SPIRITUAL HAPPINESS FOR THE ORDINARY PERSON
Before you read this page on spiritual happiness, please be aware
that in these turbulent times, I have cause to be concerned. Please
read this page and also our page What is Spirituality? to be fully
informed.
This page is my offering of spiritual happiness for ordinary people
only - so if you're a bit special, or a bit beautiful, or a bit out of the
ordinary in any way, please leave now. We will refund your money at
the door.
While the OOO's (Out Of the Ordinaries) make their way out, lets
talk about spiritual happiness.
What is it?
My old copy of Webster's Dictionary defines spiritual as: Pertaining
to or consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal; pertaining to the
mind or intellect; mental; intellectual; pertaining to the soul or its
affections as influenced by the Divine Spirit; proceeding from or
controlled and inspired by the Holy Spirit etc. etc. etc. The same
defines happiness as: The state or quality of being happy etc. Click
this link
for Wikipedia's definition of spirituality
In my experience, spiritual happiness is quite rare, and
characterized by the following traits: serenity, kindness, humility,
non-materialistic tendencies and of course the happiness just flows
from them. A spiritually happy person is in tune with and accepting
of themselves.They feel no need to impress anyone or to
compete.They love themselves (not in an egotistical way) the way
they are. So, is your spirit happy?
No? A great way to achieve a happy spirit is to give it room to
emerge as you learn to meditate
Studies have shown that children are more resilient when they have
some kind of spiritual belief system. Well, guess what?
A child + a few years + a few kilos = you and me! So, we are ALL
more resilient when we have spiritual beliefs.
If you clicked the above Wikipedia link you would have read that a
part of spirituality is the perception of a connection to 'something
bigger' than oneself. This does not mean we should cart ourselves
and everyone we care about to church every week. However, if you
do attend church and have found an organized religion in which you
can express your own spirituality that suits your needs, continue
merrily on your way!
Hands up who knows someone 'holier than thou' who attends church
every week, may even be on the committee and yet they can't
speak with civility to their own family? I can't quite see down the
back...oh yes, yes that's nearly everybody here! Thanks you can put
your hands down now. The scary part is that person thinks they are
spiritual/holy! They honestly believe walking into a building on a
regular basis and being nice to the people there (whilst being an -no
can't say that on the net- a 'less-than-nice person' six days a week)
makes them heaven-bound! Go figure!! Their God (or whoever)
must only work church hours!
There are obviously many thousands of people for whom organized
religion works - but the numbers of dissatisfied churchgoers are
climbing. Congregations are realizing that listening to a man in a
frock preaching from a rule book written centuries ago is not of
much real relevance in their daily lives. People are searching for a
more personal connection with 'something bigger' and yet many
more have found it.
Read about my personal connection here: The Path To Success
If you have tried an organized religion but it didn't sit well with you,
or you haven't even dipped your toe in the water, this page may be
the answer to your prayers (pardon the pun). Please be aware this
is not a criticism of churches. Many spiritually happy people do
attend church as a way of expressing their own spirituality - not
merely to ensure gaining admission upstairs when their big day
arrives! I'm not here to tell you what to believe, but given the
previous show of hands, it would be very difficult to believe spiritual
happiness is found inside a building.
Well then, where is it ?
Whether you think you're a spiritual being or not, your spirituality is
inside of you! Not in a building, nor in a rule book (but there are
some great books which can help you form your opinions/beliefs).
We are all spiritual beings i.e. we all have spirits. If you are ignoring
yours, you may be an unhappy person, or you may have an
otherwise 'perfect' life, but experience a gnawing emptiness you
can't quite put your finger on.
If I'm describing you, why not open your heart and mind to your
spiritual side?
Closed-minded people, having no spiritual beliefs, are ignorant of
the life-changing potential they are eschewing. Everything you need
is within you - you just need to find it!
Who do I ask?
It is not necessary to find yourself a 'guru' (especially if they want
thousands of dollars for the pleasure of speaking to you). Spiritual
happiness, like any form of happiness is an individual, personal
state. It is not up to anyone else to tell you what will suit you or
lead to your spiritual happiness.
