In case you don't know by now, I am a very spiritual person probably more than most. I can see how that fits me because as a child I was raised Roman Catholic and more religious than most of my peers. Wanting to be an altar girl and master the bible, I naively believed how I was raised was true until I became an adult and started thinking for myself (and an instance where I treated some gay friends badly).
For the most part I am not regretful of being so religious because I think we essentially all believe in the same things we just have different names for them- God, Buddha, Allah, Mohammed, etc. The downfall is that we segregate each other by branding ourselves as such. I am not telling you that I am right and what you believe in is wrong. Clearly, these are my humble opinions which are often criticized as seen fit.
As spirituality rules my life I feel the need to explain myself further. But what is spirituality? Wikipedia defines it as "an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality;[1] an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.”[2] Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; spiritual experience includes that of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.[3] Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life.[4] It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world."
With that being said I believe we are one. We being all peoples, animals, plants, life, earth, everything. It's a hard and amazing concept which I must convince myself of its truth everyday. This is truly important because as human beings we are forgetting an important common denominator- that we are all the same. We are all beings that have the same basic needs that share this planet with animals and nature. We will not be here forever. But, everything we do has repercussions. How we treat each other has a domino effect on everyone we come in contact with besides the more obvious fact that most of us will procreate and instill our values into future generations. And if you can believe it, we keep returning to the planet (reincarnation).
But, things are rapidly changing. Especially in the United States most people will do anything for the all-mighty dollar which if you consider is ludicrous. Most money is not even real- its an electronic intangible thing that most of us will never touch. But, we are willing to ruin lives for it (sweat shops, Bernie Madoff, working so much that we don't see our family). We have to remember that money though necessary unfortunately has nothing to do with our happiness. It is up to us to control our happiness and spread our light into the world.
As you may have heard the world is supposed to end in 2012 according to the Mayan calendar. I am sure most people do not believe this, though there are some pretty gullible people out there. Does anyone recall the Rapture initiative that was supposed to happen a few years back? From my time in Costa Rica I had the privilege to meet with many spiritual yogi-like people. I watched many you tube videos about consciousness and had a lot of enlightening conversations. Apparently, the end of the world 2012 is not a physical end, but a shift in consciousness which this planet desperately needs if it is going to survive before we destroy it.
Although admittedly, we can only speculate for now, 2012 is about an evolution of consciousness, an awakening from the slumber of limited awareness and understanding. Additionally, it also is the entrance into a grand new opportunity to experience an expanded existence as an immortal soul. 2012 is about a return to our natural state, and also, about a new beginning- a new chapter in the evolution of mankind as beings, both physical and spiritual, that have inhabited the Earth.
I know this may sound a bit cray cray and at times I myself am skeptical too. You may agree with me as say, of course, the world has been indicating it's collapse for quite some time now with the demise of churches, natural disasters, economic downturns, etc. I agree, but I also disagree with that because we have only been keeping records for so long. However, I do believe that things need to change and people are beginning to recognize this with environmental movements and being globally connected in positive ways. Ultimately, I do not know the future or truth, but it is worth contemplating.
To me, it seems that peace is such a simple concept. If we always remember that everything we do directly affects everyone else and in turn affects you, doing good is easy. For example, you may want to steal $10 from your mom and think she will never know. And maybe she will not notice. By stealing you have only ruined your character and put guilt upon yourself, making yourself feel less credible or like a bad person. It is what you have to live with. So, although you gained monetary funds you have devalued who you are as a person and ended up hurting yourself. And if your mother does find out she may be hurt. Think about everything she has done for you and if that is really worth it, besides how you are already criminalizing yourself.
My late resolution this year besides attempting to control the faces I make during yoga is to treat myself better. By this I don't mean pampering myself or taking myself on a vacation. I want to discipline myself to appreciate who I am, by taking better care of myself I will be able to be a better person to other people. Positive energy is infectious in the most blissful of ways.
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