The Personal Journey
One of the fears I struggled with in my life was that of truly being open about myself, particularly about emotional matters and spiritual beliefs. There was some part of me that feared being judged or condemned in some way, so I would often choose not to share deeply. I made the decision that I would no longer allow this fear to hold me back from expressing myself, and the following is a description of some of the more important events that have shaped who I have become and my spiritual beliefs.
I had always believed in some type of creative force, or God, but I never knowingly experienced it. Then in 1996, I began to sense that there was a presence inside that was attempting to guide me. At first I resisted because its guidance seemed a bit odd and didn't always match my own logic. It was guiding me to show love and compassion in situations that did not seem to warrant it. But for some reason I made a conscious decision to surrender to this presence, and when I did I began to have what I can only describe now as 'mystical' experiences.
In the first experience my heart opened up and it felt as though pure love was pouring into my being, and my consciousness shifted such that I could perceive at a deeper level than I was previously able. I had the realization that a Divine Spirit of pure love lived deep inside all of us, and that a big part of our journey on Earth was to learn how to love ourselves and each other unconditionally. For several months afterward I had other experiences similar to this one and my life changed drastically. I became interested in learning more about the truth of our existence and began reading books on spirituality, psychology, religion, metaphysics, etc. I made a commitment to find a vocation that would serve people in some way, which led me to work at nonprofit organizations that served low income minority children. I eventually came to the conclusion that I wanted to work directly helping people connect with their own Spirit, so I pursued the field of psychotherapy.
When I had these experiences many years ago I had the mistaken notion that my personal issues had disappeared and everything would just come easily. I have learned a great deal since then and I realize that I still have so much room for growth. I am constantly challenged by my own fears and limiting beliefs, and I continue to work to overcome these. I am grateful that I have learned many tools along the way which help me return to a state of well being when I am feeing out of alignment with my Spirit. And I am passionate about helping others align with their own Spirit because I believe this to be the primary purpose for our existence.
of Steve Smith