*WHAT COMES FIRST
What the Spiritual Journey Truly Asks of Us
The spiritual path is not about ascension through rituals, titles, or displays of virtue. It is, at its core, a process of release, a steady loosening of the soul’s grip on the material world. This is not a rejection of life, but a refinement of how we live it. The more we move away from ruthless behavior, indulgence without purpose, and the constant feeding of the ego, the closer we come to living fully, without distortion.
When the soul is anchored in the weight of unchecked desire, self-centeredness, or emotional imbalance, it struggles to move forward. Life becomes a loop. Patterns repeat. Lessons resurface. And when those lessons are refused or ignored, the cycle extends. This is why many people feel trapped in their lives or alienated from the world itself. They sense they have been through this before. Many are weary of what feels like an endless replay, a spiritual fatigue born from resisting the very growth they need to be free.
But this journey is not about fear, punishment, or dogma. It is about richness, not of wealth or status, but of energy, love, and presence. Real wealth is found in meaningful connection, in truth, and in the kind of energy that nurtures rather than consumes. It is not the superficial that liberates; it is the genuine.
This path becomes especially clear when understood through the lens of what is often called Christ love, not the institution of Christianity, but the core of what Christ embodied: unconditional love. Not romantic or idealized love, but the kind that makes space for forgiveness, even when it is difficult. It is about releasing resentment, letting go of the need to retaliate, and choosing instead to move forward with clarity and peace.
With that said, unconditional love does not require you to be a martyr to someone else’s pain, cruelty, or dysfunction. Understanding love does not mean tolerating abuse. There are consequences to choosing a life of harm, indulgence, and disregard, and those consequences inevitably shape a person’s path. Recognizing this truth does not make you unkind. It makes you clear.
As a human being, you are meant to feel the full spectrum of emotion, including anger, grief, and resentment. The goal is not to erase those feelings or shame yourself for having them, but to understand where they live within you and why. Forgiveness, then, is not always about the other person. Often, it is about forgiving yourself for being hurt, for reacting, for being human. You are not expected to be above your pain. You are only asked not to be consumed by it.
The line becomes sharp when your pain pushes you toward retaliation that could bring harm to yourself or others. That is where discernment must take the lead. No one else can make that decision for you. Living with sovereignty means accepting the reality that every choice carries its own weight. If you choose to act in a way that disrupts peace, know that you are also choosing to live with what follows. That is not wrong. It is simply part of the deal.
This is not about moral judgment or spiritual hierarchy. It is about taking full responsibility for your choices, your energy, and your responses. Living a sovereign life means you choose with intention, knowing that every action creates its own echo.
This is the journey: to live as clearly and openly as possible so when the time comes to move on, we are not bound by regret or repetition, but ready.
JAH
