Everyday Spirituality
November 8th, 2006, 8:34 pm by Priya Florence Shah
Filed under Creativity, Empowering Women, Self-Love, Buddhism, Love, Meditation, Self-Awareness, Attitude, Spirituality, Personal Growth, My Life, Happiness, Thoughts
We are spiritual beings having a human experience. But what does spirituality mean to you? Only you can answer that.
To me, being spiritual is not about believing in some esoteric philosophy that 90% of the world cannot access or understand.
Spirituality does not come from a holy book. It is not a complex set of ideas only meant for monks and priests. It’s not about following rituals or having beliefs that exclude other cultures or communities.
The kind of spirituality I believe in is the kind I practice in everyday life. The thoughts I think, the words I speak, the actions I choose, the way I conduct myself when alone or with others, the work I do, the choices I make - the little things I do every day of my life.
To me, all these things are an expression of spirituality:
- Eating food
- Bathing
- Nurturing myself
- Making love
- Expressing gratitude for the abundance in my life
- Expressing love to myself and others
- Setting goals or intentions for my life
- Sharing belly-laughs with a special friend
- Giving a massage
- Watching a sunset
- Being a mother
- Reading a book
- Watching a movie
- Listening to music
- Singing
- Dancing
- Exercising
- Meditating
- Taking a walk
- Planting a tree
- Writing this blog
The information at Heal Past Lives has a lot of concepts that resonate with my own ideas of spirituality. This article, titled Hallmarks of the Spiritually Advanced Being, has a list of 12 simple standards to measure your level of spiritual advancement.
- #1: LOVE - The Spiritually Advanced are models of unconditional LOVE
- #2: JOY - The Spiritually Advanced find JOY in every moment
- #3: TRUTH - The Spiritually Advanced are seekers after TRUTH
- #4: COURAGE - The Spiritually Advanced draw strength from COURAGE
- #5: TRUST - The Spiritually Advanced TRUST unconditionally
- #6: PURPOSE - The Spiritually Advanced are living their PURPOSE in life
- #7: ABUNDANCE - The Spiritually Advanced manifest ABUNDANCE
- #8: CLARITY - The Spiritually Advanced are CLEAR channels for God
- #9: SIMPLICITY - The Spiritually Advanced unfold in SIMPLICITY
- #10: GENTLENESS - The Spiritually Advanced act with GENTLENESS
- #11: GRATITUDE - The Spiritually Advanced are always GRATEFUL
- #12: BALANCE - The Spiritually Advanced maintain BALANCE in living
So how many of these qualities do YOU possess?
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mind-mart said,
November 12th, 2006, 6:06 am
I never thought of some of those things as spiritual, but I guess they do nurture the spirit as well as the body.
Mind Mart said,
November 12th, 2006, 6:10 am
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Ranko Magami said,
November 20th, 2006, 8:31 am
Nice blog.
Yeah I can understand that being spiritual. It opens the heart and warms the soul.
I’d add one word
Giving.. is Spiritual
Priya Florence Shah said,
November 20th, 2006, 1:19 pm
You’re so right, Ranko! It’s one of the most important ways of connecting with your higher self. Can’t imagine why I left that out.
Jerry said,
November 24th, 2006, 12:44 pm
What a beautiful post. If more people found spirituality in the day to day beauty of life, this world would be a better, more peaceful and light-filled place. I just discovered your site and am really enjoying your energy. Ranko is right too , giving is so spiritual. Hard to reconcile that sometimes with the need to make a dollar, but in a way generosity is the opposite of hate!
Craig Harper said,
December 20th, 2006, 1:14 pm
Hey Priya - Awesome Post!
When I think spirituality, this is what I think about:
Do you ever wish you were different… or at least in a different situation?
The good news is:
Who we are, how we are and why we are, is a choice.
We get to choose the type of person we become.
We don’t have to be the product of our life-experiences.
We get to choose to be incredible, amazing, inspirational and exceptional human beings DESPITE our life experiences. DESPITE what the world or others have taught us. DESPITE our situation or circumstances.DESPITE our history and DESPITE the expectations of others.
Mother Teresa did.
Martin Luther did.
Nelson Mandela did.
They did exceptional things, they lived exceptional lives, they were exceptional.
By Choice.
What about you?
Keep up the great writing Priya!
Craig Harper
john@craigharper.com.au
http://www.craigharper.com.au
Liara Covert said,
January 4th, 2007, 12:57 pm
Hi Priya,
I really like the topic of this post. Many people I know tend to think spirituality is the same thing as organized religion. I tend to think spirituality is a very personal concept that embraces how I perceive meaning in life. I feel spiritual in cemeteries, in forests and in other peaceful places because something indescribable enables me to connect more deeply with my inner voice. I feel part of something magical beyond me that boosts my energy and faith in myself. I strengthen my willpower and my desire to learn from inspirational people who have touched my soul. Spirituality reminds me of the importance of a sense of freedom inside that is separate from regular perception. Spirituality is a vehicle to expand and stretch myself in meaningful, unforseeable ways.