Inspirational Journal - Setting Spiritual Goals

Jan/Feb/March 2003 issue

 

By Gita Saraydarian

 

            In the process of setting spiritual goals, the inner standards that we have and use will determine the kind of outcome we have. Our physical health, our emotional balance, our mind set, and our spiritual belief structure will color our choices. The act of setting goals and following them can be extremely helpful in our life, or it will start us on a difficult path.

Our spiritual goals and plans need to be realistic, honest, and clear. When we set goals, our inner complexities come to the surface and color our choices. Most often, we have no clue as to what lies hidden beneath our consciousness but as soon as we embark on a new journey, everything hidden in our nature comes out.

The results of goal setting can vary depending on our mind set and inner beliefs. Here are four possibilities:

 

When we set our goals using Higher Principles as standards, we deepen our faith and commitment to truth. We can set our spiritual goals by having deep faith in the goodness of life and in the principles of the Spiritual Teachings. We can have the faith that the love of God and the Great Ones will see us through our difficulties. We can have the view that as our life grows and ever expands we become an active part of the greater life. We can also set our goals with the view that we will grow and become triumphant despite the difficulties and that love underlies everything in life. Such a foundation will propel us into a deeper life of faithfulness.

 

 

We become fanatical when we define our life goals through our narrow definitions and understandings of life; we become susceptible to mixing our fears, frustrations, and lack of faith into our life plans. We bargain with God so that our narrow needs can be met. If we have low self-esteem, others easily sway us. If we are looking for something to lead us and give us self worth, we can fall victim to fanatics. Fanatics are never happy with their own state of affairs; they are constantly looking for ways to manipulate and impose themselves on others. Fanatics have very narrow, personal ways of understanding even the most beautiful and honorable spiritual principles. If something does not fit into their personal view, then it is judged useless. Fanaticism uses lies and manipulation to achieve its own agenda.

 

 

When we want to restore the past and base our goals in life on connecting only to the past, we can be stuck in fundamentalism. Human life is progressive; it has new needs and new keys to solve problems; there are new demands and new aspirations and new solutions. When we stick only to the past ways of doing things, we do not allow any growth or any room for innovation and creativity. Our goals need to be future oriented, allow for growth and creativity, and allow for expression of diverse ideals and beliefs. Our goals cannot be set in reaction to someone, to counter someone else, or get even with anyone. Our goals need to consider the legacy of the past, and see how this legacy can be taken into the future. The past has the spirit of truth in it, and it is the spirit that is used for the new formulations.

 

 

There are occasions when a person sets goals on a regular basis, gets into some sort of discipline, yet after some time, he drops out and is never able to stay consistent with his plans and visions. There are many reasons for this: We try to do too much, too soon, and we get discouraged. Our karmic dues may stand in the way. Not practicing what we learn and continuing to gather information causes congestion in our minds; we overload, and we stop striving. The inability to organize and prioritize also discourages us. Doing too much study in too many disciplines will get us confused. We drop out when we seek spiritual wisdom only for self-gratification and not for service to others. We also sabotage ourselves subconsciously if we feel we do not deserve growth and expansion.

 

            When we set spiritual goals for our life, it is important to ask the following questions:

1.      What are my spiritual goals?

2.      Do these goals fit into my deepest beliefs?

3.      Are my beliefs inclusive?

4.      Am I using new ways of thinking to achieve my goals?

5.      Am I setting impossible standards and too many goals?

6.      How do I expect to achieve these goals?

7.      What conditions in my life will help or hinder me?

8.      What effect will my plans have on others around me?

9.      Will my goals expand me or restrict me?

10.  What are my inner beliefs and my self image that condition my goals?

 

            In the New Year, simply setting a few goals is not as important as examining the purpose of our goals and our mind set. How and why we set our goals will determine the outcome. It is better to have one or two goals and achieve them than make an impossibly long and burdensome list.

            Finally, the best way to set goals that put you on the right direction in life is to search for the purpose of your life.

            Whatever we release with our energy, we will sow the results. Make this a wonderful year, full of the light, the love, and the will of God in your life.

 

 

Note: For a wonderful reference guide on finding the PURPOSE of your life and finding the best way to set your life goals, please see The Purpose of Life by Torkom Saraydarian. You will see a clear discussion of how to find the purpose, what is the right and wrong purpose, and how to find the five supporting components of a successful life.

 

(Gita Saraydarian is the Founder and President of TSG Publishing Foundation and The Torkom Saraydarian University, which offer the publishing of spiritual materials by Torkom Saraydarian and training in spiritual education. For free introductory materials, events in Cave Creek, AZ. and additional information visit www.tsgfoundation.org or call 480-502-1909. For a more detailed article on setting goals, please see the Outreach archives on our website.)