Every spiritual journey has its own challenges to overcome. These challenges are not designed to break one’s spirit. On the contrary, they’re designed to strengthen the spiritual seeker, leading him to the right path by overcoming them one by one.

Here are the 12 spiritual barriers that may block you in your spiritual quest. Identify them and find ways to take them down.

Breaking These 12 Barriers Will Make Your Spiritual Journey Effortless:

1. You are limiting yourself.

Your life is endowed with unlimited possibilities. The path you are to trod is specifically designed only for you. There is no reason why you can’t follow it. Every resources you need is there for your asking. Life is abundant. Widen your horizon. Expand your thinking.

The wall that you see before you is erected by you. Limitation exists only in your mind. Take that limitation down and allow yourself to experience the abundance that God or the Source promises.

2. You are identifying yourself with your job.

You are not your job. Identifying yourself with your job or job title is preparing yourself to get shattered when your job or title is taken away from you. You are more than your possessions. You must realize that you are over and above the things that surround you.

Your money-making endeavors are just a way to survive your physicality. Don’t allow it to pull you from your true nature by associating yourself with it.

3. You are into criticizing yourself.

You are yourself’s worst critic. While it’s the right thing to improve yourself, criticizing yourself for not coming up with your expectations is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Stop providing yourself with unrealistic expectations. You are a human being, imperfect and subject to commit mistakes.

Accept your flaws humbly. Improve what you can improve, yet embrace the part of you that you can’t change. You’re beautiful as you are as long as you’re able to beautify the person inside of you.

4. You are feeling anxious.

Sometimes your anxiety is based on your fears, especially the fear of the unknown. Unfamiliarity with the unknown must be dealt with total consciousness and not with fear. Fear cripples you, while total consciousness prepares you to what is to come.

When you feel anxious, trust that the Universe has its back on you. You are there because Someone called you. And that Someone would never ever leave you.

5. You are taking things personally.

At times, people left us with disgusting remarks, either they did it intentionally or unintentionally. Whatever is the cause, do not inflict yourself more pain by replaying what has taken place in your mind over and over again. People are only human just like you.

Other times too, your pain is self-inflicted, mostly brought up by something that happened in the past. Instead of focusing to what didn’t turn out right, serve yourself better by focusing on staying balanced and finding humor in yourself. For example, if you accidentally splashed coffee on your shirt in the coffee shop, focus not on saying how stupid you are. Rather tell yourself you could get clumsy at times, like a child having fun.

6. You are feeling guilty.

Feeling guilty serves nothing. If you’ve done something that needs forgiveness, then go ask for it. But if you feel you hurt people for living out your own truth, not conforming to their expectations, let it go.

Wallowing in your own guilt will deflate you of positive vibes while letting things go enable you to welcome other experiences that support your growth.

7. You are into the habit of procrastinating.

Most people are guilty of this one. Important tasks that need to be done must be given time and done thoroughly. Delaying it will increase your risk of cutting corners to complete it.

When you’re about to procrastinate, ask yourself the reason why the task should be done. By identifying the reason, you are given the weight of the possible consequences when the task is or isn’t done.

8. You are in bad company.

When you find yourself in the company of people whose negative outlook of life influence you, it’s high time to reconsider.

Friendships or relationships are good. But, when it brings more harm than good, you better leave them behind. People who constantly put you down instead of raising you up are not worth your while.

9. You are seeking approval.

You’re seeking approval because you’re seeking attention. It’s as simple as that. Rather than seek approval, seek self-esteem instead. When you hold high self-esteem, approval will follow.

When you know that you are doing the right thing, you don’t need the validity from others.

10. You are holding onto the past.

Living in the past is the greatest barrier to your spiritual journey. It prevents you from living in the present moment. Being spiritual is being in the moment with all your heart, body, mind, and soul.

Let go of the past. Let bygones be bygones. Forgive the past. It’s only in forgiveness that you can live in the present moment more peacefully.

11. You hold certain attachments.

Buddhism believes that attachment to the things in the world is the root cause of suffering. By attaching yourself to people, things, ideas, and illusions, you are holding yourself back.

You could not allow fresh ideas to come in or new people to enter your life when you are attached. Let go of your attachments and be open to the endless possibilities life can bring you.

12. You indulge in distracting habits.

In our fast-paced world distractions greatly abound.  These distractions have nothing to do with your necessary functions. They’re time wasters that if left unchecked you’ll be surprised one day asking yourself where were you during a particular time.

Time is your most valuable tool in this lifetime. Spend it wisely. Giving time to distracting habits will rob you of your chance to be in the present moment, pushing you farther away from your spiritual path.

Once you overcome all of these barriers, you are well on your way to spiritual maturity. It’s a process that requires much time. But when you start and persist, you’ll see the results soonest.