How do I realize the strength of the Spirit Self?

We allow our physical, emotional, and mental selves to become stronger than our spiritual self, because we rely on the former more than we do on the latter. This happens because the spiritual self is non-competitive in nature, and we are brought up in a world where competition is a by-line; it underscores everything we do.

The spiritual self knows no sense of insecurity whereas the mind is always looking ahead and fearing the future, thereby developing insecurities. We allow these insecurities to develop through our conditioning, through societal norms, and through our religious practices, simultaneously allowing the mind, body and heart to become so powerful.

We like to believe that it is our physical body that will endure; that it is our mental self that is strong and resilient; and that it is our emotional self that is wonderfully powerful. However, in reality, all these three crumble when we undergo a calamity. It is then that we realize that the very nature of the physical, mental and emotional selves is temporary; that they are not invincible. And it is then that we understand the need to rely on the spirit.

The phrase ‘inner strength’ is misleading. We don’t suddenly develop inner strength or find our spiritual self. It has always existed. We only learn to rely on it in the face of a calamity. The one thing that cannot be knocked down is our spirit, because that is where the Divine resides within each of us.