Spiritual growth is an ongoing process. But what makes some people more spiritually evolved than others? Is it the number of lifetimes they’ve lived on the planet? The amount of good deeds and service they’ve performed? Or the hours spent in meditation and prayer?

Even the definition of a spiritually evolved being may vary from person to person. In my view, it’s someone who is fully conscious; someone who knows they are a spiritual being, one with God, Creator, or the Source of all life. It’s not about what they do, but who they are.

A spiritually awake person sees beyond illusions, duality, and fear. They view life from their spiritual eyes and have compassion for those who don’t. Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Lao Tzu are examples of spiritually awakened beings.

The majority of us living on the planet at this time are not this evolved, but we’re all in a process of spiritual growth, whether we know it or not. Those of us who want to speed up this process can do so with awareness and intention.

Michael Bernard Beckwith suggests that, “just as a seed needs the proper soil, water, and nutrients to grow into its perfect expression, so are we to nourish the soil of our consciousness in order to evolve into our soul’s ever-expanding potential.” He includes 7 signs of spiritually evolved people in his transformative book, Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential. I’ve summarized them below.

Signs of Spiritually Evolved People

To enhance your spiritual growth, adopt these 7 spiritual principles into your life.

1. Be grateful. “Evolved people give thanks for what most people ordinarily take for granted . . . they give thanks for life, for the intelligence within the body temple, within nature, for what most people don’t even notice as they navigate through their day,” says Beckwith. This also includes being thankful for what appears to be going bad or wrong. When we trust ourselves so deeply and trust that God is taking care of us, we know that every experience is an opportunity for healing, learning, and spiritual growth.

2. Be generous. “As individuals expand their understanding of universal law, they learn to give in order to live a life of inner wealth,” says Beckwith. Giving of your time, skills, knowledge and resources is a reflection of abundance and prosperity, which are aspects of spiritual growth. To be one with God, we need to live like God.

3. Forgive others. Beckwith suggests that a “competition worth entering is the race to see how quickly you can forgive because evolved people race to forgive first.” When we don’t forgive, we hold resentment and pain in our hearts. This prevents us from evolving spiritually. As we view ourselves and others through God’s eyes, we see there is nothing to forgive.

4. Celebrate life. Spiritually evolved people “view life as a celebration rather than a problem to be solved. When you function at this octave, you realize that in a state of God-consciousness, problems are dissolved,” says Beckwith. When I’m in a state of joy and enthusiasm, I often don’t see problems as a challenge, but as an opportunity to grow and learn. It’s up to each of us how we view situations, people, and circumstances.

5. Accept yourself. Beckwith notes that “evolved people accept themselves. They don’t try to run away from themselves or imitate others or be anyone else.” He suggests initiating an inner dialogue with your higher self and inner voice as a way to let go of the need for external approval and begin accepting yourself.

6. Choose happiness. “Evolved people do not sabotage their happiness with self-created drama,” says Beckwith. As people release the need to be the center of attention through crisis and drama, they free up their energy for positive life experiences. They discover that true happiness comes from within, not from without.

7. Enjoy downtime. Beckwith concludes the 7 principles by noting that spiritually evolved people “know that downtime is one of the most valuable gifts they can give themselves.” Constantly doing, rushing from one activity to the next, distracts us from our true nature. It slows down the spiritual growth process. When we take time to simply be instead of do, we open up to our higher selves, to the God of our heart, and to the flow of divine inspiration.

These 7 signs are just one chapter from Beckwith’s book, Spiritual Liberation. I highly recommend reading the whole book if you want to enhance your spiritual awakening process.

What supports you on your spiritual growth journey? Please share in the comment section so we can all benefit.