10 Inspirational Life Lessons from Spiritual Leaders

Spiritual leaders appear to lead the perfect lives in their little world, free from the temptations that regular people face. Take for instance Mother Teresa, could she ever hurt a fly?

Well, in reality, they all live in the same world that we live in, what could be different though, is their attitude towards life.

Here are a few things you can learn from these spiritual leaders and their inspirational life lessons to apply to your own life.

Siddhartha Gautama’s Life Lesson

The founder of Buddhism in ancient India, Siddhartha Gautama, gave out a few secrets to living a better life.

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” Fill your mind with negative thoughts such as failure, you become a failure, think of yourself as a huge success, and that’s what you become. Your thoughts determine your attitude and ultimately who you become.

To be healthy both mind and body, you need to accept the past, worry less about tomorrow and savor the present moments wisely.

Speak less, meditate more, and forgive quickly, because holding on to anger hurts only you. Instead do what you do with mastery and shine while staying away from greed. Even as you love to the world, don’t forget to shower yourself with affection.

Mother Teresa’s Love Lesson

The kind Roman Catholic nun and missionary lived to be 87. Most people hardly go beyond age 60, her principles for life may be responsible for the long, and hopefully satisfied life she lived. One thing about Mother Teresa is that she believed in the power of spreading love.

Be kind, loving, honest, happy, good, and successful. Whatever you do there is always someone to misinterpret and misjudge your actions, but that should not deter you from giving your best to the world.

Poverty is not just in resources, but in love as well. Do not just give people money; spread your love as well.

Her inspirational life lesson teaches us to avoid judgement. When you judge people, you leave no room to love them. You don’t have to travel around the world spreading love, show it to the people you meet. Show kindness wherever you go and leave everyone you get into contact with, happier.

You don’t have to do great things, be faithful in the small things and do them with love.

Eckhart Tolle’s Thoughtful Lesson

Named the most popular spiritual author in the U.S, a few lessons can be taken from the author.

He reminds us that all worry does is cause anxiety and stress. It serves no purpose, so let it go. Practice breathing exercises, they take your attention from toxic thoughts and draws you out of your head.  His thoughtful life lesson teaches us to separate thoughts from situations. The primary cause of unhappiness is not the situation but your thoughts about it.

Change and uncomfortable situations are always there in life. Life gives you these experiences to aid in the evolution of your consciousness. Embrace situations out of your comfort zone because sometimes letting go is the best option. It is a better sign of strength and bravery than holding on to something that hurts you or no longer serves you.

Authentic living means knowing who you truly are and living as such. You don’t have to copy other’s traits or a popular habit.

Paramahansa Yogananda’s Spiritual Lesson

Paramahansa Yogananda was a yogi and guru from India. He published “The Autobiography of a Yogi” which has been listed as the “Top 100 best spiritual books of the 20th Century” by Harper Collins.

Every challenge or encounter in life is an opportunity to learn if you stay open to correction. From his book we learn the inspirational life lesson of being joyful even when everything around you demands the opposite. It does not mean that you are ignoring the suffering of those around you, but rather, the joy awakens a compassionate heart in you to love them unconditionally.

You cannot make progress in life if you cannot brave the fires of correction. Paramahansa says that “God is Love; His plan for creation can be rooted only in love.” Aim to fill your life with love; it is a unifying power and presence.

Billy Graham’s Evangelical Lesson

Billy Graham (1918-2018) was the most influential evangelist in history. He died at the age of 99, and you can learn a lot from the life of the beloved evangelist. He wrote a book “The Journey” which offers insight into living a happier life.

The evangelical life lesson that he teaches is that one should aim to live at peace with God, yourself, and others. Some people in your life may have the wrong attitude and even with your best efforts, living with them cannot be easy. In such cases, ask God for guidance and if you are at fault, confess and ask for strength to overcome.

Be humble and learn to treat others as equals. It’s better to not think of yourself more highly than you ought to, for God is the provider of all gifts and abilities. This pride will blind you to your faults.

They say the tongue has the power to build or destroy, and this is true in the case of excessive criticisms which have killed marriages and friendships. Your every conversation should aim at building the other person up. 

There is an inspiring lesson in the belief that never repay evil for evil, just because someone is mean to you doesn’t mean you should treat them the same. Instead practice forgiveness and adopt the philosophy of hating the sin but loving the sinner.

