One common misconception passed down through time is that you must be a religious person to understand the keys to spiritual growth. Spirituality surpasses a belief system, a religion, or a class. It is those times when you sit quietly in a meditative state of mind, intending to become the master of your mind. Instead, take time out during the day to become the teacher and guide of your own life, making active and conscious decisions to commune with your spirit, asking the right questions, and receiving answers. Once you understand that spirituality is a separate concept, you will understand the need to pursue the keys to spiritual growth that can help your soul connect with the spiritual realm.
If we now understand that spirituality is not a religion, it doesn’t mean going to the mosque, studying the bible, or offering sacrifices to gods. So, how can you make conscious efforts to grow spiritually? There are several keys to spiritual growth, and with the guidance of experts, we have been able to compile a list of these keys to help you grow spiritually. If you don’t have a spiritual growth plan, read on to discover 11 keys to spiritual growth that can help you become a person. This post offers insight into the essential keys to spiritual growth, which allow one to become pure in the soul.
The Concept of Spirituality
According to Plato, spirituality is based precisely on the soul has an origin and the purpose outside the body and that it belongs solely to the Realm of Forms. For Plato, one of the keys to spiritual growth is taking the soul through a metaphysical process that can be achieved through reasoning. Many individuals spend a lot of time trying to understand the meaning of life, what human existence is and why we were born. Human beings always crave something higher, a sense of transcendence, and an answer to many questions. It is a universal factor. Some may find this in monotheistic religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, while some stumble into it through meditation and deep, personal searches.
Although the basics of spirituality vary amongst different circles and belief systems, with other religions and individuals having different opinions and beliefs on the subject matter, at its roots, it is finding a purpose and meaning of life. Religion and spirituality may sound similar but are they the same? Although there are similarities in beliefs. Spirituality holds a broader perception of a person’s connection with the awe-inspiring aspects of life. This is why it is crucial to understand the essential keys to spiritual growth.
The 11 Keys to Grow Spiritually
It is crucial to make conscious choices when building a habit, which applies to spiritual life. Below, we have enumerated 11 keys to spiritual growth. People have often asked, “Is it possible to become spiritual without a religious affinity?” You might find some answers below:
1. Help others
Are you part of those who say, “It is not good to help too much?” The reality is that no one has it all, and we all need each other to survive. This saying is accurate and is among the keys to spiritual growth because we are not alone. We are here to help each other and support each other, especially in times of need. To experience growth, one must make an effort to lift others. It doesn’t mean you have to join the Peace Corps or the Red Cross or head to a war-torn country. Although these things are deeply appreciated and encouraged if you can do them, simply offering a helping hand, offering a hug, or smiling at someone should be part of your spiritual growth plan.
Helping others also translates to doing what is right, making decisions that could change someone’s life. Offering a helping hand to someone or a hug could have stopped someone from ending their life later in the day. We must understand that although these keys to a spiritual growth plan are beneficial, they are also advantageous. For example, helping a family with food could prevent the father from going out at night to steal food. Some religion holds that helping others is one of the essential keys to spiritual growth because it shows our human side.
2. Write a Wish List
No, this list is not for Amazon or your birthday. Instead, it is a spiritual wish list that has several items you want to achieve and see in your life over time. Putting your goals on a sheet of paper is considered one of the greatest keys to spiritual growth. It gives you a sense of direction, and over time can be used to determine your progress. You can put anything you want on this list, from self-acceptance, self-love, and self-respect to “I want to become an honest person” and “I want to spend more time helping the poor.” All you need to do is think about the energy of desires, channel happiness, hope, and dreams.
Making deliberate actions is one of the keys to spiritual growth. You can fine-tune your spirituality and hold yourself accountable for your acts. Remember that you are your teacher and guide through this journey, and you are responsible for keeping yourself in check. Making a wish list will give you a head start, keep you on track and help you make progress with your spiritual growth plan.
3. Follow the 555 Procedure
It is a simple practice created by Uma Beepat that is meant to keep your mind in the state of spirituality and is one of the keys to spiritual growth that will take your mind to new heights. It involves spending five minutes meditating, five minutes stretching, and five minutes prepping your mind for the day.
A mind is a powerful place where things are created – the first stage of creativity. Whatever is left to grow and multiply in the mind will eventually turn to reality. It is powerful but also dangerous. If we spend hours a day thinking about negative things, then we begin to manifest these negativities. Still, with meditation, we can channel our thoughts to create positive realities. Spending five minutes daily in meditation is among the profound keys to spiritual growth and should be part of your spiritual growth plan.
The body is a reflection of the state of mind. A body under control is a reflection of a strong sense. After spending five minutes in meditation, spend five minutes doing stretches and bringing your body into a state of rest. Next, strengthen your core through yoga or any preferred exercise. Subjecting your body to these stretches will ensure that you are alert and ready to take on the day. And finally, spend five minutes mentally preparing for the day by speaking to yourself. You are your guide and teacher, so you must influence your mentality the way you want to see. Spending time talking positively into the day, telling yourself that you will be happy and productive, is an excellent way to seize control of the day. The 555s are perfect keys to spiritual growth, and it would be beneficial if you stick to the spiritual growth plan religiously.
4. The Need To Forgive
Forgiveness is one of the greatest keys to spiritual growth and is crucial to finding peace. Believe it or not, holding onto grudges and remaining bitter, unforgiving, and full of hatred causes us much pain and trauma. The mind holds onto these feelings and marks them as scars in our psyche, from that woman who stepped on your feet and was rude about it to when those kids mocked and bullied you in high school. We may bury them as deep as we want, but the truth is, they are there and end up resurfacing as trauma or as something entirely new, such as anger, trust issues, and jealousy.
