The word Spirituality conjures up visions of meditating hippies chanting barefoot in unison, (omg I’m that old) or perhaps the soft-spoken friar.
Many of us have a per-defined view of what spirituality is but how can we define it properly?
So exactly what is spirituality?
This is often a confused word, for many of us. How can we define spirituality? Being aware that we are spirit?
I feel that an initial step in uncovering spirituality is to start by looking within ourselves, our hearts.
Spirituality is the idea that we can look to be guided from within our being, by listening to our spirit, which is in tune with, and part of the whole of spirit.
Spirituality is, in the most basic sense, matters pertaining to the spirit. Some of us believe that there exists something, be it a state of mind, a being, or a place, that is outside the experience of our five limited senses.
I believe that spirituality is a personal relationship of an individual. Is spirituality a goal of achieving understanding, improved relationships with the sacred, an association with something greater?
I believe all of us are spirits – energies connected with one another and comprising the whole spirit.
Everything that is, exists within the entire energy, we are all a part of it, and our connection with the divine source can never be severed.
Unless we want it so.
The spirit is ever close, never far and always connected to us, for it is us.
We are divine beings having physical experiences, and not solely physical beings living a temporary life.
Those that choose to believe we are imperfect and lacking are living life and looking outward, spirituality looks inward and needs nothing, but to know the truth of who we are.
This is a path that few of us understand or a state any of us rarely achieve.
As we experience life with our losses and life changes that take place with advancing years, some of us begin to gravitate towards or for some of is back to religion, although the traditional church may not always be as accommodating as we hoped.
If you’re like me born in the church, graduated from catholic elementary school, OK an altar boy, to through some roundabout way to graduate from a Lutheran college, it can be more of a rediscovery.
Some of us may be more influenced by the thinking of various philosophers and thinkers that deal with the different practices of spirituality to find meaning in life.
With advancing age, there are life changes as well as life losses both mental and physical, that require us having hope in order to survive.
Oddly, that’s when we begin to realize what spirituality did and can do for us who believe.
For those of us who believe; Spirituality can be therapeutic. Spirituality can take the form of therapeutic interventions found in prayers, meditation and expressions of art, attending religious services and reading the bible.
All of which can lead to spiritual awareness and healing as well as renewal. With better understanding of spirituality through various resources, there may come about a more peaceful aging process.
With those of us that face the reality of our age, we learn we can’t do want we once did. I’m never playing a game of hoops again.
I knew I had to give up football, than basketball than softball. Now I would be happy to just walk pain-free.
But the biggest non-physical, pain of all is that I’m not where I thought I should be by now.
Aging also raises questions about the true meaning and value of day-to-day life. Questions of what’s really important.
This is when our spirituality can expand and help us share our feelings with others. It hopefully allows us some space in which to grow, even in times of difficulty.
But let Me state; Spirituality is unique to each of us!
Just as our bodies’ age differently, spirituality is different for each of us too.
Some of us have been attending the same church or synagogue our entire lives and have their spiritual beliefs well reconciled.
Some of us have been searching for spirituality our entire lives, while others of us only begin in later life in order to help us deal with calamity, aging, or a death. Then we begin to search for the answers we need.
Many of us argue over what spirituality is; I like the thought of real spirituality actually being aware we are spirit.
Everyday spirituality can be found in all of us. From our first days on this earth we have been influenced by the ideas of society telling you what kind of person we should be.
From that first cartoon show as a kid to the latest version of Downton Abbey, the media shows us how perfect our lives should be.
These ideas and life events have molded and shaped us into what we are today. Our inner spirit has taken a back seat crowded out by all these ideas and notions of who should be and how we should live your lives.
Seeing spirituality everyday looks beyond the TV screen past the physical, it looks beyond into our individual spiritual center.
Use your awareness to recognize it in all beings.
The best way to begin is to set your mood by just thinking of the people and things that make us happy:
listening to your favorite music
the sounds of nature on a quiet spring day
a neighborly act of kindness
a peaceful time for meditation
reading a good book or inspirational story
your loved ones
the sounds of happy children
We can experience that moment when we rediscover our own inner spirituality and that of the world around us. If we recognize all the good in our lives and give it the attention and recognition it deserves, we will experience the spirituality that surrounds us every day.
Spirituality is all around us, what is spirituality? One definition of spirituality is “Spirituality is that which relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.”
Spirituality touches that part of us that is not dependent on material things or physical comforts. We can bring spirituality into our everyday lives, if we want to.
I believe, we are all spiritual beings deep inside ourselves. If we look beyond the trappings of this material world, we can find spirituality everywhere we go and in everyone we encounter along the way.
Bring your awareness into the here and now, you are not thinking ahead or thinking of what has past, you are in the moment.
Make notes to yourself as you go through your everyday tasks and events so you will remember the spiritual aspects of whatever it is you are doing.
Practicing being completely in the moment is an excellent way to build your awareness of spirit.
By choosing to see the good in all people and things is the way to tune into our spirit within.
You will no doubt encounter people that make it difficult to recognize their inner spirit. Everyone has a spiritual center; it is just that everyone is not in tune to that part of their being yet.
Unfortunately, some people just don’t want to be. But by recognizing that and the way we treat that individual can help open that door for them if only a tiny bit.
You can make a difference in that person’s life. Listen to the voice of your inner spirit and it will guide you to take right action.
Live Your Best Life Now! Make today a new beginning live in and through your spiritual center. Ain’t no guarantee on tomorrow!
When you find yourself in that negative frame of mind just recall the things that make you happy. Remember the small things in life that truly make us smile. The positive events and people in our lives.
This will help diminish the effects of that negativity. It is not an easy, but with practice it becomes easier and you will gain so much form it.
Your life will start to evolve into the life you’ve always dreamed of. Take one step at a time, build your awareness of everyday spirituality by recognizing it in the people and things around us.
Start living your best life now, start recognizing the spirit in you now, and the spirituality that surrounds you now.