Do you know someone with a happy spirit?
If you are well acquainted, they wouldn't mind answering your
probing questions. If you're not well acquainted, I should imagine
they'd be flattered by your opinion of them as 'happy' and by your
intrigue as to their spirituality. But be careful here, numerous people
put on a happy exterior for the world when they're really miserable
inside. Don't let 'happy' be your only search criteria - you should
also know this person is kind, content and 'together'. This person
also need not become your guru. They are just an information
source.
- Gather information.
- Ask different people.
- Read.
- Make your own decisions.
- Visit some organizations of interest on fact finding missions
be careful here too - there are some scary, weird cults out
there that prey on the vulnerable, so take someone older
and wiser with you).
- See our page on What is Spirituality
- Become your own guru. The knowledge and experience you
collect on your journey will slowly form your belief system.
- Don't believe everything you hear.
- Follow your intuition.
- You are your own best guide.
Why Do I Need Spiritual Happiness?
When you develop your own spiritual beliefs,you will find life is
easier.
Depending on how long you search and how deep you delve, you
may also find answers to the "Why am I here?" type of questions.
They will be answers that make sense to you (and possibly
only you!).
Expanding your mind to encompass a 'big picture' view of your life
really helps you to make sense of it all. Making some sense of the
universe will assist you to overcome life's hurdles.
That sense of connection to something bigger will comfort you in
times of need, reassuring you that you are not in this life alone.
Imagine, just for a moment, you are walking through a seemingly
endless, dark tunnel, alone. You trip over several times when the
ground becomes uneven, but still you stumble on, not even aware of
why you are here or your ultimate destination. Your awareness is
limited to the fact that you are in this tunnel and one day you won't be.
NOW imagine that suddenly you become aware of a presence by
your side!
A welcome presence.
A welcome presence with a torch!
This presence knows the terrain and is able to help you negotiate
your way through the bumps and troughs. You trust this presence to
help you reach a destination of which you were previously unaware.
It also explains why you are in this tunnel to begin with.
At a certain point in your journey, the presence bids you to turn
around as it shines its torch on the path you have trod. To your
amazement, the bumps and troughs form a brilliant pattern to which
you were oblivious during your negotiation of them!!
Everything now makes sense: the tunnel, the bumpy terrain and the
need to move forward. This presence has given you a perspective
you would never have discovered alone.
And that perspective my friends, is spiritual happiness.
When Do I Need Spiritual Happiness?
The very short answer to this question is: every minute of every
day.
You will find the more spirituality you discover inside yourself, the
more often you use it. The more often you become aware of a
connection to something bigger, the stronger that connection
becomes. The stronger that connection becomes, the happier you
become, spiritually. Unfortunately, there may be times in your life
when your spiritual beliefs are all you have to keep you going. Don't
be one of the many, many people who don't form their beliefs until
their world comes crashing down around them. If you spend some
time now really working out what feels right for you, then, should
your world come crashing down, your safety net will be firmly in
place.
If you are a parent, its even more urgent to get your spiritual
happiness together, so you can be a great example to your kids.
(See comment above re resilience!) But bear in mind, whatever
suits you now may not be what feels right to them when they grow
up. They, too will need time and space to explore their own
spirituality.
How Do I Find This Spiritual Happiness?
I covered a lot of this answer above under 'Who Do I Ask?' when I
talked about finding someone you admire and asking them about
their spiritual side. Also very carefully, explore some
churches/spiritual organizations that may pique your interest. Also,
read, read, read, choosing the information that fits well with you, to
take on board.
However, there is one more very important action you can take if
you are to make your spiritual happiness complete.......and that is
learn to meditate You may be shocked to learn just how many
different religions and philosophies extol the virtues of meditation.
Everyone from Catholics to Buddhists use meditation in some form
or other.
To find the spiritual happiness you deserve, explore the spirituality
within you. Define your belief system and live it!
A happy life is incomplete without spiritual happiness!
Why am I extremely cross with you? Because you urgently
need an attitude adjustment