We all know it is not easy to forgive. It is easier said than done, but a conscious process of forgiveness doesn’t have to happen all at once, but it is among the essential keys to spiritual growth. Making an effort is the first step to forgiving people. To help you do this, create a forgiveness list. Please write down the names of the people who have offended and hurt you, then start the process of forgiving them wholeheartedly. Not forgiving people allow them to control you, which bans your pursuit of the keys to spiritual growth.
5. Cultivate the Virtue of Patience
One of the keys to spiritual growth is cultivating patience. Being patient means you are taking advantage of all the opportunities around you to lighten your spirit and take the output of your spiritual growth plan to the next level. Tolerance applies in all facets of life, including your relationship with people and your expectations in life. These days, everyone is rushing to make it big and get through life so quickly and hastily that we forget essential in our bid to be the best and on top. As a result, we sacrifice what is important – our relationship with family, friends, and our soul amid this hustle.
Patience reminds us that we’ll get there, that it will be our turn, and we must persevere while keeping sacred the things that matter. So, make deliberate efforts to build patience and foster persistence in your spirituality. No matter what individuals may have learned in the spiritual journey when there is a lack of patience, such a person may be wasting time trying to understand the keys to spiritual growth. Thus, patience is an irreplaceable virtue.
6. Tell the Truth at All Times
Telling the truth is easier said than done, but it’s one of the essential keys to spiritual growth. A clean heart, free of guilt and weight, is necessary to maintain a spiritual life. Telling the truth retains the balance of light we emit and brings more people to us. Little white lies that we think do not hurt anyone are lies we should not tell in our spiritual quest. The saying “the truth will set you free” is true in this case.
Telling lies adds a burden to your soul, weighing you down as you journey through life. You need to understand that, although the truth may be uncomfortable, you must speak the truth at all times, regardless of the circumstances. When you have mastered the habit of telling the truth, there is a level of confidence it gives, and it creates a free path to learning other keys to spiritual growth.
7. Keep a Journal for Gratuity
Focusing on the things we are grateful for is among the keys to spiritual growth. Keeping a gratitude journal should help us highlight the best things currently happening in our lives. When we set our sights on the things around us and are grateful for them, we attract more of these things. The universal functions of the law of attraction: we attract what we declare.
Declaring our happiness and gratitude for the things in our lives, big and small, mundane moments in a day, attracts more of the same. It is a circle of appreciation that impacts our lives significantly. Gratuity, a vital factor in the keys to spiritual growth, invites unexpected luck because nature tends to understand your grateful attitude.
8. Listen to Your Guts
Your instincts are some of your greatest assets, and as a spiritual person, listening to them is one of the greatest keys to spiritual growth. We are born with our instincts to ensure our survival, but we often ignore our guts and make decisions with our brains. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with making rational, logical decisions with our brains after making calculated risks. But sometimes, we must remember that we are spiritual beings, and to enable our growth, we should make a habit of listening to our inner man.
Make a habit of listening to your gut because it improves your person. It’s like hearing a voice for the first time. You might not be able to tell it apart the next time you listen to it, but if you listen to this voice continuously, you can quickly identify it in a group of people talking even with your eyes closed. However, keep this in mind; a man who has the guts to try even the most difficult attains another level in the keys to spiritual growth.
9. Laughter
It may sound crazy, but laughter is the best medicine. One common theme you will come across in your quest for spirituality is contentment. Laughter carries the energy of pleasure, fun, joy, silliness, playfulness, and these are beautiful keys to spiritual growth, slowly transforming you into the metaphysical human being you were meant to be. Laughter takes you to a frequency above the normal, making you feel almost high.
Choosing to stay positive and happy despite the problems around you is the keys to spiritual growth that affects you and your intimate people. Watch YouTube comedies, read up on dad jokes, find humor in everything around you, and share it with those around you.
10. Remove Envy
You cannot experience the full effects of your spiritual growth plan while being selfish. Removing envy and selfishness is a must in your spiritual growth plan. Congratulate people on their success, be happy for their progress, and don’t envy them. It is normal to be envious; it is human nature. But it is your job to take that negative energy and transform it into something healthy and positive.
However, understanding that envy could transform into greed and selfishness could later turn into something much brutal. The path to becoming more spiritually mature involves taking steps to flush it out from the onset. If we all do this, it will create a better world for all of us.
11. Have Faith in Something
Believing in something higher than yourself is one of the sure keys to spiritual growth. You don’t have to become religious or join a belief system. You can believe in the power of the universe and the power of its relationship with yourself. No matter how firm our resolve is as human beings, we still fall short so many times. A lot of the time, it might be because of so many things happening in our lives at once, throwing us off balance, and we forget the right things to do. So, although we are accountable to ourselves, we may convince ourselves that we deserve to slack off a little. Therefore, if life throws all it has at us, we should remain firm and stay true to our quest in the keys to spirituals growth.
Conclusion
We have written down some great keys to spiritual growth that should lead you to spiritual maturity from the above. Finally, make sure you actively avoid anything that will hinder your spiritual process. These things may include friendships, a job, movies, books, etc. Anything that will not let you grow is a hindrance. It is advised that we shouldn’t let activities or human weaknesses stand in the way of our spiritual growth plan and relationships with those that matter.
