Teresa Campos

As I walk my Spiritual path I have moments of enlightenment. And although I know I will never be fully enlightened, I continue my journey forward. The battle of the Spiritual Warrior is mastery of one's self. It is an inner battle for truth and wisdom in the name of Love. Requiring courage and resiliency a Spiritual Warrior is someone who embraces the journey as a personal choice and accepts the enemy within. They are independent, self-directed and devoted to facing the challenges that confront them. Their guiding principal of integrity is the code of honor from which life is lived by with uncompromising action. A Spiritual Warrior understands the destruction of war and does not seek it. Their virtue of compassion is used to equalize potential conflict from arising. The sword that is carried is Love and the armor is Vulnerability. Willing to throw down their sword in complete surrender the Warrior becomes stronger, for victory is of the spirit not the body.

Controlling our lives gives us a sense of security that nothing will change unless we want it to. The comfort in what is familiar keeps us feeling safe. But what happens when we want a change, like end a relationship, move to a new city, let go of a job, or just make different choices about our life? What arises when we challenge our own control and the once natural order of our lives feels at risk? Buddhism teaches us that life is impermanent and resistance to this natural cycle brings forth suffering. And suffer we do as we try and elude this concept, with great fear. Fear of what we will discover, fear of what we will feel and fear of what we will need to let go of. While fear is the impetus to control, it is also the impetus for surrender. This paradox is the trappings for the struggles that we face almost daily in our lives. So, is fear our adversary or ally? Daunting in nature, fear will challenge us in ways we can never imagine. We make choices that we never