From the moment I had an awareness of life, its beauty and impermanence, I wanted to make my life matter. I scoured books, videos and podcasts of spiritual teachings, to learn how to I could purposefully cultivate practices that would enable me to live with more intention. After lots of research, prayers and seeking, I passed through a spiritual portal, through which I cannot return. I awakened, and with that awakening came a different way of thinking about life, and a realization that I live in this body, but am of spiritual form. I began to implement changes that would further my spiritual evolution; and found that devoting my focus to a few simple, yet practical beliefs and practices gave me powerful results.

Know that energy is everything. Before we were born, we were infinite energy. This means that we are more than our physical limits. This means that our experience of life is based on how we use our energy. Our emotions are a frequency, and the level at which we vibrate attracts more of the same in every area of our lives. Focus on feeling good, staying in love, gratitude, acceptance and flow, and every cell in your body will respond to bring you more of the same.

Make a decision. Decide what you want your life to look like and then and be that. Make a decision about how you want to feel, spend your time, who you spend it with and what you want to life to look like. I decided years ago, that at the end of my life, I would have no regrets. That one decision has changed my life radically because it required me to be braver, take an honest look at myself, and do better if I wanted life to be better. It also required me to be aware of my words and actions, and to take responsibility for how they impacted me and those around me.

Live your life as a church. As a child, I spent a lot of time in church. I was in awe of my the older parishioners, singing about their faith and a life of Godly living. Yet, Id see these same people out of church, doing the opposite of what theyd committed to in church. At an early age that I made a commitment to do my best to life my life as a church - I would practice everyday, what I promised God I would on Sunday. To me, the church is not confined to a building, but our entire life. More important than memorizing readings and lessons of virtue was living them.

Be your own freaking evangelist. Don't put a pastor or a spiritual guru on a pedestal. They are not perfect and neither are you, and that's okay. Spiritual evolution and leadership isn't based on being perfect, but by perfecting your unique self. You don't have to be on a pulpit, a stage, spend hours in meditation or chant mantras all day. You don't have to speak reverently or always be zen. You can be a warrior, a badass or have the mouth of a sailor. Just be you - be your own type of evangelist. Speak your truth, preach your gospel in your own words. Inspire others by the way you live.

Be intentional with your words. Words are more powerful than we think. What we say and how we say it can change the way we feel, think and act. According to Psychology Today, any form of negative rumination...will stimulate the release of destructive neurochemicals. Conversely, positive words and thoughts propel the motivational centers of the brain into action and they help us build resilience when we are faced with lifes problems. Every word you say has an impact on you emotionally, how you interact with others and how they respond to you, so be careful how you use them.

Master your mind. Your mind is a muscle, so flex it, and master of how you think. Dont get carried away by all the things that come at you. Letting your mind run untrained leaves you open to outside influences determining and ultimately running your life. Train yourself to be aware of your thoughts. Notice them and when you find them going in a direction that does not serve your vision for your life, shift them to where you want them to be.

Be open to messages from God and angels. They come in ways you least expect. God talks to me through sunlight, a butterflyon a leaf, a child smiling in a passing car, or through a stranger you meet on an airplane. I was recently traveling for work, and sat next to a lady on a plane. She was a stranger when we boarded, but I realized she was a messenger by the time we landed. Id began talking to her about my work, faith and my journey of spiritual enlightenment. Then, my new friend shared that her name was Jyoti, which in Hindi, means light. One of her children was named Khushee, which meant happiness and the other was named Devansh, which means, part of God. Our meeting was not an accident. She was a message from God, letting me know that I was where I was supposed to be.

Live in joyful, thankful expectation. One of my favorite books is from Wayne Dyer is Youll See It When You Believe It. The premise of the book is that you manifest what you believe. What this means for me is that I must always focus on joy and live in expectation, believing in the wonderful things that are coming my way!

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8 Powerful Ways to Live Your Life More Intentionally - HuffPost