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Let’s talk about spirituality.
Before we do. Stop for a short moment and play with me;
Close down your eyes
Take a DEEP breath in through the nose and sigh out the mouth
What three words come up when you think of ‘spiritually’
Hit reply and let me know your three words
It’s said that nothing has meaning until we give it meaning.
This seems appropriate for the term spirituality given the variety of responses you might get to the question ‘what is spirituality?’
One explanation of spirituality is the connection to a high power, a belief there is something more to being human than our sensory experience.
Another is the connection to a purpose that is greater than oneself. The pursuit of a mission that serves the world powerfully.
The great Dr Dimartini says “Spirituality is an expression of what inspires you as an individual according to your highest values”
My experience of spirituality is practical.
One aspect of this is living by a set of ideas and values I consider to be meaningful, and aspiring to those ideas and values moment-by-moment, expecting to come up short often and committing to keep trying.
This process involved 3 regular practices;
Intention; connecting with my Self and consciously choosing how to show up in alignment with those my values
Attention; becoming aware in the moment when I am aligning and misaligning and acknowledging what both feel like in the body
Reflection; non-judgmental reflection around how I showed up and understanding what happened and what I might do next time
I’ve learned that the energy I invest in these practices comes with an energetic return.
These practices support me to make aligned decisions quickly and easily, be courageous by having difficult conversations, step outside of my comfort zone with ease and ensure I make decisions that align with every-THING and ever-ONE I value.
I’m not perfect. I come up short on a weekly basis.
I also expect that, so I don’t judge myself.
Instead, I get curious about what led me to act in a certain way.
These ideas and values are not handcuffs and a whip, they are cloud-like railings that encourage me into alignment.
Here are 5 powerful books I read (in this order) that shaped my understanding of spirituality
Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle
Untethered Soul, Andrew Singer
7 Laws of Spiritual Success, Deepak Chopra
You Are Here Now, Thich Nhat Hanh
Toward Manhood; Into The Wilderness of The Soul, Larry Pesavento
What does spirituality mean to you?
I'm genuinely curious to hear from you, hit reply and let me know in a few short sentences, or an essay if you wish.
If you take the time to read any of these, I’d love to hear from you.
Be well,
Graham
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