Finding your own truth
SPIRITUALITY is defined as the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Modern spirituality is said to centre on “the deepest values and meanings by which people live”. It envisions an inner path, enabling a person to discover the essence of his being.
These days, more and more people are subscribing to the idea that spirituality is a subjective space.
When you talk to another person about the spiritual path, the conversation can take many pathways — down the traditional route of religious belief or to a totally unstructured experience of an individual’s perception of what it means to him.
Modern-day spirituality includes various contexts such as experiences and beliefs in the supernatural realm, a search for a higher power or the true meaning of life and our purpose here.
SENSE OF FREEDOM
Among some of the issues that many people face today are that of conformity and restrictions.
People get overly stressed having to comply with a particular structure. Many people desire a sense of freedom. When asked what it is that they want to be free of, they can’t really pinpoint what it is exactly because it’s more about the feeling of being free.
The psychological impact of being able to make our own decisions in life vis-a-vis how we choose to live it plays a big role on how we work through challenges.
Dr Steven Southwick’s book,
describes how some people overcome trauma by seeking comfort in spirituality or religion.
APPLYING THE TEACHINGS OF SPIRITUALITY IN LIFE
A contemplative practice is a combination of non-judgmental observation, meditation and reflection to understand the complexities of life, to reach a certain space of peace, and quiet the mind of daily stresses.
Stress is a major cause of physical health decline and applying contemplative practice to your life will help you to cope better. Being in contemplation allows one to deeply connect to oneself and others. You can decide what matters most to you, the values that you want to live by and what you believe to be right that is not influenced by others. How liberating that can be!
When you start to embrace the newfound practice of spirituality in your life, you will learn to respect others in new ways as you now respect yourself. You will not impose on others what you do not believe in or make someone else feel wrong about how they choose to live their life.
You will start to see things differently as you observe your family, your friends and loved ones. You will find that you are more accepting of their behaviour in terms of their spirituality as well as the choices they make in life, from personal decisions and work to family decisions.
Imagine a world where deep respect is the core value of all relationships instead of drama or personal agenda! How much more harmonious life and families can be!