“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
The concept of spirituality, divine consciousness, gods, goddesses or a realm of the sacred dates back to the beginning of civilization. When we open our minds, we can expand our consciousness to different states of being. Spirituality involves the recognition of a feeling, sense or belief that there is something greater than oneself, something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater whole of which we are a part of is cosmic or divine in nature. Enlightening our souls to spirituality can enrich our lives in ways we never thought possible. Today spirituality is placed on the back burner because society is more focused on materialism and less on the spiritual realm. As information and scientific reasoning have evolved, the importance of spirituality has shifted, from a central part of one’s life to a less practised and understood subset. Many people see science and spirituality as mutually exclusive; however, they also have many overlaps. After all isn’t science just an explanation of the natural order of the universe. The opening of the heart and mind is an essential aspect of true spirituality. The advantages found in living a spiritual life extend far beyond the 5 points illustrated here, but these points have a considerable impact on the contentment we can achieve during our life.
The 5 ways spirituality can change your life forever:
1. Humility
2. Faith
3. Mindfulness
4. Love
5. Acceptance
Humility
Humility can be seen as a true understanding of the nature of one’s self, the entire bigger picture, reflecting both the positive and negative aspects of life. Being able to see both sides and accept them is the goal of being humble. Accepting that the universe is a vast space and we are but one small part of it can humble us into perceiving the universe quite differently. This shift in perspective can broaden the principle of humility in our lives, and free us from false pride and arrogance. Arrogance typically leads to a state of intolerance and close mindedness, limiting the amount of information we take in and accept. By maintaining a student’s mindset we constantly keep an open mind to new information and never hold contempt prior to investigation. With an open mind to new ideas, and new ways of living, we accept instead of reject things in our life. Being humble goes hand in hand with keeping an open mind. It can lead us to wider states of being, and can help us gain new perspectives on old ideas. The evolution of one’s perspective is a gift that allows us to the see the world differently on a continued basis. Humility can be hard to obtain as it can often only be procured through a checking of one’s ego; but though difficult it is central to self growth and perseverance. Humble people are said to handle stress more effectively and report higher levels of physical and mental well-being. They also show greater generosity, helpfulness and gratitude, all things that only serve to draw us closer to each other. Humility can help us align ourselves with the spirit of the universe and aid in the recognition of the natural universal order observed by the rest of earth’s organisms.
Faith
The Idea of faith is often associated with religion. However, it can also be detached from organized religion and revisited through a spiritual lens. Faith allows us to trust that life is just as it should be and gives us the ability to move through our day feeling cared for and supported. Faith can often be attributed to one’s level of optimism as well as one’s self-esteem. Faith doesn’t always relate specifically to god; it can include faith in other living things, in science or even that the universe is being looked after, although we don’t exactly know how. Faith can be described as the confidence or trust we have in a person, concept or thing. Our ever evolving shift in consciousness allows us to perceive the universe as a place of belonging as opposed to a place that requires ultimate explanation. People often rely on faith in their ideals to get through difficult periods by knowing that the balance of nature will resume and eventually even itself out. By recognizing this balance with optimism, stronger mental clarity and feelings of well-being can pervade for a longer period and become more of the rule instead of the exception to good health, self-esteem and overall happiness.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a way of looking at the world and ourselves without judgment and expectations; seeing things just as they are. As such, three of the most important qualities of mindfulness are attention, intention and attitude. Attention is occurring at the present moment; simply observing thoughts, feelings and sensations as they arise. Intention is how we cultivate awareness and return to it again and again. Finally, attitude shows us that we can approach things in a non judgmental, curious and kind way. Mindfulness is a principal that holds us accountable for our actions and their direct impact on the people around us. Being mindful also helps us stay directly in the moment as we are able to see exactly what we are doing, and not focus on what we did or what we plan to do. Practices such as mindful meditation can help these thoughts wash away and create clarity for us to refocus on our center and help align our chakras to regain their balance that may have been lost through more frivolous pursuits. Through this spiritual development we can not only hope to achieve a greater transparency of thought, but can also deem to work towards the expulsion of feelings such as anxiety and depression that seek to hold us back from our goals. Being mindful in the moment is something that can change our entire way of being and set us on an entirely different trajectory through the universe.
Love
Love is the essence of spirituality, the understanding that we are love, and that it is our universal constant. Love for one’s self, those around us and the universe as a whole is an important aspect in finding out the purpose our lives hold for us and how we fit into the nature of all life. Love allows us to have empathy and compassion for those in our lives. Through the world and it’s thousands of spiritual philosophies, love is often found at the center as an important teaching aspect and catalyst for spiritual awakening. Finding support through these practices, from friends, books, songs or nature can be a worthy exercise in achieving a better love and understanding of how our life matters. The notion of the love you take being equal to the love you make is not merely one expounded by The Beatles, but a touchstone to how our actions affect the universe. Radiating positive energy and allowing love to spread through you to all living and non living things fills the world with positive vibrations, that can be deeply felt across the universe.
Acceptance
The path to acceptance is not easy, to not resist life and make room for what is or what is to come makes space for love and reception of all things. By accepting what we can control as opposed to obsessing over the things that we can’t our overall well-being will prosper and the rope that ties us to negative thoughts will become untethered. Acceptance further allows us to relinquish control and equips us with a more fluid and permeable state fostering positivity. These calm vibes that can be generated will be felt by those around us and allow for an ease of any tension that deems to disrupt our ability for smooth connection and communication. By relaxing into the moment rather than constantly fighting with the past or future can open the door to peace of mind, helping us embrace the now. This will lead to a better use of your time as you seek to understand the things that have been holding you back and help you to stop concentrating on the problem but rise to the level of the solution. Acceptance and resistance counteract each other, acceptance allows you to move forward, while resistance keeps you stagnant. By removing resistance we are able to move forward. By letting going of the things you can’t control, you make room for love, happiness, and wellness.
“Some people awaken spiritually without ever coming into contact with any meditation technique or any spiritual teaching. They may awake simply because they can’t stand the suffering anymore. “
-Eckhart Tolle
These five principals of spirituality help us tune into the universe and enter a deeper region of being which gets blocked out or lost, as we are consumed by the material world. Animals are tuned in to the frequency of the natural order of the universe because they are immersed in the present moment which keeps them in touch with their true essence which is love, they are not ruled by the ego. This frequency is often lost on humans because of our connection to the material world and our lack of connection the divine. However, real contentment can only be found in the spiritual realm, and is not obtainable in the world of materialism. Through the improvement of their spiritual well-being people can hope to push past this hold and have a superior connection to not only the physical universe but the spiritual one as well. Ego and ignorance can stand in the way of entering the spiritual realm. Remaining open minded allows us to become a spiritual student and look at the world through many lenses. This is essentially how spirituality can change your life and allow you the tools needed to be more mindfully aware of the love, empathy and compassion needed to connect with all living things.
