Actualizing Personal Truth

Self-actualization comes down to three basic premises: this is who I am, this is what I believe and the foundation on which my life is built, and this is the way I manifest that belief system on a daily basis.

If you say that you live by the Golden Rule, but treat other people with a lack of respect, then you are dishonest, and others will perceive you as hypocritical.

If you say that material things are not important to you, but are driven to success materially or are continually dissatisfied with your current financial status, then you are dishonest, and the world will perceive you as hypocritical.

If you say that you love your mate, and make conscious choices that do not take your mate's wants, needs and desires into consideration, then you are dishonest, and the world will see you as hypocritical.

If you say that the family is the most important thing in your life, and yet make conscious choices that take you away from the family or inflicts stress upon the family, then the world will see you as dishonest and hypocritical.

In this process of self-analyzation, one must ask outright, "Do I practice what I preach, and do I preach what I really feel, or what other people have told me is what a good person feels?" For most individuals within this culture, some religious training has been a part of coming of age. Some individuals remain within a given religious group all their lives.

If this commitment to a particular religious sect has a positive influence on that individual, if it truly is a matter of recognizing their spiritual aspect and integrating their spiritual self into their everyday life, then this is good, for the basic guidelines of any major religion in the world today are in accordance with God's basic truth. The doctrine and the dogma of each sect may be questionable, but the basic truth remains valid. But - if religious practice is simply a part of one's lifestyle, if one looks upon church as a social occasion, as the thing they do that fits their routine every Sunday morning, as the thing they do before they go out to breakfast, then something is lacking, and what is lacking is the recognition and the realization of their spiritual self.

Going to church on a regular basis does not constitute living a spiritual life, for many individuals who go to church on a regular basis are totally unaware of their interconnection to other individuals, and totally unaware - and therefore un-accepting of the responsibility for - the effect that they are having.

Choosing in a given lifetime to remain unaware of one's personal power does not eliminate the karmic debt incurred when that power is abused or misapplied, no matter how unaware the individual may be at that point. It is a basic premise that one's responsibility in assuming a physical existence is to become aware, to open up to the inner consciousness as early in the existence as is reasonable so that the spiritual self can be integrated into the daily lifestyle, and with the integration of the spiritual self comes a higher level of awareness.

The various Christian sects place a great deal of emphasis on the fact that, to their perception, each of them is the only "right way" to worship, that the doctrine and the dogma provided by other sects will most certainly take you to Hell. This is ridiculous; God existed long before any organized religion, and souls have experienced life on this planet long before there was a church or a written set of rules to follow.

It is against God's will that any individual, at any given point, presume to know someone else's answers. Personal growth is a personal matter, and it is only by being fully aware of every implication that goes into our conscious choices that we know we are working according to OUR truth, and making decisions that are in accordance with OUR perception of life, and God, and the universe. No other individual has the ability to be aware of every implication of any situation in our life, and therefore no other individual has the right to tell us what to do or what to think or how to respond.

Why, then, do the majority of individuals follow a specific religious doctrine or a specific life philosophy that has been presented to them by an organized group of individuals as "the truth," and why are these individuals so defiant and so defensive and so against the exploration of alternative truths?

When one is confident of what one believes, one does not feel threatened by a difference of opinion; one finds it interesting to discuss. One finds it enlightening to explore, and occasionally one finds new truth that they know instinctively is valid for them as individuals. In establishing religious doctrine that requires acceptance of the whole dogma in order to be "a good practicing person," these religious organizations are breaking Universal Law, for Universal Law demands personal responsibility for personal truth.

Many individuals are simply too lazy to explore for themselves, to seek out information and to choose their own life philosophy from all of the options available historically to the human race. It is far easier, much less stressful, and much less time-consuming to accept ready made dogma as personal truth, and if there are some "minor" doctrines, "minor" rituals, "minor" belief points that the individual disagrees with, the individual simply ignores it, because nothing is perfect. Or is it?

When one takes the time and the effort to confirm or deny their personal belief system, each point that is confirmed as their personal truth then becomes not just something that they have been taught throughout their life, but a matter of personal conviction, and it is conviction that becomes a new motivating force in their life.

If one has truly explored the potential of the statement, "Judge not, lest ye be judged," and his decided in their own conscious mind that this is, indeed, a part of their personal belief system, they will - because of the strength of their commitment - unconsciously integrate into their interactions with other people an approach to life that prohibits them from acting from a position of judgment. With a lack of judgment comes respect - for other individuals and for what they are doing in their lives, positive or negative - and with a lack of judgment comes acceptance of other people's lifestyles, life circumstances, life's relationships, and one does not interfere if one respects another person's rights.

