PERFECT DAY TIP #4: BE A SPIRIT JUNKIE

Today's Perfect Day Tip is about everyday spirituality. Spirituality for the modern world.

Gone are the days where being spiritual meant retreating in to a cave and meditating for hours on end. More and more people are waking up to the idea of everyday spirituality - bringing spiritual principles in to the moments of your day to day life in the aim of cultivating peace, flow and authenticity.

What feelings/thoughts/images does the word spirituality conjure up for you? What ever it is, let it go! We do not need to define spirituality or box it in to some stereotypical image. Spirituality does also not necessarily have to relate to anything religious either. It is an individual and personal practice that can be adapted and moulded by each individual to meet whatever it is they are needing. 

This is why I love the work of Gabrielle Bernstein. I have referred so many people on to the teachings of this phenomenal lady. She totally demystifies spirituality and breaks it down for the modern day woman (or man) in to manageable practices that can lead to transformational change. 

Integrating spiritual principles simply means shifting your perceptions and learning to see the world in new ways. It is not so much about what you are doing, but who you are being. Through a spiritual practice you can connect with yourself and others in a completely new way, and the way that you view the world shifts. As a result of these mental shifts, you will find that your physical, external world begins to reflect this change back to you and shifts start to occur. This practice is such a beautiful contrast to the standard action-focused way of living. 

MY CORE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

As I mentioned, what being spiritual means to each of us is totally unique and different. But I would like to share some of the core principles that underlay my concept of spirituality. If some of these do not resonate with you, that is fine. This is about finding out what spirituality means to you.

HERE ARE MINE:

+ We have infinite potential. We can be, do or have anything we want. There are no limitations, except for the limitations that we impose upon ourselves.
+ At our core we are love. When we think from a place of fear, we are living in illusion and are not connected to our truth
+ Forgiveness heals all wounds
+ Everything is energy. We are made of energy. The energy that we give off will attract a similar energy. The energy of our thoughts and emotions alters the energy of our body and the outer world.
+ We are all spiritual beings on this planet having a human experience
+ There is a higher part of ourselves that we have access to. This is our inner guidance. It is our intuition. By tuning in and listening, we can receive guidance, messages and learning's

+ We cannot judge, blame or criticise others for things we do not like about them, as they are merely reflecting back at us the things we do not like about ourselves

+ What goes around, comes around. What you give out, you get back

+ Gratitude multiplies. Whatever you are grateful for will expand in your life
+ The world is our mirror. It reflects back to us what we put out. The outer world is a reflection of what is going on inside of us. All the people in our life are mirrors of the light and darkness that exists inside us
+ When live in flow, and we are willing to listen we will be guided to everything we need
+ We are all one. We all made of the same stuff. We are all equal. We are all connected.

+ Our purpose is to remember who we really are and to begin to create a new world around us that is filled with light, connection, love, consciousness, peace and joy
+ The universe is governed by universal laws, and by following these laws we can create a universe around us that is as exactly how we desire

When I live from this place, the world looks different. I experience more magic. Life seems to flow. Little things do not bother me. Peace comes easily. Happiness feels like my natural state.

EXPLORE WHAT SPIRITUALITY MEANS TO YOU

+ BE OPEN AND WILLING: Start by simply becoming curious. Are you holding on tightly to your set of current beliefs about the world, or are you willing to see things in a new way? Start to entertain the idea that perhaps some of the things you have come to know about the world, are not actually true. Start to explore some new concepts and try some new things on. Unless your mind is open, flexible and willing you will not be able to allow anything new in.

+ READ: Start reading new books. Simply walk in to a bookstore with the intention of gaining some new awareness of what spirituality could mean to you, and see what books you are lead too. Seriously, you will be lead. Gabrielle talks about how her first spiritual text, A Course In Miracles, literally fell or the shelf and dragged her to the counter.

+ CONNECT WITH NEW PEOPLE: Over the course of the past 10 years I have dabbled in and out of living and breathing my spiritual practice, but the times where it has been the strongest, is when I have had a community of like minded people around me. It can be intimidating at first to attempt to connect with new types of people and discuss unfamiliar topics. But if this is something you are seeking, it will help so much. Keep your eye out for local community events, meditation or yoga classes, free talks etc or simply connect with like minded peeps on the web!

