Monday, June 25, 2012

Wheel of Life - Spirituality

Can I admit to you guys that I haven't been looking forward to this week's Wheel of Life?  I mean Spirituality? How daunting!!

All I could think was that I really wasn't qualified to talk about spirituality.  I believe myself to be a spiritual person, in fact I rated my satisfaction in this area quite high.  However, when it came down to it, I didn't really have a working definition of my spiritual path. Uh-oh.

source

So I did some research.  And by research, I mean I chatted with some close friends to see what their take on it was.  Here are some of the comments that I heard:

Regarding the definition of spirituality:  "It would depend on where you are in your life/journey. If you already have a church you would want to further that knowledge and deepen the relationship you have with your Heavenly Father and Jesus. If you haven't found a religion that you are a part of or a way to fulfill that part of your life than it would be to work toward finding what rings true to your soul."

(What rings true to your soul -- doesn't that sound like a perfect spiritual consideration?!)

source
One friend mentioned that her spiritual path involves "a community of believers, seekers, skeptics, and agnostics who are trying to find and follow God together."


I love how inclusive this particular mission statement is.

source

Yet another described her journey this way:  "I'm a Christian so, for me, it's about a personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus. I talk to Him daily and follow His leading in my life."

I am humbled by the strength of this woman's beliefs.

And then, one my oldest and dearest friends (she's not old, the friendship is old) shares her views:  "I suspect that all spirituality originated in nature, since before we had a command of technology we were dependent upon nature and it was a largely mysterious force, and one that could offer us redemption or death.  My own spirituality very much takes into account nature, and the reliable cycles of it.  I see birth, death, and rebirth in nature everywhere - all the cycles and seasons, all the promise of new life, are all reflected in nature.  It's such a grounding reality.  It's hard not to be humbled by the awareness of some force at work that is greater than I am when I'm surrounded like that."


Um,...yeah!

In the end, I think we all agreed that spirituality was different for every individual, and that it was a passage and not a destination.  

source

I spent some real time and consideration trying to create a definition for my own spirituality.  Here's what I came up with:  "My spiritual path is mainly about connections, recognizing that I am but a small slice of an immense pie (yes, even in spirituality I am thinking about food), and that my purpose and value is born of my relationships with others.  These connections are founded on love, honesty, and gratitude, and focus on my bonds with myself, with other living beings, with our natural world, and with the universe."  

If you want to hear the extra long version, where love manifests in compassion and consideration, and honesty bears integrity and ethics,....yadda yadda,....let me know and I'll post my spirituality manifesto.  :)

I would love to hear what your spiritual path entails.  Please feel free to share in the comments.

Here are a couple of quiz sites that may help you hone your understanding of your own spirituality.

Spirituality Quizzes:

Spiritual Gifts Quiz (this is a long one)






14 comments:

Tina Bradley said...

My spiritual practices are broad, but include yoga, meditation, time in nature, reflection. This is an important wheel--no doubt. T.

Danni@SiloHillFarm said...

This is an interesting post. I knew it would be. I guess I would have to say that a large part of my spiritual path is respecting everyone elses and not being a stumbling block on their path. As a side note....I love the pics here!

Little City Farm said...

Thanks for sharing Tina and Danni. I love the not being a stumbling block on someone else's path.

Maureen Wyatt said...

I have a firm belief in an after life and the importance of living a spiritual life. The exact road to take in the journey is a little less clear to me. I try to do the best I can in life and figure I'll have the answers given to me eventually. ~ Maureen

Adrianne Surian said...

Great post, Terry! I think this is a great approach to the topic - it's such a deeply personal thing for everyone.

Unknown said...

I too think you did a great job. Your research defiantly shows we can all learn from each other. I think it's great you shared your personal beliefs here.:)

Meredith @ Wait Til Your Father Gets Home said...

Fantastic post Terry! You took so much time to think and reflect on your idea of spirituality...if only everyone would :o)

Etcetorize said...

I agree, for many of us, this is the most daunting spoke of the wheel...but I think it's also one of the most interesting. I enjoyed the quizzes and found them surprisingly on target~

Melanie @ bear rabbit bear said...

Great job on the post Terry!

Heather @ A Cupcake Love Affair said...

Great job, my friend!! :)

Kara at Petals to Picots said...

Well done! I love the different views described, and the images are beautiful!

Macey said...

I can't define my spirituality. I think it's cuz I'm stupid. I'm going to take those quizzes.

Ann from On Sutton Place said...

Wow. This is thought-provoking. I consider myself a spiritual person but I don't wear it on my sleeve. My spirituality comes from a deep faith in God instilled in me by my upbringing in the Catholic Church. As far as my spiritual journey...well I am always getting lost. I wander off the road and at times really need a GPS. Finding my way back is sometimes challenging but I manage to do it. I guess what I'm saying is the foundation is always there. Not sure any of this makes sense. Thanks for a wonderful post.

Mindy said...

Ooooh, this one could have gotten ugly in the comments I think. Everyone seems to think their path is the "right" one. Which I think is understandable (although maybe not justifiable) if you believe whole-heartedly in something. Unfortunately, (or fortunately if you prefer the, it's a free country concept) everyone's belief is a little different, so it tends to get in the way of the point.
I love a good religious/spirituality debate because I'm one of those who just isn't sure and I like to hear the evidence or reasoning behind the belief.
I think a lot of times people just believe what they were brought up with or what someone has told them, and they don't have anything to back it up with.
All that being said, and without putting in my personal two cents, I've been doing a Bible study once a week for two years now and the whole thing is just fascinating to me.

If you enjoyed this read,...

Consider joining me over at my active blog: Write Create Connect
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...