To say, "Judge not, lest ye be judged," but to spend one's time and energy judging other people, and worse, judging themselves in comparison, shows a lack of conviction and illuminates the difference between practicing and preaching. If one has truly accepted the belief that, in accordance with God's law, an individual must not judge others lest he be judged on an equal basis, it is reflected in one's behavior and in one's relationships.

Life is a learning experience, and as one learns to integrate the Inner Self, the external personality traits that one has chosen for a specific lifetime, and the emotional drives that are incorporated into that ,existence through those life experiences, one comes to recognize that only by working from a personal sense of conviction - only by defining one's personal truth and manifesting it on a day to day basis - can one make one's self a reality, an actuality.

Self-actualization means manifesting that self, and one cannot manifest what one does not understand, what one does not comprehend, what one does not believe to be a point of unshakable conviction - conviction so strong that it becomes the motivating force and replaces the emotional drive that preceded it. Recognizing that emotions must be replaced by conviction of personal truth as the motivating force in one's life is a major step towards self-actualization.

Lois Grant-Holland is a Life Path Focus Counselor offering Life Path Focus Sessions, Karmic Astrology Charts, Channeled Guidance, Intuitive Readings and Classes and Workshops to spiritual seekers on all positive paths, and is the site facilitator at The A.N.S.W.E.R. - (The Seeker's Resource Guide to Alternative, New Thought, Spiritual Growth, Wellness and Enlightenment Resources.) You can visit her website at http://www.loisgrantholland.com

experienced cleaning professionals Northbrook ..
In The News:

Cybersecurity experts warn about one of the largest credential compilations ever found, urging users to check "Have I Been Pwned" and change passwords immediately.
Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.
Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.
New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.
Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.
Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.
Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.
Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.
A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.
Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.
A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.
Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.
Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.
The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.
A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.
Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.
Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.
California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.
Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.
Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.
House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.
Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.
Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.
Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

Did You Use Your Sword Today?

It's real easy to look at the physical world around... Read More

Surviving Separation: A Cinderella Story

I want to tell you a love story. It's actually... Read More

Soul Provider

I had the intention of writing about Soul Mates but... Read More

Go Forward!

There is no incident in the life of Moses which... Read More

How to Test the Spirits

There is a specific technique that a Shaman uses to... Read More

Ten Suggestions For The Overscheduled Child

Ever wonder what happened to the family dinner hour? Or... Read More

Hold On!

Job was a spiritual man who loved and obeyed God... Read More

Anam Chara - Telling Your Story

We as human beings travelled in small bands for hundreds... Read More

Soulstretch: Raising the Bar on Nobility and Nicety

In the make-believe world, too, fiction and films are filled... Read More

8 Ways to Plant Spiritual Ideas Deep in Your Heart

The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts... Read More

Bone Box of the Rich and Famous

The contrast between the two men could not have been... Read More

There is Light at the End of the Tunnel - Just Get Out of Your Way !

There is light at the end of the tunnel, but... Read More

Pursuing Your Destiny

During my childhood days, I disliked Lenten season because radio... Read More

Insulting Spirit or Exposing the Me

While it isn't my intention to insult anyone (Alright, for... Read More

Dead Man Walking

One of my favorite movies is "The Green Mile". A... Read More

Astrology & The Bible: Age of Aquarius

The normal Aquarian preoccupation with rational science is clearly seen... Read More

Using Your Spiritual Path Against Yourself

In looking back at my process over the years I... Read More

The Greatest Gift

(Channelled)The greatest gift you can give me, is to acknowledge... Read More

The A To Z I Beheld

I beheld the sky and its wonders and saw AstonishmentI... Read More

Heal Emotional Difficulties With Your Imagination

How did an artist accidently learn healing visualizations and improve... Read More

A Scary Thought For Some...

What could be a scary thought for some? How bout'... Read More

All One; All Different -- Addressing Spiritual Reductionism

"We're one, but we are not the same."-Bono, U2Once I... Read More

Meditations From a Spiritual Journey

For me, the best poetry stirs my soul; it awakens... Read More

Sinners by Choice

God said, "Thou shalt not?" and we continue to tell... Read More

Affirmations for Emotional Hygiene

Last week I talked about the need to practice emotional... Read More

best value cleaning service Northbrook ..