Many people have the mistaken idea that in order to achieve higher consciousness, you have to give up your normal life. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many ways to reach the goal of self-realization and achieve true serenity in your life. Everyone’s path is different, and that’s neither good nor bad. It just is.

It’s not necessary to retreat from the world, to give up your normal life.

It’s true that some people find a monastic life necessary to undertaking the work that leads to higher consciousness. But how many of us can afford to—or want to—leave everything behind in order to get to this state?

What matters is your intention, your practice, and your openness. You may need to simplify your life in order to accommodate your new focus, but that’s not the same as leaving it all behind.

If you’re looking to self-realization, or higher consciousness, to escape from your problems, look elsewhere.

Some people latch onto the pursuit of self-realization as an excuse to run away from difficulties in their lives. If that is your reason, you will not achieve the enlightenment you seek. Higher consciousness comes with being conscious of everything, of accepting and letting go, not escaping.

Although I had the benefit and luxury of being able to travel to ashrams in various parts of the world, I never left my normal life behind on my journey to enlightenment. Read more about how I accomplished it in my book, HOME AT LAST.

Do you have a question about meditation, or self-realization, or any other topic to do with achieving a higher consciousness? Just ask me!