Deepak Chopra Instagram – #AskDeepak “I have been struggling for a good while; like looking for God in all the wrong places. But recently I have had a revelation that I am caught in a mixed state of awakening accompanied by moderate depression. I trust that my deep spiritual beliefs are pervasive & universal but they are not always accessible to me. I am not taking care of my body, my temple, but believe that that would be one of the keys to opening myself to the gift of the present more gracefully. What does one do with the guilt of not honoring their calling?” My response: The way to deal with the guilt of not living up to your spiritual expectations is to realize that all expectations, spiritual or otherwise, are subtle rejections of present reality. They are judgments that your current experience is somehow lacking or inadequate. And from a truly spiritual point of view that can never be the case. Present reality is your true self, and that is the only possible experience of spiritual existence. So all expectations of not fulfilling your calling are just the projections of the ego. Guilt is the ego’s way of trying to control and define your spiritual growth on fear’s terms. Real spiritual growth is always complete in the present moment and without any fear or guilt. Love, Deepak