The 7 Habits Of Highly Spiritual People

[Guest guest]

In truth, that headline is misleading. This list is merely a starter

set, not the be-all and end-all assuring spiritual bliss. (And what's

so mystical about the number 7 anyway, other than that it appears to

boost book sales?) As the unofficial and self-declared Covey

of spirituality, I add this encouraging caveat: just like bad habits

you can't break, the same can be said of good habits. Try some of

these, reap the rewards -- those would be love for and from others,

love for yourself, love in general -- and they will become addictive,

giving rise to many other random acts of spiritual goodness that will

take over your life. Happy holy days.

#1

Highly Spiritual People Give Rather Than Take.

To give is indeed divine. Some research on altruism suggests people

commit selfless deeds precisely because such acts make them feel

good, therefore refuting the notion of selflessness. Hogwash. Is

breathing selfish? If we didn't give, and give generously, we'd die.

I really believe that. Giving is human nature; it's just that we

forget our own Spirit-Nature sometimes. Giving can take many forms;

simply paying attention to someone is a gift.

#2

They Say Yes More Than They Say No.

Naysayers are a downer. " No " closes our hearts like cholesterol.

(Naturally, this excludes saying " No " to drugs or other self-

destructive, noxious or illegal behaviors.) " Yes " affirms life.

People always would rather hear yes rather no. Unless it's when you

ask your doctor, " Do I have herpes? "

#3

They See Possibilities, Not Problems.

As Shunryu Suzuki writes: " In the beginner's mind there are many

possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few. " And this may be

the only time you hear Norman Peale quoted right after Suzuki-

roshi, but there is something to the power of positive thinking, if

not " The Power of Positive Thinking. " Spiritual people are optimists.

They believe in belief. They are the lemon-to-lemonade folks, the

problems-as-opportunites advocates, the positive spin

Masters.

#4

They Walk A Mile in Your Shoes.

They understand that empathy means feeling another's pain but not so

much that they take on others' pain and become another's pain. With

that empathy, they tend to know exactly what to say or do for you to

make you feel better. In gratitude, we say to them, " You are a

saint. " Even when we do not mean it literally, it is true --

literally.

#5

They Count Blessings in Small Wonders.

They do not expect Spirit to appear accompanied by fire and brimstone

and a big neon sign flashing in the sky. They are not waiting for the

Big A-ha. Nor are they waiting for the cure to cancer, the job

promotion, or the love of a lifetime. They appreciate the tiny

details: the smile of a child, the sparkle in an old person's eyes,

the morning's first ray of sunlight. While others have recommended

not to sweat the bad small stuff, spiritual people savor the good

small stuff.

#6

They Give Compliments Generously, Accept Them with Humility.

There is no limit to people's need for praise and appreciation. I

suspect that even Trump deep down is desperate for a

compliment. Spiritual people do not see people's " need " for support

as a weakness or flaw. They see it as a cry for love, and they comply

without hesitation. On the other hand, those who respond to a

compliment with grandiose objections and deflections, who cannot

accept a compliment with grace, probably feel they are not worthy of

it. But they are worthy of it. Even the Don is worthy of it.

#7

They Worship Where and When the Spirit Moves Them.

They don't need a temple or church to practice their spirituality,

nor do they need a Sunday morning service at 10 a.m. They don't even

need a rabbi or a priest or a lama or sensei. Their spiritual setting

is a forest, a beach, a mountain top. Their setting is a movable

spiritual feast, for they know the true spiritual setting is within.

And it travels with, and within, them wherever they go.

And a year-end bonus:

#8

They Laugh a Lot

Have you noticed? Santa ho-ho-ho's his way down the chimney. The

Dalai Lama giggles his way to enlightenment. Alfred E. Neuman has

that eternal grin. The Laughing Buddha is, well, laughing. Spiritual

people are happy. Not just the smiley-face kind of happy, but the

deep-down-content kind of happy. If you have trouble getting to

happy, try this trick I learned years ago from no less a sage source

than the musical " Bye Bye Birdie " : " Just put on a happy face. " The

act of smiling alone triggers a happy hormonal shift, from " gloomy

mask of tragedy " to " spreading sunshine all over the place. " And what

could be more spiritual than that?

So, let's get to the point.

1. God created perfection

2. You and I are part of that perfection

3. We inherited the DNA of God, and we said, " Hey, you know what, we

want to also create perfection. "

4. God put up a curtain, and created imperfection so that we could

create perfection again.

That's it.

Our imperfect world was created so we could create perfection,

instead of having it given to us. It's like a picture puzzle. God

created this elaborate painting and we said, " Wow, what a painting!

We want to create one like that. " So God made it into a picture

puzzle, separating the pieces so we could put it back together.

The chaos in our lives, the distance we feel with others — and within

ourselves — is all an illusion. It's because of the space that was

created when all the pieces were pulled apart.

The effort we came here to do is to remove the space. Every time we

snap the pieces together - BOOM - another piece of perfection appears

in our lives.

Imagine if you were a five year old kid and I said, " Here's a puzzle,

it's already assembled. " Would you enjoy it? No. The first thing

you'd do is shake it up in the box, creating space between the

pieces. The more you'd shake it up, the more chaotic it would become.

Then you'd dump it out on the floor and start building the puzzle.

That's when the fun would begin.

That's what effort's all about. Happiness given to us doesn't feel

like happiness. Happiness that we create - now that feels like

happiness!

Create your happiness this week. Create your certainty. Create your

love. If there is pain and struggle in your life, then remind

yourself of the picture puzzle. Remember the Light is there, perfect,

and that you asked for the sweat on your brow simply so that you

could feel the satisfaction of being a Creator.

And know that whatever you are struggling with will have a positive

result.