To become enlightened is to view yourself and others as one. It is taking responsibility for whatever happens to you no matter how terrible. When you are enlightened you do not have time to hate, and you realize there are no justified resentments.
Enlightenment does not mean you become perfect and are given saintly status. It does not mean you stop having fun in life, and become an outsider. It does mean you know and accept the laws of enlightenment. These laws all encompass loving everyone and realizing everyone is perfect just the way they are. You do not judge others by their behavior, but by their Divine Spirit; their Divine connection to God.
When viewing behavior that you know is not of God you bless the person and visualize them as they can be. By sending out thoughts of love instead of hate you help to reverse the trend of hate begetting hate. You do not become part of the problem, but part of the solution.
Enlightenment is understanding that we are all different, yet we are all connected to God. You do not place judgements on anyone or let anyone judge you. You do not place yourself below or above anyone else. You realize everyone has a purpose here on earth, and it is not up to you to determine another`s purpose. You are for something rather than against something. For example, you are for peace rather than being against war.
When you are enlightened you realize that you are not your emotions or what you are feeling. You are able to accept these feelings and emotions and release them from your thinking. This does not mean that you will never feel any negative feelings or emotions. It does mean that you do not dwell on their existence. You accept their presence and choose to think and feel otherwise. This act of releasing will bring a feeling of peace. Peace comes when we are not attached to our emotions or what we think they will give us.
Enlightenment is being aware of our actions and stopping ourselves from behavior that is not of God. Enlightenment is a choice you choose every day. Every day you choose to love instead of hate you are practicing enlightenment. Everyday you choose to serve another without expecting anything in return you are practicing enlightenment. Everyday you choose to respect another regardless of their viewpoint or behavior you are practicing enlightenment. Soon each enlightened moment will lead to an enlightened day, then an enlightened week, month and so on. Enlightenment does not come out of the sky and strike you like a bolt of lightning. Enlightenment begins with a choice to become enlightened.
Start with that choice and go through your day practicing loving instead of hating, serving instead of demanding, and you will notice your thinking shifting towards enlightenment. This shift could take hours, days, or years. Once again that choice is yours. I bless you and pray that you stay on your path to enlightenment.
Personal growth and spiritual enlightenment have been my passion for over 13 years. I have immersed myself in hundreds of books related to these topics, and have put into practice with success many of the teachings. I have listened to hundreds of cassette programs in these areas as well as attended various seminars to further my study and understanding of living life with passion, happiness, and a feeling of inner peace. I believe I have achieved a level of success in this area though our spiritual journey never ends. My goal is to help others attain higher consciousness awareness, find inner peace, and have their own personal spiritual awakening.