Living your divinity every moment is a commitment to developing spiritual goals — ideals that guide your interactions with the world, rules of spiritual conduct that you choose to direct your relationships and actions. Living by holy laws that help you choose thoughts to keep and thoughts to let go. Yes, you can indeed choose to hold on to your thoughts or not. Every action you choose to take or not contributes to the overall fabric of your life here on Earth. As we are all connected, your thoughts are ours, meaning that the energy you create with your thoughts affects everyone. Choosing to live in the state of being awake, aware and conscious of each word, thought and deed you create is truly making your life your practice. Living this way is what builds spiritual integrity and light. As you grow in light, we all grow.

This not work for the weekend spiritual visitor. This is an ongoing discipline and is the work of the spiritual warrior.

The first step towards this new way of being is to understand the experience of living in your Spiritual Integrity.

Let’s explore these two very important words.

• Spiritual – Relating to the soul or spirit, usually in contrast to the material world.
• Integrity — The state of being complete or undivided.

Living in Spiritual Integrity means that you have values that you have chosen to live by and that you are committed to, regardless of the conduct of others. Regardless of your physical state, financial or emotional state, you choose to sit in your integrity. You are consistent with living life with your values intact. Regardless of the chaos around and outside of you, you remain grounded in your knowing. There is no blaming others, or waffling. You know your truth and you seek to live there constantly.

Make no mistake, this is a huge undertaking.

Living in the physical world in your Spiritual Integrity is the goal that each of us has been asked to take on as we incarnated in physical life. “Be in the world, but not of it,” Jesus proclaimed. Though you may have made great attempts to be this way, I would lovingly challenge you to look and see how, when and where you are and are not in your life’s integrity. Being aware of your state at all times is one of the most important spiritual practices to master. As a teacher, Jesus knew how hard it was for energy beings to be in their divinity, in their physical life, and he knew that this was the work that we are here to do.

Being in this physical reality is most difficult. It’s a place where you can most assuredly lose your values — and indeed, it’s THE place to practice retaining them. This is one of the many paradoxes that the Universe offers us.

Many talk about being spiritual, leading a life of spirit, but in reality while scores have spiritual thoughts, attend workshops and read books about spiritual beliefs, rarely do their daily actions consistently represent these values. This disconnect between who you deeply know you are and the actions you choose (often unknowingly) is what contributes to feelings of unhappiness and the lack of fulfillment and disconnection that you may experience.

Certainly living in disharmony with your beliefs puts you out of alignment with your true self and does not serve you or others well. Most beings live this way, unaware that they control the power to bring happiness into their lives.

So take a look now and determine how often you truly live your spiritual values. How often are you living in spiritual integrity?

Identifying your spiritual values

To live in your Spiritual Integrity, you need to be clear on which values you choose to own and where you currently stand with each of them.

Saying that you are of love, peace and compassion is different then living a life that reflects these values. Being able to hold onto these values in your daily life — whether you are driving, waiting in line or in a challenging conversation — is an ongoing process. The goal is to live in harmony with the energies of the values that you choose to build your life upon. For many these values include: kindness, wisdom, acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, integrity, endurance, honesty and sound judgment.

Begin by defining the values you hold most dear.

For many, working from love, being kind, being in service to others, holding a place of calm, sitting in honesty, speaking your truths and walking your talk are key spiritual values. There are many others to consider; being able to master one of these in your daily life continuously is an enormous effort and a huge gift to all.

Once you have defined an initial list of values, begin one-by-one to assess your current ability to stay in these energies. Consider a list, as it will help you to clearly see your work ahead. For instance, if kindness is a value that resonates with you, begin to thoroughly examine your kindness quotient.

When is it easy for you to be kind? When is it difficult?

Do you have trouble being kind when you are hungry, tired or stressed?

Are there certain people to whom you find it difficult to be kind? Are there others to whom you find it easy to be kind?

Watch your reactions carefully, for it is helpful to build the ability to watch your responses to situations and people while events are taking place. This does not happen all at once, and the power of observation is one of your most helpful tools.

Take this one step at a time. For now, begin to list the values you hold dear and choose to honestly review your actions. See which values you are truly using as you seek to make your life your practice.

Ralph is a life coach and teacher who has developed a workshop that has helped hundreds of people release fear. It is Hubbard’s belief that fear is the core reason why many of us fail to take action in our lives. He believes it is why we do not experience peace and happiness.

"Fear can be defined as simply not being at peace, he says. "Not feeling peace may look like guilt, anger, depression, or you might feel upset and anxious. Sometimes a person is lethargic and is just not engaging in anything. All are symptoms of fear."

He goes on to add, "While most people recognize fear more easily as the fear of success or the fear of failure, what is often missed are everyday expressions of fear."

