Strengthening our spiritual connection to the Creator is not always a clear path. Some approach the journey like a to-do list, attempting to check off tasks they believe will bring them closer to the Creator. Donate to charity—check! Help the neighbor clean out their garage—check! Study spiritual texts—check!
Others go at it in spurts, for example, setting up a food drive once a year for Thanksgiving or the winter holidays. They dedicate large chunks of time to volunteer with the assumption that one great act of sharing will suffice for an extended period of time.
However, our spiritual connection is not defined by what we do. Instead, it rests on whether we are doing more or doing less than before. So, the more appropriate question to ask ourselves is not, ‘what am I doing?’, but ‘am I doing more?’ Assessing our spiritual standing means staying continuously aware of what we are doing from day to day, week to week, and year to year. Ask yourself, am I doing more than I was last month? Am I pushing myself to share more, to connect more? When we can truly answer yes, we are on the right path.
Consider a human rights activist, someone with an elevated consciousness who has made great change in the world. Each day he accomplishes 50 acts of goodness. But one day he starts to slack off, backing away from his commitments and responsibilities. Though he is doing less than before, he still commits 25 acts of goodness each day.
Now, consider an inmate recently released from prison who has resolved to change his ways. He starts by making small changes in his daily life, like joining a spiritual study group. Then little by little, he makes more significant changes, each one more challenging than the last, each requiring him to push himself beyond his comfort zone. He commits three acts of goodness one day, then four the next, and five the following day.
You might imagine that the human rights activist still has a stronger connection to the Creator, for 25 acts of goodness and sharing in a day are far better than five. However, this is not the case. We can only connect to the Light of the Creator through growth. When our growth comes to a standstill or begins to decline, we become disconnected from the Creator. Doing more is relative to the work you’ve done in the past, not to what others are doing.
“Our job in this world is not about being a good person,” says Michael Berg, “or a spiritual person, or a wise person. It’s not about giving a little charity or being nice to people. It’s about doing what we came to this world to accomplish. And though we may not know exactly what we came here for, we do know that without a constant endeavor toward spiritual growth, we can never hope to fulfill our potential.”
When we are growing and striving to fulfill our potential, we are in connection with the Light of the Creator. As long as there is movement, as long as the growth continues, so does the connection. In order to continue that growth, we must push ourselves beyond what we’ve done in the past, which may be more than we think we are capable of. This takes a great amount of awareness and self-reflection. But when we are honest with ourselves and take the time to really examine our actions, we can find aspects of our lives where we are spiritually gridlocked and begin to push ourselves further than we ever thought possible. This is how we fulfill our potential. Commit to doing more today than you did yesterday. Sometimes the most powerful step is a small one.
