During the human lifespan, we are constantly growing. There isn’t a day that goes by where your body hasn’t changed at least a little bit. However, you also grow spiritually throughout your life.
You might notice that you’ve gotten a little taller or maybe a little wider, but have you ever noticed yourself growing spiritually? There have actually been many different studies published on findings of spiritual growth. For example, in the mid-1980’s, an author introduced a simple model for understanding the different levels of spiritual growth. He is an author and the founder od the Agape International Spiritual Center. While this is not the only guide to understanding the stages of human consciousness, the context of Beckwith’s model is a practical and empowering perspective on our journey from victimhood to empowerment, connection, and oneness with the greater forces of life. Let’s take a look.
Ancient and modern practices have emerged to help us align more powerfully with the infinite possibilities of life
To Me
Beckwith labels the first stage of spiritual growth as the stage one – “To Me”. Like a child new to the world, or someone who has not yet claimed full responsibility for his/her life, in the ‘To Me’ stage we experience ourselves at the effect of the people and circumstances of our life. There are times in each of our lives when we feel like we are on the receiving end of challenges, opportunities, relationships, job assignments, etc.
By Me
The second stage is similar, only it is called “By Me” rather than “for Me”. During stage two, the ‘By Me’ phase of our journey, we may initially feel stretched or challenged by our circumstance, but this challenge is often what is needed for us to dig deeper and become a causative agent in our experience. This is the stage of the journey where we get to discover that we are far more capable than we realized. We are not victims of circumstance but rather creators of it.
Through Me
The third stage is called “through me”. When you enter through me, you go from a sense of personal significance to a sudden awareness of others. During this stage of spiritual growth, one will look for what h can do for the world, rather than what it can do for him. In order to move from the ‘By Me’ stage into stage three, what we must be willing to let go of is our need for control. As we let go of having to be the sole generator and controller of each outcome, we open ourselves up to discover a new sense of trust and connectedness to the bigger story/currents/song ready to flow through us.
As Me
Last, but certainly not least, we get to the fourth stage. The fourth stage is the last stage of spiritual growth, and by this point, you have achieved a great level of consciousness. The fourth stage is called “as Me”. we begin to discover our true power in life happens ‘By Me’. When we let go of the need to control, we move from our experience of life happening ‘By Me’, to discovering our connection to the greater powers of life moving ‘Through Me’. As we allow our individual expression to merge completely with the energy we are experiencing or creating in the world, we realize we are actually part of the infinite creative force of the universe, which is expressing and experiencing itself individualized ‘As for Me’.I am God/spirit/universe/nature/consciousness.