12 Signs of A Spiritual Awakening

Sometimes, the internet does really wonderful things. Pinterest is one of them. I signed up, thinking it was a bunch of moms posting baby things and recipes. A week later I was addicted, I’ve been more inspired through food, fashion, art, words, and I also found this gem that wholly describes my life lately

12 Signs of A Spiritual Awakening
1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
2. Frequent attacks of joy, unexplained smiling and random bursts of laughter.
3. Feelings of being closely connected with others and nature.
4. Frequent overwhelming, almost dizzying, episodes of appreciation.
5. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience.
6. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
7. A loss of ability to worry.
8. A loss of desire for conflict.
9. A loss of interest in taking things personally.
10. A loss of appetite for drama and judgment.
11. A loss of interest in judging yourself.
12. Prone to give love without expecting anything in return.

I used to be very Type A. Always trying to control what happened, very serious, overly critical, and never enjoyed the moments in life. Instead, I would shop. I criticized everything my friends did, even my boyfriend at the time. Somewhere along the way, I stopped believing in people chasing their passions. Nothing was every spontaneous, always thoroughly planned and safe. I worried non-stop, and judged every.single.person for everything they did. When I look back, I was not someone I would want to be friends with.

Fast forward through being a poor student, a very long and demeaning job search, a few bad bosses, money problems, an abusive relationship, and a string of bad boys; I am the complete opposite. I’ve lived without stability, I’ve felt like shit, I’ve feared for my life, and I’ve been completely lost. Turns out, all those annoying Type A friends we have just need to really get lost on their journey.

When all those stoners slash hippies say “chill, man” we should listen. Instead of having our morning coffee on the subway ride to work, we should have it outside on a bench or at home. Wake up and do things that are totally out of your norm, even if people are surprised or worried. Don’t be afraid to get lost. It’s painful, yes; but finding yourself is the most rewarding thing you can do. Once you don’t care about judging other people, or criticizing their actions, you have that much more room left to worry about what really matters and let yourself grow.

Before I start to sound like a new-age hippie draped in tie-dye clothes and crystals, I hope everyone has a spiritual awakening in life. I hope everyone can let go of all the bullshit and see what’s really important.