You will encounter numerous barriers on your spiritual path, all of which have been placed there to assist you in your growth and learning.
Take heart if your trip appears to be difficult at this point. Learn to identify these difficulties for what they are and to persevere through them with a grin on your face. Here are a few examples of the difficulties you can encounter:
1. Determining your own personal capability limits
We have all done things in our lives that have been detrimental to us. We impose restrictions on ourselves and limit our potential simply because we are not prepared or willing to think beyond the confines of the mental barriers that we have constructed.
2. Believing that you are your job description
You may be the VP of operations at a large corporation or a low-level employee at a fast-food restaurant chain. However, it is merely your job description; do not let that one simple title fool you into thinking you are a one-dimensional person. Make sure you don’t identify yourself by what you do or by what you have. These material realities may and will shift at any time. Maintain your integrity.
3. You are extremely critical of yourself for every little thing.
It’s one thing to hold oneself accountable for your actions. Belittling and condemning oneself for making even the smallest of mistakes is something altogether different. Learn to be a bit more accommodating to yourself. Allow yourself enough time to work on the areas you can control while accepting the shortcomings you can’t change.
4. You spend a lot of time thinking about things that happened in the past.
The words of a certain individual, every mistake you made, every action you took, and so on and so forth. You keep inflicting new anguish on yourself as a result of past wounds. You must learn to let go and not hold things close to your heart at all times.
5. You have a strong sense of guilt.
There are two situations in which you may feel guilty. The first is when you realize you’ve done something wrong and have injured someone. Second, when you have done something that has caused someone pain, yet you stand by what you have done. In any situation, you will not be required to carry the burden of guilt with you everywhere you go. In the first instance, all that is required of you is an apology. Because there is nothing you can do about it in the second instance, it will make no difference.
6. You are a chronic procrastinator.
This is something that a large number of us do. However, if you feel the desire to postpone, take a deep breath and remind yourself of why you are doing it in the first place. This will save you a great deal of time and aggravation in the future.
7. You look around for confirmation from others.
You base your sense of self-worth on other people’s perceptions of you. This is an example of attention-seeking conduct. One of the most effective ways to gain acceptance is to boost your own self-esteem. People will respect you if you respect yourself first.
8. Your incapacity to move on from the past.
This is the absolute worst. This neither allows you to enjoy your present nor allows you to go forward into your future with confidence. How can you hope to progress on your spiritual path if you continue in this manner?
9. Your habits and routines
Our lives are filled with a variety of habits and hobbies that are neither productive nor satisfying. They waste our time, dull our senses, and draw our attention away from the path we intended to take.