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Spirituality, more and more people claim to practice it nowadays. And, for sure, you’ve heard of it or come in touch with it in one way or another. But when it comes to defining spirituality, what it is, and its purpose, almost nobody can provide a clear, relatable, and easy-to-understand answer. Thus, creating tons of confusion and causing way more suffering than necessary.
The point of spirituality is as simple as it is complex at the same time. The objective of spirituality is simply to restore the awareness of your true spiritual essence beyond your experience as a human being in a physical body. And to find Spirit deep within the core of your existence. That will then open you up to realizing your eternal reality as Spirit. And thus, once you’ve accepted this new truth, spirituality becomes the art of recognizing Spirit in absolutely everything. And what that brings you is inner peace, joy, and happiness. I think you will agree this is a big deal and well worth it to pursue the practice of true spirituality.
Everybody wants to experience more inner peace, joy, and happiness. But not everyone is willing to do what it takes to understand and learn about true spirituality. To make it a bit easier to comprehend so you too can apply the changes that will lead to a more satisfying life, you can take the first step by learning how the practice of spirituality leads to these desirable states of mind.
What is the real meaning of spirituality?
An essential term in spirituality is “undoing” or “unlearning.” With all the so-called spiritual practices you see today, it’s easy to be deceived or misguided. They teach us things like yoga, wearing or carrying crystals, meditating, and many other spiritual disciplines are part of spirituality. But the truth is that spirituality is only of the mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I practice yoga almost every day, I love crystals and even had an online store where I sold crystals and salt lamps some years ago, and I (sort of) meditate regularly as well. But I know very well none of these things are spiritual practices. What makes them spiritual is what you do in your mind while you engage in these activities. In itself, they are not spiritual, but for many people, they can be tools to facilitate the practice of true spirituality.
As long as in your mind you are fully aware of the presence of Spirit in everything and everyone you encounter, including yourself, you embody the true meaning of spirituality.
What are examples of spirituality?
Because spirituality is only something that occurs in your mind, it’s not possible to provide coherent examples of spirituality or spiritual practices that take place in your external environment. However, it is possible to give an example from my personal experience that will help you to understand it better.
This example occurred in October 2018. My manager pulled me into a small meeting room where the HR manager was waiting with a bunch of papers to tell me I could pack my bags and leave because it was my last day of work at the company. I just got fired. I already suspected this was a possibility, but not so soon. The department was under reconstruction, and common sense led me to believe that, sooner or later, they would lay me off.
Sitting in that room with these people, knowing I was about to put my signature as an acknowledgment of my dismissal, was a surreal experience. But to my surprise, I immediately started to see them for who they are in reality. I saw them as Spirit. I didn’t see them as the women that were laying me off. It was evident they felt very awkward and uncomfortable, and it was me who put them at ease, telling them that “I had been there on the other side multiple times”, and I knew how these things went down.
So, while they were doing their mandatory legal talk, I read the paperwork and double-checked the financial side of the dismissal when I simultaneously continued to see them as Spirit. This had a calming effect on the three of us, and I even made a few jokes to relax the whole situation. To my amazement, I felt calm at all times, at peace, and under control. Even while my entire life just turned upside down and my future became a lot more uncertain.
When the chat was over, I couldn’t enter my laptop anymore and my, by then, ex-manager escorted me out of the building. And while this entire act was completely over the top and unnecessary, I never felt any anger, grudge, or negative emotions towards her at all. I thanked her for the almost two years we worked together, wished her all the best for the future, hugged her, and said goodbye.
Inner peace
You can clearly see in this example that the practice of spirituality provided me with inner peace throughout what otherwise would’ve been a very stressful and traumatizing experience. Not only for me. But also for the women who had the task of bringing the news of the dismissal.
Who wouldn’t want to be able to feel and express inner peace in whatever situation? That is what true spirituality can bring you. Inner peace, regardless of your external circumstances. A calm mind with controlled thoughts, always directed towards love, compassion, and unity.
Joy
When you can control your mind like this, and your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behavior match, it must lead to outbursts of joy because joy is one of your natural states of being. And when you take away all external stimuli, your natural state of mind cannot be altered. That means spirituality eventually has to lead to a clean mind, a healed mind, freed from the burden of the world. Free to be, and express the natural longing to love and be loved without any conditions.
Happiness
And what will be the result of uninterrupted inner peace, joy, and the freedom to truly love and be loved? Happiness.
Everyone goes through life trying to be happy, chasing one temporary fix after another. And wondering why happiness never lasts much longer than a few instants. And as long as you continue to seek the cause of happiness outside of yourself, you will never find it and be able to keep it.
Happiness is an inside job. But it’s not even something you can work towards or actively create for yourself. It simply is a result of the consistent practice of true spirituality. That constant practice first leads to inner peace, and happiness will then be a logical consequence of that inner peace.
Therefore, instead of seeking happiness, seek inner peace. Once you have inner peace, everything else will fall in its place. And that is the point of spirituality.
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