Spirituality: What does that have to do with me?

As we contemplate "spirituality," the vast array of options mixed with varying religious beliefs, Can leave some wondering WHY? or Where do I start? Freston, in the excerpt below, took the thoughts out of my mind, I am eager to share.



Chapter 2: The Eight Pillars of Wellness, from the book, Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston

Spiritual Practice. Regardless of our particular spiritual orientation or religious affiliation, in our self-work we often come around to thinking about our souls and our spirits and what we are (or aren’t) doing to nurture them. Spiritual practice reminds us of what’s important. Even those of us who would say we are not religious can recognize that we are connected to some sort of deep and unified source, or what I will henceforth refer to as Spirit.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the original meaning of worship is a “state of condition of worth.” When you embrace worship, then, your aim is to embrace your real worth: the divine perfection that resides within you. No single religion or faith has a patent on this, of course. Whatever spiritual orientation you have, just be sure to build in some time for practice.
In my own life and my work, I have noticed again and again that when we don’t have any kind of spiritual practice, the ego tends to take over and gets us to thinking of ourselves as separate from the world, disconnected. Spiritual practice brings us back to our identification with something larger. It increases our capacity to love and be kind, both to ourselves and others. At its best, it is directed both inward (learning to love ourselves) and outward (learning to love others). Through spiritual practice---be it regular attendance at a church or a self-styled course of intensive reading in a particular tradition or philosophy—you learn that the more you can transcend the narrow focus of “me and mine,” the wider your circle of consideration can become. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddist monk and philosopher, says, “Without a spiritual dimension, we will not have the capacity to confront suffering, to transform suffering and to offer anything to life. A person without a spiritual path is a person walking in darkness. With a path, we are no longer afraid or worried.”
There are enough people who live and act in fear that our world is teetering on the brink of enormous change, and as I see it, the goal of any spiritual practice should be to shift the tide for each of us and the world from fear to love, from indifference to compassion. As we nurture the light within us, we can then shine it out onto the world.
As we grow in our faith, even if that just means acknowledging that there is more to life than meets the eye, we find ourselves more comfortable with our power and more directed in our purpose, and we are able to count on the support and guidance of a greater intelligence. Having a spiritual practice reminds us of life’s important truths: that we are all One, and that what we do to one person or being, we do to ourselves; that all of life is an expression of Spirit: and that at our truest, we are innocent and perfect. Sometimes you need to hear the truth a thousand times or in a thousand different ways before it begins to resonate, but it is still the truth. And putting ourselves in an atmosphere of constant coaching—through attending religious services or reading or praying alone or in a group—increases the velocity of our awakening.
If you do not currently have a spiritual practice, I have a couple of suggestions about choosing a teacher, a philosophy, or a place of worship:
1. Keep in mind the principles that you want to learn and embody
2. Steer clear of any school of thought that promotes distance, judgment, or ill will.

Many well-known and established religions have lost the mystical seed embraced by the great wisdom teachings: mercy, forgiveness, humility, benevolence, compassion, selflessness, and integrity. If you do not feel a genuine and widespread love for all people in a particular avenue of practice, consider going elsewhere. According to the system of spiritual development in “A Course in Miracles,” “A church that does not inspire love has a hidden altar that is not serving the purpose for which Spirit intended it”
Keep listening to your inner voice and decide if a teaching appeals to your core goodness or if it resonates with fear-based thinking. There is certainly no need to commit to and stay in one place only; nuggets of wisdom are everywhere you look, so feel free to explore different groups as you gather insights and inspirations.