On a very fundamental level, we can define spirituality as everything influencing our physical world and our soul. The invisible affects every one of us. In fact, this invisible part of ourselves is the very essence of our lives and spirituality. Clarifying how to define spirituality differently is part of being in the physical world.
We have spiritual experiences all the time. Spirituality is not just about recognizing the mystery unseen but consciously seeking to develop a greater sensitivity to the mysteries in life. It’s about noticing a tiny spark that’s inside and nurturing that divine seed. Divine energy is grounded in the ‘laws’ that govern all of life and the physical world.
Everything in the physical world emanates spiritual experience.
So often we try to change our physical circumstances by ‘moving things around’ in the physical world. Transforming the truth about spiritual experience repairs our discomfort and disconnect. The outer world flows from the inner world. When you connect to your own spirituality, you connect to the very source of everything in the world. You uplift your world by first transforming and uplifting your own inner world and your inner vision. Figure out who you are.
So above, so below
The greatest challenge is how to define spirituality differently which often means using religious connotations and re-framing them for who you are. We base religious institutions on outward experience and conforming to someone’s rules. Spirituality is not so much about fitting into a system, but more about unique and surprising experiences that come to define you. It is deeply personal, and extraordinary, and often very hard to express in words.
Since the seed of divinity is already inside you (it is the essence of life), hearing the right words may trigger awakening to a higher level of consciousness. This is consciousness that transcends the physical world and your ordinary sensory perceptions of life. From this point of view religion can be a useful tool to find your own spiritual center, but religion without spirituality can be very empty. Most often it becomes an emotional experience rather than a spiritual one.
They riddle religion with superstition, rules and dogma.
The rules and dogmas which the organized church defends and preserves are one thing and personal experience of God is quite another. The established Church is like wearing someone else’s shoes – if it is the right size it feels uncomfortable, but if you wear them enough eventually they become your own. Shoes are a tool to protect your feet when the environment is rough or cold.
One of the most powerful and useful ways to define spirituality for yourself is to recognize and nurture that divine spark deep within. As you grow in your understanding of this spiritual dimension, you will see others more clearly. This happens precisely when you know who you are, then you can know others and see yourself in them. Compassion. Ultimately spirituality is about enriching your experience of life and to see a greater sense of meaning and purpose in all of life. How to define spirituality differently hinges on that still silent voice of knowing. It is your spirit, and it is your constant companion on life’s journey. It is your own personal connection to the highest intelligence present in all of life.
