In all of my spirited and sometimes crushing search for what I’m supposed to be doing here, I’ve come across many philosophies about what spirituality is. Since, the word spirituality has lost meaning. The widest blanket has been cast to answer a very specific question. So often, with so much information, it seems that no one fully understands the puzzle of human existence and ascension.

What are we doing here?

And if we are here to ascend, why would we put ourselves in this position to crawl our way out of the lows of being a human to return to our higher and highest forms? Which apparently we started as before we chose to come down?

It all is probably better left a mystery, because, in all the efforts to make sense of it, religions, philosophies, teachings and other stories were born. And in all of the stories, is where it’s easy to get lost.

What really matters when it comes to spiritual growth?

I met a guru (bringer of light) at Mt. Rushmore on my recent road trip to Alaska who was handing out books on one of the systems of explaining the universe that I’ve found to be one of the more complex. The Bible isn’t a short book either, but there are 10 volumes of the Srimad Bhagavatam, each as thick as a bible, and it doesn’t stop there.

The stories are in the thousands and the characters just as plentiful. I haven’t read this volume so I can’t comment on its value. I had read the Bhavagad Gita back when I was in India and intentionally had chosen the pure copy, as it was the shortest. I didn’t want anyone else’s interpretation of the verses. I’ve always felt that I’ll read it as I need to hear it. It seems like what once was a simple set of teachings has expanded greatly, as each guru and teacher has added their own commentary to the original texts. These are the copies I’m referring to.

After meeting this man, a chain of voice messages via WhatsApp ensued. I was curious to understand the mind of a devotee of such a seemingly complex system of belief.

What I found was that, as you reach the higher states of consciousness OR you shed more of the blockages you’ve accumulated that block your energy flow and access to your true nature, the system simplifies dramatically.

It can, because you live the principles that get you to higher states OR you’ve remembered enough of who you are and lost enough animal world programming to live the principles without thought or effort.

At the earlier stages you are more limited and acquiring knowledge on how/why devoting your life to this purpose is necessary. If you can’t see clearly what you’re doing, how can you change it? You may not be living the principles, even though they are held deep within your being, or be aware of them. The complexity of these systems brings opportunities to understand.

After days of questioning and many 20+ minute voice notes that kept me company on my drive through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington, I had finally gotten the clarity I was looking for. Rather, the simplicity I knew must be there.

All that is important to growing spiritually, or realizing your true nature despite being in a human body, is:

Making your purpose to let go of the things blocking your true nature and to serve the moment in front of you the best you can.

If you can do that, you’ll continue to progress, to continue to be more of yourself and that’s what spirituality is about. It’s about letting go, not getting anything. And if you can’t imagine a life filled with love no matter what is going on, to start, it’s about just being ok no matter what.

I understood what the guru was saying, but I didn’t understand how he was so invested in Krishna, and in a certain philosophy. I’ve thought of God and of Krishna as personifications. The stories feel fun and exciting, but it doesn’t feel like there needs to be a story. Still, I can feel part of me longing for an explanation. Guess I haven’t found it yet, or I’ve found too many.

If you want to grow spiritually but aren’t sure what path to take, try these steps:

Set your intention: this can be phrased how you want. It should be what you’re living your life towards. It may evolve over time as you realize or see the world and yourself more clearly. My first intention was “to be ascended in this lifetime.” It has evolved several times since. Some may say they want to know God. Others may set a goal of living in service of God. Others may just want to surrender to life in every moment. I cannot write it for you, but I can recommend that it be something you feel passionately committed to, knowing it may evolve as you do.

Once your intention is set: remember the intention in every moment and act in service of it. If you’re feeling disturbed by something your co-worker did and your goal is to “be ok no matter what” then it would serve you to let the anger go and reassess how you feel before taking action. If it is hot out, you won’t complain, but relax and go along with the activity anyway. Over time, the troubles you had will fade and you will be ok no matter what. Just keep serving your purpose in every moment.

Observe: Be aware that God/Krishna/the universe will send you invitations towards your own unique path. These can be synchronicities, little signs, messages from people, books placed in your path in a timely manner, etc. learning to recognize these signs is a fast way to everything you need to ascend quickly, or even just find that peace you’re looking for. They are not coincidences and are there for more than to bring you joy.

Follow the signs: keep your goal in mind as you follow the trail of signs. Know that it will always lead you towards something you need. Look at each situation through the lens of “what am I meant to learn or let go of in this situation?” Life will start to make more sense and be much more benign, even fun.

Be open to where you land: maybe you’re meant to be secluded in a monastery in the Himalayas, maybe you’re meant to have a teacher, maybe you’re meant to travel the world or maybe you’re meant to be exactly where you are doing exactly what you’re doing. As long as your intention is to serve your purpose and to let go, any experience can be for you. While the themes are the same and the types of experiences you’ll have are very similar to others on this path, the individual ways you get there will be very different in structure and timing. Comparing your path to others can slow you down and confuse you. I’m working on unwinding my technique of learning from comparison right now. It’s become obvious that I was always doing exactly what I needed to be doing and others were where they needed to be too.

If you are looking to grow and are having trouble seeing or following the clues laid for you, a universally applicable set of teachings like yoga, the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam contain everything you need to know to make progress. You aren’t wrong if you follow it and you aren’t wrong if you don’t. After all, acquiring knowledge is the first step.

Give yourself permission to move through the world as the universe/God/you sense are best. If you do I suspect you’ll find your way.