On our quest for spiritual growth, we come across a great deal of information. The net is teeming with spiritual sites, new books are released at higher rates than ever before and new “gurus” are popping up everywhere. In many ways, this is a fantastic time to be on a search for knowledge. Many of us have already been trained to consider this knowledge outside ourselves. We’ve delegated responsibility for our learning to others; our parents, our teachers, our boss, the media, or some guru who seemingly have all of the answers. “Just tell me things to believe” is apparently the mantra of the modern knowledge-seeking individual. We try to find usually the one source, usually the one book, usually the one philosophy that may give all of us the answers. Then we could just relax. We’ll have it all figured out. But how do we realize who the most effective spiritual teacher is? How do we realize who to listen to?
There’s a trouble with assigning the responsibility of our learning to others. They will always offer their knowledge from their perspective. Especially when it comes to spiritual matters (although definitely not restricted to them), another person’s the fact is definitely not going to be your truth.
It isn’t that other folks don’t have anything of value to instruct us. They do. The issue occurs whenever we power down our own brains and take an “all or nothing” approach. Either anyone has nothing of value for us, or we assign them the status of guru and believe everything they say.
Realistically, however, that’s not quite just how it works. Everyone you meet, every book you read, exactly what gets your attention has something of value to supply you course in miracles books. Not everything they say will do the job, but there’s always a nugget of truth there for you. You have to find it. You’re certainly not searching for anything new. Whatever you really need to do is remember what you know, deep down inside.
How will you recognize it? You are able to feel it. There’s resonance whenever you hear or read something that rings true for you personally, a rush of energy, a feeling in your gut. It feels good. It feels right. And you just understand that it’s true for you. Haven’t you ever read something or heard someone speak words that did actually expressing something you’ve always seemingly known? It’s like these were taking your thoughts and simply organizing them in ways you hadn’t previously been able to do. It felt like they weren’t really giving you new information, but instead reminding you of something you already knew. Which was a piece of your truth.
There is nobody guru, book, website or other things that provides you with ALL the answers. No-one can give you all of the answers, because nobody is having the exact same experience that you are. We’re all unique individuals, living our own unique lives, and having our own unique experiences. And all of us have our own unique truths, our own unique group of answers.
With that in your mind, I encourage one to always use your own guidance to determine which information is right for you personally and which isn’t. You’re your own best spiritual teacher. You might find some information on the net or in books (wherever) that you trust and some that you don’t. Some things will “resonate” with you, you’ll feel it in your gut. This is you remembering what you already know. Some things will evoke no reaction at all. Some may evoke an adverse reaction. You may think a number of it is really a bit “out there” ;.
I encourage one to take whatever resonates with you and leave the rest. Seek out whatever sources you’re drawn to, be it books, websites and other people. When you begin to pay for attention, you’ll realize that the answers to your questions are around you. You could overhear a snippet on the radio, have a relatively chance encounter at the food store or see articles in a publication that sparks that feeling of resonance, of recognition.
Take those items that resonate with you and leave the rest. There’s nothing wrong with that information, it just isn’t for you personally, or may not be for you personally right now.
You’re your own best teacher. You’re the only person who knows what is right for you personally and what isn’t. Listen to that inner voice, think on your own and don’t delegate the responsibility of deciding what’s true for you really to anyone else.