Your Spiritual Journey Begins Now
Choose your own God
Herbert Spencer is a philosopher that I find quite interesting. He states:
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-----that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
Defining spirituality is a personal description. Search, find, redefine, search, find, redefine...Spirituality can be that connection with our inner self to the God or our Higher Power and that connection to the universe. It is all of the feelings and beliefs that you have as an individual on all different life topics. As you change and grow, your ideas may change also.
SPIRITUALITY VS RELIGION
Spirituality is a topic that often gets confused with religion. There is nothing wrong with any religion. Spirituality can be expressed through religion. You have probably met "religious" people who know nothing about spirituality. And, met people that are involved in their religion that are the most spiritual people you know! They are the people that you enjoy being around. They are positive most of the time and they usually have a smile on their face. They rarely are in a bad mood. Wonder if they have a "God" of their undetstanding? Hmmmm.....
A GREATER POWER?
Knowing that a power greater than yourself that can be called upon to help through life is very comforting. Call this energy whatever you want....God, Higher Power, Yahweh........etc. Have you ever heard the saying, "to thine ownself be true"? Believing in a God of your understanding helps you to get and stay healthy.
WHY?
Because defining what God means to you will bring peace and serenity. You can achieve this connection by learning meditation. This also helps to eliminate stress and we can all agree that stress plays a huge part in physical wellness. All of this affects the other areas of wellness.
HOWEVER...
A lot of us search our whole lives and don't define what spirituality is. Maybe you don't have to define it. Maybe spirituality is about experiencing true peace and serenity. Just knowing that something bigger than you does exist is in itself a definition.
Possibly having a relationship with this God of your understanding will help with a spiritual journey. This is the primary relationship that works for some people.
Your idea of God may change over the years and that is ok. Maintaining an attitude of gratitude and openmindedness is essential for spiritual growth.
So....whatever you decide your GOD is, trust it, honor it, know it and ask for help from it. If you have trouble with praying, here is a simple prayer that may help you:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
