I watched the U.S. Open golf tournament this weekend (108th U.S. Open); it was very inspiring. Tiger Woods almost got beat by a 45 year old guy named Rocco Mediate. This guy had never won a major tournament in his life and there he was head to head with Tiger Woods.

I look at a guy like Rocco Mediate nearly beating the best golf player in the world and it inspires me. What a tremendous effort it must have taken to play at such a high level. That's not to say that Tiger woods was not inspiring too; playing through his knee pain to finally take his 14th major title.

But, this article is not about golf, it is about effort. Something I have noticed it takes to get anything in this world. This is also true of spirituality. God doesn't just come down and touch people on the forehead and say, "You have the gift, and you don't". I know that if I want to get anywhere spiritually it is going to take some effort. The reason Tiger Woods is the best golf player in the world is because he practices a lot. The same thing applies to spirituality.

Practicing a lot is helpful, but the key to advancement is knowing what to practice that will give the biggest reward for your effort. This is where knowledge comes in. You have heard it said, "Don't work hard, work smart." I would modify that to say, "Work hard and smart!" This will give you the best chance at success. I have also heard it said many times, "How bad do you want it?" Of course, wanting it bad also depends on what you will get or knowing what the reward is going to be. This is difficult with spiritual enlightenment. Namely because a lot of the rewards you get are completely foreign to the organic brain, and yet they are beyond astounding when finally realized.

It is hard though to be motivated by something you can't even imagine. That is why we have a Navigator, a little voice inside that tells us through our intuition what to follow and what to leave behind. I encourage everyone to listen to their Navigator or intuition. This is working smart. If something doesn't feel right for you then put it on a back burner and look for something better. Also, don't trust other people to be your Navigator, including me. Trust your instinct on what you feel is right. Most people are either just selling something, looking for an ego boost, or both. The really sincere people are few and far between. And, even the sincere people can be sincerely wrong or only filled with half truths. So, put out some effort and explore.

I finally followed my Navigator and it paid off big time. I have spent half my life looking for spiritual answers that would fully satisfy me. I finally found the most satisfying answers at Higher Balance Institute. I have learned to enhance my sixth sense and I have gained supernatural skills.

Gaining supernatural skills and growing closer to God takes effort. But, how bad do you want it?