Recently my path crossed a girl who I was just destined to meet. She was on a spiritual journey and sharring it with the whole world. She was doing yoga, breathwork, chanting, running to seminars and swallowing just about every morsel she could in the name of enlightenment. The only problem was that in the past two years they had lost half their net worth and her marraige was in serious trouble. Turns out she and her husband use to work wondefully together on projects and enjoy their time together outside of work. When the spirituality bug bit her she poured herself into it and left the rest of her life on hold. Each time I ran into her I could feel the tension and drive that was propelling her forward. Finally one day after a tennis match we happened to have some time to chat. She openly talked about all the things she was doing and invited everyone she knew to join her. The problem was everyone isn't on the same path or for that matter at the same point in their lives. She thought she had to be pefect and nicd to everyone even if they weren't nice to her. She had lost site of her truth and was suppressing all of her emotions and feelings because by god she was going to be a "enlightened being". I was so grateful to have the chance to talk with her about her journey. First of all I wanted to talk to her about her marriage and her relationship with her husband. I told her that one of the first things to consider in ones spirituality in making decisions is, is this for the highest good for all parties involved. Certainly ending a long term relationship and breaking up a family unit is not for the good of all concerned, second, your spirituality is not a competition, job, or race to see how quickly you can get to where ever it is you "think" you are going. It is a delicate process of listening to your own guidance and body. She was driving herself so hard in yoga that her arms had tendonitis. She ignored every warning sign that she was fatigued and pushed through because she was on a mission. She was attending some kind of workshop or class every night of the week, which left her husband alone and frustrated. Not that he wasn't open to some of the concepts but who would be supportive of something that robbed you of the one you loved. To make a long story short I was able to get her to understand that everything that she needs was within herself. She didn't have to go to all these classes, or hire all kinds of teachers, channelers, and what ever else she could find, in order to become enlightened. All she needed to do was to respect and love herself and be easy about this. I told her to use some discernment and to keep some of her practices to herself. When someone is meant to received the information the right circumstances will be arranged and it will happen just as our exchange was happening that day. I told her to go home and re-assure her husband that he is very important in her life and that she had made a mistake by pouring all of herself into her practices and nothing into their marriage. Once the balance was reestablished things began to run smoothly at home again. That tension she had lifted like a veil and that enlightenment she was looking for came in form of peace. She no longer had to rush, no longer had to prove, no longer had a destination, she was now on a journey of the self by her self. I feel it is so very important during this time that everyone knows and understands that it doesn't matter whether it is a religionn of some sort or metaphysics, being a fanatic is being a fanatic. Too much of one thing throws a person out of whack and creates the opposite of what they want in their lives. I have seen so many divorces in families in the name of spirituality. One gets on the path and the other isn't quite ready and the trouble starts. In truth the one on the path begins to think that they are ahead of or more enlightened than the uninvolved partner. It couldn't be more wrong. This is a journey you will make by yourself and if you are dragging others with you or judging them for not being with you then you are not on a spiritual journey of yourself. I hope this reaches someone who has been bitten by the spiritual bug. Sit back and take a look at yourself and remembert that if you are out of balance or your life is feeling disrupted that it is most likely about you not anyone else.