+ MEDITATE: I have written about the benefits of meditation previously. But I am telling you now it is the number one way to begin to explore spirituality. Through meditation, you will find your self relax. Your mind will slow. You will be able to let go of some of your crazy, fearful thinking and reconnect with your truth. You may also begin to hear the whisper of your intuition which can begin to guide you and lead you. 

+ JOURNAL: The foundations of spirituality, lie in your relationship with yourself. A spiritual connection starts with a connection with yourself. Journalling is a great tool for this! Start by free writing about your thoughts and feelings. Tune your attention inwards and let what is inside you pour out. You may even write a question, and see what answer comes forth. By taking time to connect with yourself you will be able to develop a much greater awareness of the spiritual thread that flows through your life.

So, over to you. I would love for you to share your experiences...
+ What does spirituality mean to you?
+ What are your spiritual practices

THE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS

Wikipedia defines an Existential Crisis as "a stage of development at which an individual questions the very foundations of their life: whether their life has any meaning, purpose or value" Such a crisis is said to be triggered by a significant event in a persons life. This causes you begin to question your existence and what role you want to play in this world.

Almost exactly one year ago I moved to a new city and embarked on a new journey. I decided that it was time to finally get to know myself and get to the bottom of this thing called life. I wanted to know my purpose, I wanted to know what was real. I felt disillusioned by the world. Everything felt confusing and scary. I was 20-something and totally lost.

So, I began my search. I needed to find something somewhere that felt real and stable. I needed to find something in my life that held some type of meaning. I always knew I wanted to contribute something big to the world, but what was it? Would I ever find that thing that I truly loved to do in life? What were my passions? What were my natural talents? Who was I, really?

Wikipedia further states "existentialism posits that a person can and does define the meaning and purpose of their life, and therefore must choose to resolve the crisis of existence."

For the past year I have been trying to 'resolve the crisis of existence.' I have meditated, and I have prayed. I have been on cleansing diets. I have read books. I have spoken to angels.I have cried out for help. I have seen therapists. I have journaled and done yoga. I have painted and danced. I have gone to workshops, seminars, classes and been in search of teachers in whatever form they may come in. I have opened my heart, lived with gratitude, shown unconditional love, and connected with my spiritual essence. I feel like all I have been doing for the past year is beg for answers, and now at last I feel like I am beginning to find them.

Deep down I knew all along that the answers were always inside of me. It was just a matter of getting quiet and not letting the fear deter me from peeling back the layers to find them.

So, here I am now. One year later. On the outside not much has changed. But on the inside a lot has.

My problem has been that during this dark and challenging time, my usual preoccupation with the distractions of the outside world seemed to fade. I was no longer drawn to wear the latest clothes and look my best so that others would approve of me. I stopped bothering to achieve lofty goals so I could gloat to others of my achievements. I ate for nourishment and comfort which contrasted to my normal need to be on a calorie constricted diet to ensure I felt skinny. My high heels were substituted for thongs. I quit my gym membership. I got rid of quite a few possessions. I lost interest in the dating scene and the need to again attention from the opposite sex purely to ensure I felt good about myself. My one and only intention has been to sort out what the hell is going on inside of me. Basically I have just been trying to survive.

So, suddenly I feel as if I have awoken from a long sleep. I have stepped out from the depths of my inner journey to find that the outside me has kind of 'let herself go' so to speak. I wouldn't say that I have lost total touch with reality. I am not looking completely tragic and I am still shaving my legs, but it seemed for a while there that a lot of those outer things that used to really matter, didn't really matter at all.

Equipped with my new found inner strength and clarity, I am ready to now begin working on the stuff around me. Over the past year things like my bank balance, my career, my physical body, my worldly goals and my relationships seemed to come second to my journey of self discovery. But now, I feel the need to once again make them a priority. I am back.

Top of the list is; join up to a new gym (with plenty of yoga classes), pay off my credit card and resume my usual savings plan, begin paying more attention to what is going in my mouth and eat more for health rather than comfort, get out and about and meet new people, kick start my new career by commencing my life coach training in the next few months, and do pretty much anything new that is out of my comfort zone.

While my crisis is far from resolved. It feels good to feel excited about life again. My inner journey pulled me down in to the depths of who I really was. I am now a stronger, clearer and more energised than ever to ensure my outer world results are a clear reflection of my inner world transformation.