How Hard Do You Have to Work at "Getting" Spirituality?

I am one of those "new agers" (now, "getting older" agers) who believes in Teillard deChardin's description that we are "spiritual beings having a human experience." When our existence is viewed in that light, it appears that we do not have to work all that hard at being spiritual, we just ARE spiritual.

However, most of us want to FEEL a particular way, don't we? That's what we call "spirituality," the feeling that we get, deep, in what we call, our "soul." Thanks to our fast-paced, dog-eat-dog world, our souls are often the LAST parts of us that we remember to nourish.

Abraham Lincoln is supposed to have said that "people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be," and HAPPINESS is a part of our spirituality. Do I arrise grumpy and out of sorts because of my problems and take it out on my spouse, children, or the people with whom I work? Is happiness a decision? I think so. I agree with Abe, I am as happy as I let myself be.

GRATITUDE is another part of being spiritual. What am I grateful for today, or on a daily basis? I am grateful for my family, friends, 12 Step Fellowships, my health and for being a productive "spiritual being" these days. There are those, (you and I know who they are), who show little thanks for the abundance in their lives, and who believe that it is their due. Our God (Higher Power of many names) appreciates being thanked. Which brings us to the next part of spirituality: God.

Not all of us call our Creator "GOD." Good Orderly Direction, The Force, and Goddess are only three of thousands, but the Creator is the basis, the beginning and end, of everything. A belief in some kind of Higher Power is essential to experiencing our spirituality. For me, it is more than a belief, it is an inner knowing that you, I, Mother Earth, animals, "all our relations," are interconnected at a level far beyond atoms and molecules, at the quantum level, our energies co-mingle. We are All There Is creations of the All There Is!

I attended a sacred drum circle last month and as we all stood near one another, I imagined that everyone was in his/her "spirit selves"...kind of like in the movie "Cocoon" when the human costumes were unzipped and discarded! There was such spiritual energy among us, and many who were strangers when the evening began, were friends when it ended.

All we have to do to "get spirituality" is to "let spirituality" in! Make your decision now, you'll never regret it.