What does it mean to be a spiritual warrior?

We often face a fork in the road – a choice. There’s often an easier choice and a harder choice. The easy road is alluring. It’s why most people will choose it over and over again. It beckons with things that satiate our lower desires like comfort, pleasure, or riches. It is predictable and less risky.

The spiritual warrior is the one who when faced with the fork in the road will consistently choose the harder path. They understand that the greatest reward is often not found in short-term satisfaction alone.

The spiritual warrior knows that the greatest rewards are found within yourself. These buried treasures often require effort, commitment, dedication, and bravery to unearth.

The hardest path is not for the faint of heart. It is not easy to look yourself in the mirror and be honest with yourself about your gifts, your strengths, your weaknesses, and your shadows.

But the person who consistently chooses the easier road will never truly know themselves. They will not know the heights of their greatness. They will have not tested their will, their resilience, their full potential, or their fortitude.

The spiritual warrior who chooses the harder path is the only one who will reach the top of the mountain and be able to revel in their progress. They will be able to look back and be proud of the road they’ve walked. And most importantly, they will be in position to reach a hand back and help others up that mountain.

The rewards of knowing yourself in this way, being able to help others, and having the higher perspective that comes with the harder road are rewards enough. However, it often comes with more joy, more abundance (in the broader sense of the word), and more beauty. These satiate the higher desires, like the will to do good.

This is what being a spiritual warrior means to me. Most people do not choose to live this way because it can be hard. Sometimes it will bring you to your knees or even falling flat on your face. Others will misunderstand you, or even mock you.

The reward is in getting up and witnessing your own strength. And it is in recognizing the powers of heaven and the universe that aided you in getting back up. And in knowing yourself so deeply that no outside force can sway you from your path.

I once received the following message in meditation, and it has stuck with me. Furthermore, it is a simple message that has revealed more and more meaning to me over time. Perhaps it will help you.

“The greatest weapon of the spiritual warrior is LOVE.”

If you truly want to be in service to the greater good – you must often choose the harder path, both in service to yourself and in service to others.

The next time you reach a fork in the road, I hope this message will help. And if you are reading this, you are likely already at a fork in the road in your own life. So, what will you choose?

With love and blessings for 2024,

Dawn