Don Miguel Ruiz’s Toltec Life Lesson

Officially known as Miguel Ángel Ruiz Macías, he is a Mexican author of Toltec spiritualist and neoshamanistic texts.

His book “The Four Agreements” is based on ancient Toltec wisdom and gives invaluable advice on living a life of freedom, love, and true happiness.

Be impeccable with your word. This is the first agreement which encourages screening your words. Ruiz is of the belief that before you speak, ask yourself if your words are truthful or poisonous. Every word you speak about yourself or others should have a positive impact. Words create reality.

Don’t take anything personally. People are different and see the world in different ways, and so how one person treats you tells a lot about them and how you respond says a lot about you. Ruiz’s life lesson teaches us to embrace the uniqueness of others by not taking their bad treatment personally. Realize that their views do not change who you are.

Don’t make assumptions. No one can read minds, and any attempt results in wrong answers. Making an assumption is seeking problems. Learn to ask questions and avoid unnecessary negativity in your life.

Always do your best. Laziness can never get you to your goals. Besides, Ruiz says that doing your best also prevents internal criticism from what he calls “your internal judge.” Your best may vary depending on circumstances but as long as it’s your best at that particular time, it’s okay.

The 14th Dalai Lama’s Reflective Lesson

The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people is a leader whose teachings are worth reflecting on.

His inspirational life lesson is to be truly happy, practice compassion. There is so much satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from knowing you have made a positive difference in someone’s life.

“The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.” People are living unsatisfactory lives today as they repeatedly compare themselves to others. When change your focus from trying to be better than the next person, you’ll find striving to improve from who you were yesterday.

He beliefs that you should be content with what you have. There’s always going to be something out there that you desire to have, once you achieve it something else is bound to come up. Enjoy what is already in your hands first.

“It is very rare or almost impossible that an event can be negative from all points of view.” There is wisdom in learning to see the positive side of things; it makes life more beautiful. So, start every day with a positive thought.

Deepak Chopra’s Life Changing Lesson

The Indian-born American author is a prominent figure in the New-Age movement. A strong advocate for alternative medicine he has given life-changing lessons that are worth trying.

According to Chopra, change is always good but never easy. Changing habits for success is like rewiring your brain, and many are the times that you fall back and give up. When you think of the reasons you want to change and the prison that is your old habits, you find great opportunities to improve. Focus on the new person you desire to be.

“Always go with your passions. Never ask yourself if it’s realistic or not. ” Most people die without ever living up to their potential. The security of living a regular life is nothing compared to the joy of doing what you love.

There is no limit to what you can achieve when there is passion involved. Believe nothing is impossible and nothing will be. “You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.”

Meditate regularly; it keeps you in touch with your true self and allows your spirit to speak to you and in the end, you get solutions to your problems. Create time to sit and be still.

Russell M. Nelson’s Life Lesson

You cannot ignore this spiritual leader and the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His positive life lesson and insights on living a great life is inspiring. 

According to Nelson, other than the usual 9 to 5 employment or whatever income-generating business you do, everyone has a higher calling that gives life more purpose. 

Generating money may keep you happy for a few days, but real joy and happiness comes from knowing you have made a difference in the world or someone’s life. 

One of Nelson’s quotes that strikes the heart is,“We are happiest when we are thinking about someone other than ourselves.”

This makes you think, no matter how insignificant you feel, if you desire to do something, take a step, and God will do the rest. If you want to make a change in your life, take the first step, “The Lord likes effort. Then He blesses our best efforts,”

Pope Francis’s Spiritual Lesson

The great Pope is a never-drying well of wisdom. His spiritual instructions can teach a few things on living a better life.

Often, you may find yourself envying another person’s success. Pope Francis advises “Put aside envy. Talk with one another so that this desire to protect each other might grow in your hearts.” Get closer to the subject of your envy and build a relationship with them, a desire to protect each other then replaces the envy.

He warns against quick reactions which in most cases are an emotional reaction or impulse that is often regrettable. Learn to wait on divine guidance and a sound state of mind to make better decisions.

Changing your harmful habits to the right attitudes taught by these spiritual leaders may not be easy, but it’s not impossible. Make one small change at a time and stick to it. With time, you may not live like Billy Graham, but your life is sure to improve. Changing your attitude towards life causes a ripple effect on your physical and mental health as well as financial success.