People who claim to be “spiritual but not religious” account for over 20% of the population in the United States. But what does the word spiritual mean? The term spiritual is used to describe that which relates to the human spirit. It goes beyond the material.
Spirituality is about appreciating all aspects of life fully. Most of us have learned to experience the world in a very superficial way. But there is so much more just below the surface.
Spirituality embraces all religions because it recognizes that all of them are different paths to the same destination.
If you’d like to cultivate your spirituality further, consider these ideas:
Practice openness. We tend to judge things by our past experiences. When faced with something new, try to keep an open and non-judgmental mind. Unique opportunities to learn and expand your perspective are all around you. Attaining a higher sense of spirituality requires being open to the possibilities.
Down Side: At times, we will judge; it is human nature to judge. And here is a kicker, WE are often considered wrong! It is assumed that people who live spiritually cannot think or feel any emotion other than happiness. Unproductive thinking causes people to judge, often OFFENDING a person’s place or thing, thereby making people look bad. The TRUTH is that we all think of others in some way, BUT ONLY God judges fairly.
Learn to listen. Few people listen. Most of us are simply waiting for our turn to talk. But it’s not just about listening with your ears. It’s about listening with your heart to hear what the world is trying to communicate to you. Active Listening is also listening, paraphrasing, and reflecting on what the other person is saying. Some people do not like active Listening because it translates as if they are being screened for lies.
See the beauty in people, things, and situations. Part of spirituality involves seeing the truth. There is beauty to be found in nearly everything, and recognizing it is part of identifying the fact.
Downside: While we should see the beauty in everything, we do not want to force ourselves or pretend. In other words, we do not want to see an apparent ill and pretend it is not happening. You do not want to see homeless people on the street and say, well, at least they are alive. Nor do you want to see someone misbehaving and excuse them with “that’s how they are… they’re living their best life.” Part of seeing the beauty in everything is impressing love or watering peace into the environment. Again, see people’s places and things as they require some level of judgment.When you see the truth, you come to realize there are very few things to worry about.
Spend some time in nature. There are few things more spiritual than sitting in your heart with the sun on your face and the breeze pressing against your back. Experience the trees, grass, flowers, and birds. Enjoy a walk without thinking about external thoughts—this is your break from active humanity. Think about yourself. Impress some affirmations on your mind, and make a desire to your spiritual about yourself: your wellness, attitude, and feelings/emotions.
Look for the bigger picture. The mere act of wondering about the universe and what it all means is spirituality. One of my favorite exercises is remote viewing from above. The great window allows us to see people, places, and things and changes. But with your feet on the ground, consider your purpose and true meaning to the world. What is the greatest gift you can give?
Spirituality is ultimately about self-discovery and reawakening from your spiritual slumber. It can be considered the art and science of discovering who and what you are. Going into your core (or center) and meeting your essence self, that self that assists you to tackle challenging moments, that helps you heal and refresh and improve your physical and spiritual living.
Stay focused on the present. Living in the past or the future isn’t living. Life is right now! Part of being spiritual is recognizing that living a positive life today leads to good things tomorrow. Often, during our growth processes, people from our past may now be aware, so they feel entitled to bring up our history. So, this is why we often get the urge to move or void people, places, or things from our past—it can be distractive, and those beings aren’t aligned with our frequency anymore, where we are NOW. We do not have to go back and do anything.
Spend time each day focusing only on the moment you’re currently experiencing.
- Staying focused on your thoughts, words, and actions today, allows ypu to have the ultimate amount of control over your life.
- Love yourself. If you don’t love yourself, how will you ever feel comfortable presenting your true self to the world? We’ve all done things the wrong way and come up short numerous times, but it doesn’t define us. It merely describes us in a specific situation at a particular time. One moment does not represent our whole life. Love yourself, forgive yourself, praise yourself for being better than yesterday, and agree to be better tomorrow.
- Allow yourself to be inspired. Learning about yourself is vital to experience new things. Meet new people and read new books. Only by being exposed to everything that interests you can you learn everything there is to know about yourself. Part of embracing new people, places, and things can bring apprehension, but knowing why we are somewhere or doing lessens worry or uncertainty if we say we are growing. If you are going to a party, you know you will have a good time vs. meeting your soulmate. Be realistic about your aspirations.
If you’ve ever been dissatisfied with your life and thought, “There must be something more,” you’re right. There’s a whole lot more. Learning about yourself and your place in the world might even be the true meaning of life. I encourage you to decide and get on your way.
Live Your Truth 