5 Spiritual Fails We’ve All Made (And How You Can Avoid them!)

The hilarious Emma Mildon shares the 5 things you need to know to make sure your spirituality isn’t being fueled by your ego.
As a Spiritual Personal Assistant, aka PA for the Soul, I come across all sorts. The yoga newbie who looks confused while everyone seems to flow through sun salutations on autopilot; the wellness guru who launches into a spiel about how to active your nuts pre baking your raw food cake; even the spiritual life coach who will diagnose your chakras off what colour clothes you are wearing and points you in the direction of a naturopath, chiropractor and reiki master as a prescription. All of these soul searchers are open, explorative, helpful and forever seeking more for their spiritual growth. These types of people I love. And for this reason I am going to point out the top 5 holistic fails that are most commonly made when people embark on such journey and come across people who may not be as generous with sharing their truth, wisdom or good vibes.
1 Being competitive
Truly spiritual people don’t judge, compare or compete with others. They understand that everyone’s growth, development and life lessons are unique. A non-spiritual person, on the other hand, will actively seek to trump other spiritualists, in a bid to become the knower of all, the wisest. Be careful not to fall into the spiritual ego trap, some people even make meditation a marathon where only one person can win gold. Heads up, if that is the case, you are doing it wrong.
The key is to focus on yourself, what your soul tells you, what your body needs, what feels right for you. Nobody else can beat you to your spiritual finish line, because you are the only person in the race!
2 Catching spiritual cooties
Spiritual people are sensitive and understanding; they understand that you are either adding to a good vibe, or polluting a good vibe.
If you have a highly infectious illness you wouldn’t go around purposefully spreading it – a spiritual person expects the same respect and cleanliness to be concerned when spreading negative energy. Be conscious of what vibes you are spreading and make sure you are not coughing negativity without covering your mouth… Ewww….
The key is to become aware of how others feel in your company, and vice versa. You should always leave people feeling better for being around you, remember that. Spread good vibes like love cooties. Got ya, nah, nah!
3 Believing in a spiritual hierarchy
Ever had someone pull the ‘I’m an old soul’ card on you before? Chances are if they have crowned themselved an ‘old souls’, they probably aren’t. It is kind of like just deciding you want to be president of a country – it doesn’t really work that way. How do you identify an old soul? They are very patient, understanding and observant of other souls words, actions and reactions. They do not need reward, recognition or a tittle – they are happy simply knowing, they don’t need to tell everyone they are an old soul. So be warned and cautious of people who crown themselves as spiritual masterminds.
After all, the key is that we reach our own knowledge, our own enlightenment in our own time. There is no 1st place, no winner, no champion, no master, and no amateur. There is just people on their journey. Simple and true.
4 Picking the wrong company
Being spiritual, we are fans of our own company. Solitude is the best way to recharge. We do not need constant social engagements, the illusion of busy – we are content with being in the presence of only our self. While some soul searchers love to be surrounded by others, in the limelight and out on the town, they are conscious to add to others lives while partying – be it joy, laughter, company. A young soul will often be the last one to bed and the ringleader for social gatherings and are more about being the life of the party, than caring about the lives at the party. They are fun! But not necessarily wise…
The key is to be good company, to yourself, and to those in your company. Be present, and of service with your heart and your ears.
5 Delivering spiritual shutdowns
The last one is something we have all definitely experienced. The spiritual ego’s gift for politely insulting you. You know, like ‘F*** You, Namaste’. Oxymoron, ha! Instead of making people in their company feel uplifted, calmer, at peace, or inspired, they can often leave people feeling drained, belittled or anxious. The true legacy of a spiritualist is how people leave feeling after being in their company. Having spent time with a true spiritualist, we should all leave feeling a lot lighter, and brighter about life. Be with a ego-centric spiritualist, we could well leave feeling like our soul has been slapped in the face with a mix of spiritual insults, negativity and a dash a competitiveness for good measure… bless’em!
Here’s the key! The next time someone show ponies their ‘spiritual’ side, smile, nod, white-light them, and offer them a peace out sign. The mantra of true spiritualist: ‘Seek truth, share love, spread wisdom’. Pure, true, simple.
About the author
Emma Mildon is known as a ‘spiritual personal assistant’, aka PA for the soul. She prides herself on having tried and tested many spiritual avenues and is now focused on gifting her knowledge and experience to others, in order to help them develop and grow through her columns and book, The Soul Searchers Handbook.

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