It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to fall off the wagon when we’re on the spiritual grind.

We get into a nice rhythm of meditation, writing, reading, exercise, and all the rest of it—hitting that sweet spot within our soul and melting into the present moment—and then all of the sudden something relatively insubstantial happens that completely knocks the wind right out of us.

A problem comes up in our personal lives or we come down with the flu, and we momentarily lose the vital energy that we had beforehand. Our previous momentum is shot, forcing us to trace our footsteps and wonder how we can get back where we once were.

I think part of this is simply the inconvenient truth that it’s hard to stay connected in a disconnected world. We have an ego, which can be problematic. We’ve lived through things that forced us to adapt to the world in a way that doesn’t serve our heart’s deepest purpose. The mind is a fragile thing, and if it is not in alignment with our spirit, it wanders off into the dark and deserted land of its own chaos.

That’s one side of the coin, now here’s the other: life is a momentum game.

Much of human life consists of patterns of behavior, and if these patterns are more destructive than constructive, we end up somewhere we wouldn’t normally choose to be. The mind seems to operate according to the pattern we set for it; therefore, it’s essential that we set a pattern that has a more upward trajectory than a downward spiral.

Our thoughts adapt to the environment, background, and stages of our lives—and when we start to gain momentum, our thoughts and attitudes change in order to meet the demands of this new direction.

It’s easy to get steered away from the path of wellness and growth, because life is complicated and so are we. What I’ve been learning is that getting back on the path is not as hard as we make it out to be. It’s all about getting that momentum back, and maintaining that energy in spite of what life throws at us. We’re staying ahead of our own curve and allowing the whole of our consciousness to acclimate to this next level.

You know those really annoying people who seem to be good at everything? Like an Elon Musk, Richard Branson, or Oprah-type? They’re pathological winners, turning everything they f*cking touch into gold, with the world seemingly at their fingertips. Now, I don’t necessarily envy these types of people and I’m not asking anyone else to be like them, but I can recognize what made these people so successful—and there’s nothing magical or new agey about it.

The only difference between the likes of Elon Musk and most other people is that they adapted themselves to a certain pattern of being and a momentum of life energy. This is more than just setting an intention or a Law of Attraction thing; it’s about living with purpose. If we decide that our purpose is to heal, and we stick to that purpose with razor sharp focus, our daily habits will mold around this determination and we will create a certain momentum in how we move through life.

Over time, we can completely transform ourselves into powerhouses of competence and ability. Our lives will seem like a constant masterclass, as we skillfully meet the present moment over and over again. The possibilities become endless, and it becomes more difficult to slow us down.

I have been experiencing this lately. In spite of my chronic illness, which bombards me with debilitating symptoms day in and day out, I have come to a point where it feels like I can’t be stopped. Through hard work, durability, and attacking my goals with singleness of purpose, I have achieved more than I could’ve dreamed while living with this illness. I’ve gained momentum, and even though I hit speed bumps time and time again with my condition, I don’t see this vitality and confidence leaving me anytime soon.

Here are a few ways to gain momentum and keep it when it feels like it’s fading away:

1. Say things that are true. We can’t really know where we are unless we say what is true, and from here we can start to get where we want to go. In order to improve, we need to be honest with and about ourselves.

2. Compete with yourself. When we begin a beneficial routine, let’s aim to stay with it and put the hard work in. Go for personal records. Defeat your past self. Go further than you’ve ever gone before.

3. Avoid the pit of despair. We all know this place—it’s where we go when we are feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s the place we descend when life isn’t going our way and we just want to give up. The problem is that as natural as it feels to dive into the sea of our own sorrow, it doesn’t necessarily help us find our way. Don’t use moments like these to vent your outrage or bitterness for life, because it only further contributes to the human tragedy. For us to gain momentum and keep it up, there is no time for complaining about what we can’t control.

When we start to engage in life-affirming activities that connect with our heart’s deepest purpose, we progressively accumulate more and more energy to serve that purpose—like a snowball rolling down a hill.

I say, let’s start today. Pick up a new skill. Learn a language. Sign up for jiujitsu classes. Whatever you choose to do, do it—then do it some more, and keep doing it until you become a badass spiritual warrior.

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