professional guidance for healing deep wounds. Practice radical self-compassion, understanding these parts arose from protective mechanisms.
• Managing Anxiety that Arises: Big life shifts can feel destabilizing, even if positive.
  • Overcoming: Grounding practices like deep breathing, yoga, or spending time in nature are essential. Mindfulness can help you observe anxiety without feeding it. If it is overwhelming, consider working with a therapist.

More Challenges That Can Be Overcome

• Feeling Isolated: As you evolve, old friendships might fade, and finding like-minded people takes effort.
  • Overcoming: Join spiritual groups, take workshops, or find online communities. Focus on quality connections, not quantity. Nurture solo hobbies that nourish your soul.
• The “Dark Night of the Soul”: In some cases, the spiritual path can lead to periods of profound disillusionment and despair. This is a difficult spiritual awakening stage.
  • Overcoming: Remember this is a temporary stage in the transformation process. Treat yourself with extraordinary kindness. Ask for support from those who understand and won’t judge your feelings.
• Integrating Your Awakening into Everyday Life: It’s easy to get stuck in the ‘spiritual bubble’. The real work is putting it into practice while navigating work, relationships, etc.
  • Overcoming: Remember, your presence is the greatest gift. Mindfulness in daily interactions allows you to embody your inner growth. You don’t need to preach to have an impact.

And Remember…

• Patience and Self-Compassion are Key: This is a marathon, not a sprint. Growth isn’t linear; be gentle with setbacks.
• Don’t Compare Your Journey: Everyone’s path is unique. Trust yours, even when it looks different from others.
• The Ego May Fight Back: Your ego, used to being in control, may lash out with fear-based thoughts. Remember, you are not your ego.

Other Resources – Letting Go, by David Hawkins

Consider reading, “Letting Go” by David Hawkins as he offers further guidance and reassurance that these challenges are a normal part of the process.

In “Letting Go”, renowned psychiatrist and spiritual teacher David Hawkins presents a powerful mechanism for releasing the inner burdens that impede happiness, success, and ultimately, spiritual enlightenment. He argues that suppressed emotions, limiting beliefs, and unconscious resistance create blockages in our energy fields, perpetuating suffering.

Hawkins explains that while positive thinking is helpful, it can’t fully dismantle the deep-seated negativity within. The true path to freedom lies in surrender. His technique is deceptively simple: when a negative emotion or thought arises, instead of fighting, analyzing, or suppressing it, we simply allow ourselves to fully feel it. Then, we consciously choose to let it go.

This process of release, practiced consistently, chips away at the hold of fear, anger, pride, and the many other obstacles to inner peace. As we let go, we open ourselves to higher states of consciousness, moving from constriction to expansion. Hawkins asserts that this practice can heal not only psychological suffering but also physical ailments, as trapped negativity can manifest in the body.

While the core technique of “Letting Go” is straightforward, Hawkins acknowledges that the process can be challenging. Our egos cling to familiar patterns, even if they cause us pain. He offers practical advice for overcoming resistance, along with a scale for mapping our consciousness levels as we progress.

Ultimately, “Letting Go” provides a powerful roadmap for liberation from suffering and a guide to accessing greater peace, joy, and a deeper connection to our true nature.

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