Life as a Spiritual Path: It's All or Nothing

Good day,

Arlin here.

When you’re truly committed to your spiritual growth, life stops being something you simply do and instead becomes something you are. It’s not about setting aside a few hours for meditation, yoga, or attending church—those are just appetizers. The real spiritual meal is when every single moment of your life is part of your spiritual journey. 

Imagine you’re learning to surf. At first, it feels like you’re constantly struggling to stay on the board, figuring out when the waves are coming, and trying to balance yourself. But eventually, you realize the wave is doing all the work, and all you have to do is ride it. That’s what life is like when it becomes your spiritual path. You stop fighting the wave, and instead, you let it carry you.

For many, spirituality is something they dabble in—trying a little meditation here, some prayer there. It’s like someone who tries to do yoga but complains the whole time about how hard it is to stretch. They’re working so hard at it, they miss the point: true spirituality isn’t about effort; it’s about being. When your whole life becomes spiritual, it’s not work anymore. It’s effortless.

Take the weather, for example. It just is. Rain or shine, cold or hot—it’s simply the weather. Now, imagine getting upset every time it rains. “Why is it raining on my picnic?!” you might shout, as if the rain cares. The truth is, the rain is just doing what rain does, and getting upset doesn’t change a thing. But when you finally learn to accept the weather—whether you’re getting soaked or basking in the sun—life becomes a lot simpler. 

In the same way, life itself is just unfolding around you. When you stop resisting it, when you stop trying to force it into some preconceived shape or pattern, you find that it’s no longer a struggle. You’re not trying to control it or figure it out—you’re just living it, experiencing it as it is.

For those who are sincere in their spiritual growth, there comes a point where there’s no distinction between the spiritual and the mundane. Everything—every thought, every action, every interaction—is part of your spiritual path. There’s no such thing as “spiritual time” and “regular time.” It’s all spiritual. 

You might think this sounds like a lot of work, like it would be exhausting to live this way all the time. But it’s actually the opposite. When your whole life becomes spiritual, it’s no work at all. It’s just life, happening naturally, without effort. Like the wave, it carries you. And just like the weather, it doesn’t require your input—it simply unfolds.

If you’ve ever found yourself stressing over the weather—tired of the rain, annoyed by the heat—then you’ve already experienced how much effort it takes to resist what is. But if you can learn to enjoy the weather for what it is, you’ll start to understand what it means to live a truly spiritual life. You’re not in control, and you don’t need to be. Life will happen whether you fight it or not, so why not enjoy the ride?

The highest spiritual path is to let life be your teacher. Every experience, every emotion, every relationship is an opportunity for growth. When you stop trying to bend life to your will and instead allow it to unfold naturally, you find peace. You start to see that nothing is really “good” or “bad”—it just is. And that’s when life becomes effortless, and your burden truly becomes light.

So, if life is stressing you out, it’s time to stop and ask yourself: are you fighting the wave, or are you riding it? Because life, like the weather, doesn’t need your input to keep happening. It just needs you to show up and experience it.

For those eager to explore these concepts more, The 8AM App is the perfect place to start. Use the code ‘arlin2024’ and get your first month for only $1

At this time I will also invite you to shop the 8AM store - Passwords to the site will be given to anyone who shares the 8AM Album through social media either through story posts, or through tik toks and reels. And if you end up purchasing something please share photos with me on instagram @arlin - I’d love to see what you pick up. As always, I’m incredibly grateful for your support as it allows me to pursue future projects like the 8AM album, events, and more.

Best,  

Arlin

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