By Barbara Y. Martin and Dimitri Moraitis

We think of Heaven as a place to aspire to for a life well-lived on Earth. For many, this life is a preparation for the next life. Metaphysics teaches that heaven is not just a place; reaching Heaven is an evolutionary process. You grow to heaven through the majestic process of spiritual evolution. To become a citizen of Heaven, you must first unfold all that you are capable of becoming. As you unfold into who and what you really are as a soul, you grow spiritually. As you experience life in its great variety, the soul gathers up wisdom which helps to unfold its power and potential. Mystics call this spiritual growth an ascent—your spiritual ascent.

Each of us has a spiritual ladder to climb. Not only do you want to leave this Earth better than the way you found it; you want to leave this Earth at a higher level of consciousness than when you started. Locked inside each of us are great powers that are meant to be accessed and developed. We look at the wonders of today—unlocking the mysteries of the atom, sending people to space, building computers, unraveling the human genome—and are dazzled that humans could conceive of such things. Yet nowhere is human potential more profound than in the arena of spirituality.

Every person on Earth has a spiritual potential. It drives everything you do. To develop those powers, the soul must embark on a pilgrimage through creation where it unfolds its potential, eventually making its way back, fully realized, to its divine source. In this cosmic picture, life on Earth is a schoolhouse and all your experiences are part of your spiritual growth. Lifetime after lifetime, the soul comes to experience existence in all of its wonders, mystery, and contrasts. Yet, behind all of your experiences lies your greater spiritual purpose. Whether pleasant or painful, the things you go through in life are learning experiences.

In walking the path to Heaven, think of it in three ways:

1. An actual place you will one day be part of.
2. An enlightened consciousness to experience, embody, and express in physical life.
3. The evolutionary process it takes to attain this glorious goal.

Each soul is precious and essential. We are all ultimately destined for greatness, but we are not all at the same place in our evolution. We’re growing at our own pace. Regardless of where you are in the journey, it is beautiful. What is asked is for you to unfold the spiritual powers and talents you are meant to. This will help you reach that place in the evolutionary process you are meant to reach. It is the greatest thing you can achieve. There is no delight so sweet as reaching your potential and fulfilling your part in the divine plan.