Hubbard believes that being reluctant to trying a new approach at work, and not speaking your truth to those you love, are clearly signs of you in fear mode. He is convinced that if we don’t identify fear as the motivating cause of our inactivity, we cannot correct our situation effectively.

Most people attribute their inactivity to a lack of time or money or some other cause, when in reality once a person addresses his or her fears, then they will make time for the job at hand, he says.

To begin to rid yourself of your fears, Hubbard suggests you consider using his four-step program – the process he created that has helped many people in all walks of life rid themselves of the fears that are negatively impacting their lives.

Four steps to releasing fear

• Identify the fear. Discover the link between your lack of peace and a specific fear.

• Look at your fear and name it. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of loss of control.

• Locate the beliefs you chose that hold the fear in place. Sometimes the beliefs seem justifiable, but upon examination they are unrealistic.

• Give up your judgments (beliefs) in favor of peace. Actually ask yourself do I choose to hold onto the belief that causes the fear or do I choose peace?"

Sound simple? Let’s see how Hubbard’s steps might apply to a person in the arts.

Imagine you are a photographer whose business clearly needs a sales program. You are not very busy and, hence, finding the time to create and begin to facilitate a program is not the issue, but you just can’t seem to start.

Hubbard would ask you to identify how you feel about not getting your book out. Are you anxious or mad at yourself, are you feeling guilty? Any or all of these feelings are fear-based reactions.

Identifying the fear is next. Why are you not taking the book out? Are you worried about negative reactions? Are you afraid of rejection? Just ask yourself "What am I afraid of?" and then leave a space in your mind for the answers to bubble up.

Locate the beliefs that hold this fear in place. A fear of rejection might be rooted in the belief that you feel that what others say about you is true. Or you believe that you are supposed to be perfect…or perhaps you believe that everyone is supposed to love your work.

Hubbard feels that most beliefs we hold are impossible standards that no one can live up to. For example, it would be ridiculous to believe that EVERYONE will like or need your photography…. However many people hold these unexamined beliefs and never realize that they even have them, let alone realize that they are at the core of their dysfunction.

"When beliefs are looked at and examined," Hubbard says, "one can see them for what they truly are. It becomes clear then that the belief is not valid."

Choose the belief or peace. After seeing the belief for what it is, an unrealistic demand on yourself, you could choose to give up the belief that "everyone should love your work." Without that expectation, you will be able to show your portfolio, and be in peace.

Benefits of releasing fear

It all sounds so simple. Hubbard is convinced that it is.

"As you identify the belief that everybody should love your work," you are able to see how unrealistic that belief is. A new truth surfaces and you are able to see the reality that what you believed is false. You are now able to recognize that you have chosen the belief that has caused the fear. You can now choose to give it up in favor of no belief (no expectation about how people will react to your work). This is choosing peace."

Many of us have tons of fear stemming from a variety of false beliefs. Acknowledging and identifying them and letting go of the false beliefs connected to them is hugely beneficial.

Of the many gifts you can expect, Hubbard mentions freedom.

"After releasing any kind of fear, freedom is one of the main benefits you will experience. Without fear of rejection, you would be free to take your work out to prospects without worrying about their reaction You would simply see portfolio presentations and all other sales tools as a necessary part of selling your work. Your attachment to any expectations would be gone. You will feel free to create new images, or develop a new photographic style. You are able to explore your creativity without worrying about others’ expectations or opinions."

Fear guru Ralph Hubbard is convinced that many of your blocks stem from your fears. He is equally certain that you can address your fears, change your beliefs and find peace. The result is a life where commitments to self and others are kept, goals are met, and happiness is supremely present.

Breakthrough to Success Event in Twin Cities

Selina Maitreya and Ralph Hubbard will present a unique two-hour program during which they will share their findings on how creative professionals are held hostage by out-moded beliefs that inhibit success. Using a combination of real life examples and audience participation, the presenters will walk the audience through the steps from immobility to breakthrough. Attendees will learn the nature of negative patterns, what a breakthrough looks like, and how goals, objectives and accountabilities will change as a result of the breakthrough.

An evening lecture will take place from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Minnesota Center for Photography, 165 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis. The fee is $10 ($5 MCP members).

A daylong Saturday Workshop – Breakthrough to Success – will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Minnesota Center for Photography, 165 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis. The fee is $250 ($225 MCP members). The workshop is geared to creative professionals on marketing, sale, and financial management provide useful techniques and tips, but frequently overlook the real underlying obstacle that get in the way of success – FEAR. Selina Maitreya and Ralph Hubbard have developed unique strategies to help people in the creative industry identify and release fears, while replacing them with steps toward success.

To register for either program, call (612) 824-5500 or visit www.mncp.org