6. Engage in Shadow Work
Several decades ago Ken Wilber and others who had meditated for years observed in themselves and other long-time meditators that sitting wasn’t sufficient for personal growth.

Many advanced meditators and spiritual teachers did not sustain their elevated consciousness in daily life. In fact, some of them weren’t at all nice people. The problem proved to be a lack of “shadow work.” (See “Overcoming the Shadow in Work and Life,” Reflection 22 in Reflections on Doing Your Great Work in Any Occupation.)

It is natural to avoid delving into your unconscious mind. Who knows what monsters lie in wait? But the real inner work happens when we bring that darkness to light. This is one reason I advocate journaling as a spiritual/psychological practice. Rather than glossing over those “terrible things” we may think or feel, putting then on paper, naming them, letting them have their say where they won’t hurt anybody dilutes their apparent power.

Of course, not everybody is comfortable embarking on this inner journey alone. Which is one reason I have sought psychological therapy that was focused on my personal learning and growth. Seeing a counselor did not mean I was sick. In fact, my willingness to dive into the deep end of consciousness meant that I was seeking greater psychological health. (See The Psychology of Transcendence.)

7. Practice Excellence
Your natural soul gifts are not only beautiful but excellent. Doing great work, no matter what your current position, helps prime the pump of excellence. Any type of energy attracts vibrations like itself. So if you are practicing excellence (living in a way consistent with “intrinsic values”), you will naturally attract more excellence.

Attendees in my workshops on career excellence often ask how to expand their influence. My answer: Bloom where you’re planted. Dig into what is before you. Love it. Master it. And observe how life calls you to what’s next—both personally and professionally.