Spirituality is not a religion, belief system or set of principles and is not even necessarily affiliated with religion. However, spirituality can be found within religion or enhance someone’s religious practice. As Elizabeth Lesser stated on the Oprah Show, “spirituality is to religion like sweetener is to coffee and tea.” In some religions, spirituality is generally seen as an integral part of that religion. But you don’t need to be religious in order to be spiritual nor do you need to be spiritual in order to be religious. Spirituality is personal. It’s an inner path enabling a person to discover their core essence of being.
Spirituality embraces all the world religions focusing on the fact that each religion is a different branch on the same tree. In other words, there are many paths leading to God* and there is only one God. Spirituality is concerned with growing into and experiencing the Divine consciousness. The spiritual approach to God is through the path of love. This is a love where there is no judgment – only acceptance. Spirituality shows us that God is omniscient and omnipresent and can be felt as a living presence in our own heart and in everything and everyone if we allow ourselves to connect with it. There is no separation between the Creator and His Creation.
Spirituality is the longing for something more. It is the art and science of self-realization and actualization. It is the journey to self-awareness and consciousness. It’s a practice of knowing each part of one’s self – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Being spiritual means awakening the very spirit of being who you are. It means to recognize what you are made of and this is Spirit. Spirituality is just a matter of realizing it. Spirituality is a walk towards the ultimate goal of your life. In essence, it’s your journey to find yourself then love and accept all of YOU.
Spirituality emphasizes empowerment and the humanistic qualities of love, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, responsibility, harmony and concern for others. It embraces all aspects of life and of the human experience including one’s ego. Spirituality nurtures thoughts, emotions, words and actions that are in harmony with a belief that everything is connected – we are each connected to each other, to the earth, with the universe and to God.
Spirituality exists whenever we struggle with issues of our life’s meaning, purpose, and direction. The issues become prominent when experience challenges within our relationships, at work, etc. While it doesn’t necessarily solve our problems, spirituality embraces the concept of searching and moving forward in a direction of meaning and purpose with your life. We also become spiritual when we become moved by beauty, love, or creativity as this reveals something beyond what we can see with our own eyes. We get in touch with spirituality when we are challenged beyond our current limits and we desire to stretch ourselves, shift our current beliefs, and transform our inner world.
You are so loved so love yourself just as much!!!
Live Your Heart’s Truth Assignment
Journal about the following regarding spirituality:
1. Who/what am I?
2. What is my life’s purpose? Why am I here?
3. What specific experiences have shaped by spiritual beliefs?
4. Am I a Happy person?
5. Am I loving and compassionate person? Why?
6. Do things happen for a reason?
7. Why do I experience certain things (positive or negative)?
