Do You Have an STD?

*** this post originally appeared in An Irie Life***

No, I’m not referring to that kind of STD. I’m referring to a Spiritually Transmitted Disease. Yes, there is such a thing. Though it may not necessarily be found in a medical journal.

Spiritually Transmitted Diseases are very real and come in a variety of forms. While these diseases can affect a person’s life, they can be cured and a person can get back on track with their spiritual development. Let’s take a look.

1. Chosen Ones - People afflicted with this have the mentality that they and/or their group are spiritually superior to all others. They feel that the path which they are on is the only path, all other faiths are false. There are a myriad of spiritual paths which can be traveled. And truly spiritual people will not condemn another’s path or beliefs. A person needs to follow that which resonates with them. If a person wishes to join a spiritual group, then that person should look into the true thoughts and beliefs of both the members and the leaders.

2. Spiritual Mimics – This is a person who acts like those who are further along on the path to enlightenment. A Spiritual Mimic will talk, act and even dress as a Spiritual Master would, but a Mimic hasn’t been through the training or teaching or soul searching. Mimics will do this for various reasons – laziness, feeling that the schooling isn’t necessary for them or simply because they feel the need to belong. Mimics do themselves a disservice by skipping the ‘hard stuff’.

3. Fast Track Spirituality – Becoming a truly spiritual person takes time. A person can’t ‘read all the books’, ‘see all the movies’, ‘hear all the lectures’ and expect to become enlightened. Following a spiritual path is a continued evolution of the soul. A person will encounter both the good and the bad. The tough times help a person better understand themselves and helps them grow spiritually. Anything worth having takes time.

4. Spiritualized Ego – When a person obtains too much information and doesn’t do the necessary introspective work, they begin to think they have attained spiritual enlightenment. That person then feels superior because of the abundance of facts and information they know, but they lack the knowledge and the wisdom necessary to progress on their path, let alone instruct others.

5. Fluffball Spirituality – This is the refusal to deal with the negative emotions and thoughts which a person will experience in any given day. These people do not like to think, or talk, about Life’s harsh realities. These people simply do not acknowledge that there is anything bad or evil. This refusal to acknowledge the darkness which in-veritably occurs in the world is also reflected in how they deal with their own dilemmas. The dark days help us grow as individuals. It also teaches how to take charge of a situation and turn it around into something positive.

While they are all different, these STD’s also all share similar traits. And they can all be detrimental to a person’s spiritual path. Remember, anything in Life worth having is worth taking the time to do right. Empires weren’t built over night and their is no escalator on the road to enlightenment.