Letting go of ego-based thoughts, labels, concepts, and core beliefs requires a great deal of patience and faith along the journey of spiritual awakening. When the mind becomes accustomed to certain outcomes, it reinforces the belief systems that are already in place. The common adage, "I'll believe it when I see it," is generally the voice of the ego, which always reinforces its version of reality based on past results. In this context a greater truth might be as follows: "I will see it when I believe it." It takes faith and courage to believe in a new reality for yourself, one that is more expansive and liberating, but it is possible through practice.
One challenge to overcome is that the mind often believes that what it is focusing on is of the utmost importance, and that if you stop analyzing, thinking about, or obsessing over life situations (whether its your job, your relationships, your health, or your finances), then something bad will happen—you will have "dropped the ball." I have found this to be almost exactly opposite to what my direct experience has shown me to be true. As soon as I drop a compulsive thought pattern responsible for creating anxiety, and instead, come back to the present moment, I feel a sense of peace arise within, and life becomes a little bit lighter (which, initially, is felt as a very subtle shift). As I continue to stay in the state of presence, I usually become aware of a higher perspective on the situation. It is from this peaceful place of awareness that a solution generally arises on its own. this is how faith can support the path of spiritual awakening
Though the mind is accustomed to always thinking about the future, this way of living is often not very efficient or practical (in addition to being anxiety-provoking). If you were to briefly recall times throughout your life when you obsessed over future outcomes, you may notice how much of your time and energy was wasted preparing for events that never even happened. This drain on your energy distracts you from the guidance here and now, guidance that would otherwise allow you to efficiently address life's challenges in the moment they arise. It takes faith to let go of the mind's compulsive need to plan, prepare, and always be in control. But the more that you practice having faith, the more you open yourself up to receiving guidance from the Higher Intelligence within, and allow you to move more gracefully along your path of spiritual awakening.
I still practice this in my life every day, and I have found that the more I learn to let go and trust, the more beauty and abundance flows into my life naturally. It may not come in the form that my mind believes it should, but I can always reflect back to see that it was the perfect experience for my growth and evolution, provided for me at just the right moment. It is quite amazing and wonderful to see how the Universe supports us in this way. And there is no use in ever beating yourself up for making a “mistake” in this process. How could you possibly make a mistake, when every experience is bringing you more awareness about yourself and the process of living from your heart?
One of the biggest challenges for many people is breaking free from the cultural norms they are used to, and which feel so familiar. Yet, it is many of our cultural norms that perpetuate much of the ego-driven thought processes that cause so much suffering. It takes faith and courage to begin untangling yourself from unhealthy cultural influences, especially when the majority of people around you may seem content to remain relatively unconscious in how they are living. It can be helpful, then, to really begin dissecting the cultural values which you are accustomed to, in order to see the motivating factors that have been shaping our collective experience for so long. As a spiritual counselor, I help guide people on their journey of spiritual awakening. Here is a heart opening practice that can help you cultivate more faith in your process