Enlightenment

Ten signs that you are becoming enlightened:

1. You begin to care more about other people and the world around you. Selfishness and always looking out for number one are no longer behaviours that you tolerate. You truly want to see others succeed and you want to make the world a better place.
2. Buying things doesn’t satisfy you anymore. There are no material possessions that you feel will make your life complete. You enjoy using things that assist you through life, but you are capable of existing without them. 
3. The idea of minimalism appeals to you. There is something very freeing about the idea of living simply with few possessions. You begin to release objects from your life and feel lighter as you do so. The desire to buy more and newer is no longer there.
4. The conversations you have with other people are more sincere. The art of listening is impossible to learn when you are in a selfish mindset; you care only of yourself and only want to hear yourself talk. People find you obnoxious and boring until you realize that the stories told by others are fascinating and worthwhile. You learn to listen, and by listening, you learn.
5. You admit that you don’t know anything. We think that we know things, but the scope of our knowledge is limited to our own interaction in the world. There are too many possibilities unfolding in every moment for us to truly know anything. 
6. Gratitude is evident in everything you do. You wake up thankful in the morning, and you look for every opportunity to be thankful throughout the day. You say thank you for everything and you truly appreciate what you have and all interactions with others. There is something to be learned in every moment.
7. Life excites you. Routine and following the safe, secure path no longer appeal to you. By relinquishing the need to control your environment and the people in your life, a sense of freedom and lightness fills you and the anticipation of what life will bring next excites you.
8. Your intuition becomes an important part of your life. You begin to notice and respond to the inner urgings you get and you trust that voice. Agonizing over decisions and trying to solve problems with thought no longer seem like the right way. You learn to quiet your mind and trust the answers that come from within.
9. People and animals enjoy being around you. The energy that comes from you is soothing and others notice it. They may not know why they enjoy being with you, but they do. Young children light up in your presence, and animals seek you out.
10. You don’t feel like yourself anymore. There is a detachment from the person you used to be, and at first this can be uncomfortable. The familiarity is gone, and sometimes you feel lost. Although this is normal, it can be disconcerting and you may want to try to go back. Know that you cannot. Release the need to control and fall in love with the process. The uncertainty will be replaced with contentment, joy, and pure bliss and your human experience will have more meaning than you could ever imagine.