Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 74 )
In a world of confusion and chaos around us, many are choosing spirituality as their guide through the darkness. It can provide the safety net needed to find calm in stormy times and comfort in the end. This blog post is about why so many people are turning to spiritualism for support, including an account of one woman's journey into finding spirituality at a time when Western culture did not provide it for her.
In this blog post I also give you some tips on how to help others find spirituality as well as what should be expected when considering becoming religious after so many years away from it.
Despite the chaos of our modern culture, we are able to find many reasons to be spiritual and have a sense of purpose that we can hold onto. When the world does not provide us with any answers, we often turn to spirituality for guidance.
This is a departure from my usual blog posts, but I felt it was a worthwhile account of why and how people are making this discovery as well as offering you some advice on how they can help others discover spirituality as well. I hope it is helpful in your own spiritual journey.
It would be glib of me to write this post with an attitude that spirituality is always right and that you should 'choose only positive' teachings in life. It is true that there are many levels of spirituality and that we are often left to make our own decisions about which path to follow.
That is not to say we should be blind in our decision making. It should not be based on what culture or family says, but on a personal evaluation of the teachings and lifestyle.
But how does one know what the right choice is? How does one evaluate a path? How does one sift through so many mixed messages and decide what is worth following? That is an important question and I do not have all the answers, but hopefully my experience will offer you some insight into how this process works.
I was raised as a Christian. It was the right thing to be. The whole country believed this. It was the most sensible option, but it offered me no real spiritual guidance.
I was never really a believer in the teachings of Christ or Christianity, because I always felt there was something missing for me. Despite my doubts about Christianity, I still found comfort and direction from it's teachings.
In my 20s life became confusing when a series of personal events led to some incredible changes in how I saw myself and the world around me. By the time I reached my 30s things had changed dramatically for me; so much so that I hardly recognized myself in photos from my youth or early adulthood. The experiences were so powerful that I had no choice but to reevaluate my entire life.
It was then that I began to look for spiritual guidance from other sources, because I knew my life was changing and so should my beliefs. That journey led me to a few common threads such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and the New Age movement. In short, the search led me to some common truths: a respect for nature, the belief in reincarnation, karma, not being able to possess material things or wealth as it would be taken away when you died and the idea that people should do good deeds which would eventually lead them to happiness.
But despite these common threads, no single religion or teacher was able to answer all my questions. That is why I became interested in New Age and mysticism.
I knew that while I could not change the world, I could still make a difference. I could contribute to making it a better place for everyone involved.
This led me to a variety of beliefs and practices from different faiths, but eventually I found solace in New Age teachings because they offered me more guidance than any other religion or practice.
I chose to believe that the human race was no longer the only spiritual being, but that we were part of a larger whole. The universe is all one and I could find peace by accepting that we are all one.
When I accepted this truth I made a promise to do my best to make the world a better place and ultimately be of service to others.
That is how I found New Age spirituality: by allowing myself to realize that this world has something to offer and searching for what it was within me, around me, in people around me and out there in the world, where there are those who need love, care and direction.
By becoming the spiritual being I could be, I could make this world a better place. By showing love, care and compassion to others, I would be a better person. By helping others heal their wounds, they would help me to heal mine. When we healed together, we healed each other. This is how spiritual practice works so beautifully on a deeply personal level.
I soon realized that this process of being the spiritual being that I could be was not about beliefs or rituals or practices in itself. It was about living my life by my own beliefs and following my own path as well as helping others along theirs in exactly the same way.
I have also come to realize that while I have found my path, it is not the right path for everyone. But if we are willing to learn from each other we can find commonalities in our spiritual search and start to build a better future for us all.
That is what spirituality is all about and because no one else can tell us otherwise, I believe this is how we should approach spirituality. It requires listening to our own inner guidance and living by it's principles so that we lead by example and show others how to help heal this world, even when it seems impossible.
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, but loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." ~Ancient Indian Proverb
I am not a Buddhist or Hindu or Taoist, but I am sure that their teachings would agree with this notion.
Today I will give thanks for all the teachers in my life and all that they have helped me to learn, including myself.
May we be kind to each other and may we make this world a better place for us all.
Written by Emiliana Sandoval founder of Spirituality & Health Magazine For more information about Emiliana Sandoval's work, click here. You may also read her blog at http://www.emilianasandoval.
Conclusion
I am sure that you have come across many more reasons to be a spiritual seeker. If so, share them with us, because I believe this list is incomplete and should be open to additions.
Keep on seeking, keep on practicing and keep on growing.
We will all meet again someday in the spiritual realm, which is the only true supernatural reality that exists for us all.
Until then, May you be well and May life be kind to you.
Sincerely…
The Old Man At The Bridge
P.S.