What is Spirituality?
"Katie, you talk so much about spirituality but what is it? what does that mean?"
I kind of skipped over the entire introduction of the idea of spirituality and just started to talk about it, but I think it's important for people to know what spirituality means to me. I think its a word that can be used to talk about many different things and it has a different definition depending on who you talk to and how that person is feeling at the moment. One person's meaning of spirituality can change throughout their life based on their experiences. Spirituality is an extremely broad term, but it primarily includes a connection to something or someone bigger than ourselves. Most spiritual people are searching for the meaning of life and trying to find meaning in their life, like most structured religions.
To me, spirituality is just the umbrella term for your way of life and how you go about living, what your morals are, and how you interact with the world. It can include people of a certain and specific religion that is already established, like Christianity. Spirituality can also mean the incorporation of many different religions, ways of life, and philosophies into your own individual belief system. Spiritual connections can come from a church, religion, a personal relationship with a higher power, or even through nature and art. While spirituality can incorporate aspects of religion, spirituality is not a religion. Spirituality is about how and why you feel connection, where you find meaning and value in life, and questions how you should live. While religions focus on practices and rituals you need to do, what is right and wrong according to the religion, and what is truth.
So when I say spirituality in regards to my life it is more about bringing aspects of all cultures, religions, and philosophies into my very own set of beliefs and my own way of life. At the very core of all religions is the same idea: be kind and a good person, so I follow that. Spirituality allows me to combine science with faith without conflict and lets me explore ideas that aren't as widely known. Defining my own spiritual practices gets tough and intricate very quickly and may be a post all in its own because it will take me such a long time to collect all of my ideals and beliefs.
To me, spirituality is just the umbrella term for your way of life and how you go about living, what your morals are, and how you interact with the world. It can include people of a certain and specific religion that is already established, like Christianity. Spirituality can also mean the incorporation of many different religions, ways of life, and philosophies into your own individual belief system. Spiritual connections can come from a church, religion, a personal relationship with a higher power, or even through nature and art. While spirituality can incorporate aspects of religion, spirituality is not a religion. Spirituality is about how and why you feel connection, where you find meaning and value in life, and questions how you should live. While religions focus on practices and rituals you need to do, what is right and wrong according to the religion, and what is truth.
So when I say spirituality in regards to my life it is more about bringing aspects of all cultures, religions, and philosophies into my very own set of beliefs and my own way of life. At the very core of all religions is the same idea: be kind and a good person, so I follow that. Spirituality allows me to combine science with faith without conflict and lets me explore ideas that aren't as widely known. Defining my own spiritual practices gets tough and intricate very quickly and may be a post all in its own because it will take me such a long time to collect all of my ideals and beliefs.
