I was lucky that I grew up in a family that valued the importance of spiritual strength as a precursor to negotiating life’s hardest hits. My Mom was very spiritual, and my Dad was a businessman. I grew with the guidance that my career and spiritual life were EQUALLY important. The operative word here is “equally.”
We modern-day humans are a hard-working lot and give effort and time to our careers but ignore developing our spiritual fortress. Let me make this absolutely clear: in life, you are going to face tough hits that your intellect or your career success are not going to be able to get you through. However, there are NO hits or challenges that you will face in the course of your life that your spirit cannot help you conquer–and not only help you conquer–but deliver you to a higher ground where you can thrive.
I learned this the hard way; that in order to take life’s heartbreaking, mind-boggling and gut-wrenching hits and come out on top, you must keep yourself in a prime spiritual condition. What helped me to survive the loss of my only son was that I had been practicing good spiritual hygiene for many years leading to my tragedy. To become spiritually resilient, you must make it a top priority to develop and maintain practices and habits that support your spiritual well-being and growth. This does not mean that you neglect other aspects of body/mind/soul connection.
First, when I was 21 years old, I met a guru that inspired me to learn to meditate. I was running a company with 100 people, and I told him, “I am way too busy to learn to meditate.” His response was, “if you learn to meditate you will accomplish your tasks in half the time.” That got my attention! When Gandhi was overwhelmed with too many appointments and tasks, he always made time to meditate longer knowing that it will help him accomplish the day’s work.
Now, my practice is two hours a day. I never miss my meditations.
On my website, there is a guided meditation on how you can bring Spirit into helping you manifest your life’s mission. It is my mainstay. I start with deep inhalation breaths and bring my awareness and attention to my heart center. This awareness lets me know I am not alone. I could never be alone–Spirit is always with me and within me. It is my north star, lovingly guiding my journey.
Secondly, the other practice that has helped me profoundly is to journal. Journaling is writing down your feelings, emotions, and challenges. It is also communicating with your inner guidance and intuition. It helps you clarify and bring light to your situation. As you journal, ask what assistance you need in solving your predicament. If it does not show up, then it will show up in the signs during the day or in a subsequent journaling event. Be result orientated. And stay in faith.
Thirdly, make spiritual hygiene a daily habit. Just like you brush and floss your teeth make spiritual hygiene a daily routine. My daily practice is to meditate, pray, read something inspiring and then be in gratitude for the blessings in my life before I start my day. I stay in gratitude the rest of the day and when I do this practice, I am healthier, happier, peaceful, and in the flow of life.
As taught by Deah Curry: “Spiritual hygiene is mindful attention to developing and sustaining a relationship with ourselves as spiritual beings.” It will be the best investment you will ever make. While there is no question that taking care of your body and health is a smart move, there is no getting around to the fact that your body is a depreciating asset. No matter how well you take care of your body, its strength and stamina will atrophy.
However, when you practice spiritual hygiene, it is entirely possible for your spiritual health to improve over the course of your life. Any investment advisor,
yours truly included, will tell you it is smarter to invest in an appreciating asset than a depreciating one so start to invest regularly in your “spiritual bank account.” So, when you need to make a withdrawal because of taking a hard hit there will be something there to sustain you.
The holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year! I love Christmas music, decorations, trees… Christmas everything! The many wondrous lights and decorations adorning our homes, villages, and cities around the world bring me immense joy. I love holiday get-togethers with family and friends and many inspiring events. However, for a second year, please be extra careful to avoid large crowds and be mindful of wearing masks indoors and maintaining social distance. During this time of the year, there is a palpable spirit worldwide as we connect and celebrate the Christ consciousness in all of us. By all means, celebrate – it has been a tough couple of years – Collective Universal Spirit is leading us to better times and blue skies.
Wishing all a very happy Thanksgiving holiday and my sincerest and deepest gratitude to all who have and continue to support my work.
Peace, gratitude, and many blessings,
Azim Khamisa
