spiritual awareness
The Key Elements Of Spirituality
One of the core principles of spirituality is the belief that we are all connected to something greater than ourselves. Whether we call this higher power God, Source, Spirit, the Universe, or the Divine, this belief is the fundamental tenet of all religions and spiritual traditions.
By recognizing our connection to something greater than ourselves and the interconnectedness of all things, we find a sense of peace and purpose that transcends our individual concerns and uncertainties.
Another important aspect of spirituality is the concept of mindfulness. Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment, without judgment or distraction.
By practicing mindfulness, we become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, and learn to cultivate a greater sense of inner peace and calm. Mindfulness can take many forms, from simple breathing exercises to more elaborate meditation practices.
Gratitude is another key component of a truly spiritual lifestyle. By cultivating a sense of appreciation for the gifts and blessings in our lives, we shift our focus away from self-limiting fear, negativity, lack consciousness and a scarcity mentality towards the love, hope, benevolence and abundance that surrounds us.
Whether we are grateful for our health, our relationships, or simply the beauty of the natural world, expressing gratitude can help us feel more content and fulfilled.
True Spirituality Is About Everyday Existence
It is often assumed that to lead a truly spiritually aware life we must increasingly distance ourselves from the material world and be more fully immersed in the spiritual world. We must reduce our involvement with all things physical, and instead focus exclusively on the non-physical or metaphysical.
This is, however, not what being truly ‘spiritual’ is about. True spirituality is in fact quite the opposite. It is about living this physical life to the fullest. It is about being present in every moment and living with joy, appreciation, and gratitude.
Spiritual living is about honoring and expressing the love, grace and compassion of God, Source, Spirit, the Divine in our everyday existence. It is about relishing in the divine beauty and abundance of creation, and embracing the unconditional love and light of divinity in our lives every day.
As spiritual beings in physical form we do need material things in order survive in this physical reality, and ensure a more fluid, comfortable existence. And while we are busy focusing our time and energy on acquiring those material things that we need, it does not mean we are no longer being spiritual, or not being ‘spiritual enough.’
For instance, most of us need to work to earn a living, to put food on the table and a roof over our head. Going to work every day and being of service is just as much a spiritual act as spending time in transcendental meditation, for example, or participating in a prayer circle.
To Lie, To Live, To Believe
Our brains are naturally wired to recognize patterns, find connections between seemingly unrelated things, and draw analytical conclusions from our observations. We all use this ability every day without even knowing it.
It is a talent we inherited from our ancient ancestors. Professor Robert C. Barkman explains that “pattern recognition was key to the survival of our Neanderthal ancestors, allowing them to identify poisonous plants, distinguish predator from prey, and interpret celestial events. Today, pattern recognition plays new, but just as important roles in diagnosing diseases, inspiring new ways to safeguard data, and discovering new planets.”
This amazing ability is however seldom mentioned or considered in spiritual and metaphysical circles. But Spirit has over the years guided me towards greater spiritual insight and metaphysical understanding by taking me on interesting journeys of analysis and pattern recognition towards profound insights and relevations.
For example, while meditating during Easter a few weeks ago, my guides took me ‘down a rabbit hole’ on the decisive word believe. The first insight I discovered was that right in the middle of the word ‘believe’ there hides another, more disheartening little word: lie.
Of course, ‘believe’ is a good word. It is the cornerstone to faith and living a spiritually empowered life. But the hidden word ‘lie’ inside it reminds us that we must also have a living faith for it to be authentic and powerful. And, if you drop the letter ‘v’ into ‘lie,’ it becomes the word ‘live.’
A Quantum Leap Into Powerful Manifestation
I have been experiencing profound manifestations in recent times. It all began with an unusual spiritual encounter that led to a heightened connection with my higher self and the spirit realm. It inspired a personal quantum leap that profoundly transformed my life and especially empowered me to achieve greater levels of successful manifestation.
For example, I struggled with limited physical mobility for over two decades due to peripheral neuropathy. It is a nerve condition that causes weakness, numbness and discomfort in my feet and toes that has made normal walking a painful challenge for many years.
But all that has been rapidly changing, due to my enhanced manifesting ability. I have recently begun to walk more frequently without a cane, and I fully expect to soon be able to permanently kick the old crutch to the curb!
One of my friends was so impressed by all the positive outcomes she has lately been witnessing in my life, that she also began making more of an effort with her own spiritual practice.
She used to labor with feelings of insecurity, sadness, and cynicism due to many disappointments in her life. As much as she had dreamed of becoming a wife and mother someday, it never materialized for her. The men that crossed her path never fully appreciated all her beautiful qualities.
The Spiritual Wisdom Of Solitude
In the age of digital ‘connection,’ we are becoming more socially disconnected than ever before in human history. In fact, loneliness has become a secret epidemic profoundly affecting many people all over the world. A 2022 study of the prevalence of loneliness across 113 countries found that “problematic levels of loneliness are experienced by a substantial proportion of the population in many countries.”
There is strong evidence that loneliness or social isolation is a serious health risk that increases premature death from all causes, similar to smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise. It is also specifically linked to higher rates of heart failure, dementia, depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Loneliness must however not be confused with solitude, which is in fact a powerful aspect of spiritual practice that has been practiced since the dawn of time.
Loneliness is the feeling of being alone and isolated, regardless the amount of social contact. In other words, social isolation can cause a sense of loneliness in some of us, but we can also feel intensely lonely without being socially isolated. One can feel lonely even when there are many people present in our life.
Solitude, on the other hand, is the conscious choice to be alone, usually for the purpose of personal reflection, recharging one’s energy, spiritual contemplation, or simply enjoyment of your own company. It’s about purposely choosing to be present with yourself, rather than the lack of social connection.