*Practice an Everyday Spirituality

If you take a stroll through the self-help and spiritual section of any bookstore, you’ll notice a rich spiritual dialogue all over the map with enough in common to indicate our observations are on the same route. It appears everyone is still asking the same questions. Is it possible to combine our own beliefs with a truth that is collected from life’s experiences and call it “spirituality?”

What is spirituality?

Spirituality is simply the demonstration of the Divine, the life-giving force, the ALL that constitutes you through every action and thought. It is your realized nature in the form of the highest ideas you can imagine, like trust, courage, wisdom, forgiveness, non-judgment, compassion, and pure light and love, conveyed through every pore of your skin.

It’s an individual interpretation and a personal truth

Practicing spirituality in today’s world will be subject to your own interpretation, as exemplified by many who have previously walked this planet and left distinctive legacies. Yours will also have its own special character, resonating with those who have inspired you, and may even be different than the mainstream or indefinable. There is no greater freedom than exploring and creating a personal truth that leads you to accept the Divine on your own terms. Nothing can prevent you from being spiritual if you allow the true self to emanate, unobstructed by circumstance, and arrive at a place where you are willing to relinquish certainty.

How do you begin finding that place? Take the course everyone on earth has registered for: Real Life 101. Substitute the poetic for analysis and listen to the beat of your own heart. Then observe the everyday. There’s plenty of opportunity to be spiritual, as we’ve already got the important software downloaded. Installing a new version might get our drivers to recognize some important features, but it’s not necessary for our system to work. We come as a complete package!

Begin to notice the small stuff

The true nature, or true self, has always been naked within us in its perfect design. It is our spirit song. We are going to sing differently – thank goodness we have our own instruments, otherwise life would be mighty boring, but the song operates through us. It’s interactive and tactile, and in the earthworld, comes from the heart as an individualized rendition. To express the true self, internalize the concept of who you are and allow it become part of your fabric of being. Through emotions, we’re going to live the idea and wear it well. It’s a living idea.

Not long ago, we hosted a graduation party for our two sons, and, as an afterthought in the party planning, I added a karaoke machine, thinking the kids would enjoy blasting away throughout the evening. To my surprise, the adults assumed complete control over the microphone, especially the mothers, who hilariously navigated their way through the seventies, made somewhat possible through several glasses of wine. As I sat, and laughed my way through my friend’s attempts at funk, I also noticed the looks on their faces, as each one systematically quit caring about what they sounded like. They sang with gusto and honesty, and overall, their expressions dictated far greater significance than Saturday night courage - abandoned joy made possible by the largely interpretive exercise of declaring self. After stripping away the worry as to whether or not we are going to sound like Celine Dion, self-expression propels us to self-actualization – even if it’s in somebody’s backyard. We can sing the same song with joy and feel irreplaceable. Who cares if we’re a little off-key? Jimmy Buffet and Sister Sledge never sounded better.

As I sat there, it occurred to me that most of us spend a lot of time figuring out how to show the world our own rendition of self. It’s an innate desire and we just want a captive audience. We want our own music to be acutely heard. It’s what makes us feel powerful. The problem is we dismiss the possibility we already make a difference because we’re not appearing on The Today Show. For most of us, everyday simple acts are opportunities to demonstrate what already exists within – our true self, our song, the same eternal spirit who infiltrates the core of our being. We have permission to sing at work, within our families, in our communities. And in doing so, we discover primary true power, which is the Divine in us, which is our symphony. We then become empowered.

We’re born empowered. We just need to re-discover it

Remember, empowerment is about self power achieved through knowing the true self, not about converting an entire populace to your point of view, winning, or protest. It’s time to revisit our music and put the bras back on, or off, depending upon your cause. Life is about playing your spirit song over and over again in the venue of your own choice.

Why is knowing the source of our own power critical to maintaining a positive outlook on life? Because we are constantly encountering people who attempt to take our power away and diminish our light. Spiritual power is about demonstrating the empowered state consciously and artfully, with love, through your actions and with a deep connection to the present. Is it a creative exercise? Of course, because you have a choice in how to become living art. You can bring spirit through you – that is how you express your individuality, painting a true-self portrait in the process. Over time, it will become a quilt of your own mythology, sewn in intricate symbolism and meaning, honoring your inner journey and the Creator. When self-awareness of spirit occurs, the art then becomes you at the moment you have realized your true self.

© The Goddess Network, Inc. and Charlene M. Proctor, Ph.D. 2007. All Rights Reserved. See http://www.thegoddessnetwork.com/connect.php?page=eshow for more empowering thoughts! Register for The E-Show, a series of enlightening lectures!