How do you know when you are a Spiritual Person?
What steps do you need to take to become one?
As I look up the meaning of the word “spiritual”, which relates to the spirit or soul, it takes me back to my own experience fifteen years ago. My nagging inner voice kept asking me to reevaluate my mission in life. At that time I was working for a local hospital in a Cancer Center, administering radiation therapy to patients. My inner voice kept asking if there was more I could contribute to eliminate this suffering others endured. A few years later I pursued a holistic education in Ayurveda, at a college that was located in a Hindu Ashram. I found myself studying not only about herbs and holistic medicine, but learning about Hinduism and realize who I was becoming.
Spirituality From the Eyes of a Healer
Although I fit the image with my loose yoga attire, OM tattoo, and frequent visits to the mountains for meditation, spirituality is far more than that. It’s about carrying the right Attitude.
DNA of the Right Attitude
1) Actions
2) Reactions
3) Words
4) Thoughts
- Our actions need to come from a place of Compassion within us. From the time we wake up, feed our pets or kids, have a bite to eat, get ready for the day, drive or walk, arrive at the destination, encounter others, and finish the day, we have the chance to act with kindness and love.
- Compassion kicks in when the Ego is out of the way. The times we try to understand another’s situation without judgment, we have acted from a place of Compassion. When we generously donate what we don’t need for others to use, we come from a place of Compassion. This place has no room for opinions or emotions. It calls for total detachment and doing the right thing, simply because our heart tells us so.
- Our reactions to external and internal turmoil are just as important. Choosing what is important enough to get angry about is the key to triaging what goes on around us. When we react harshly to everything that happens, we must take some time off to reset. That occurrence is a sign of stressed mind that cannot handle one more ounce of tension. We have the choice to pick our battles each day. We have the luxury to process, digest, think, then react. This process should be the slowest of the four steps that we are discussing. We can react to a car that just cut us off, or slow down and let the troublesome driver take the road. By letting go of judgment and focusing on the unfairness of the situation, we have decided to choose peace over war.
- Words are extremely powerful, this is common knowledge. We can empower others with thoughtful and encouraging words or intimidate them with harsh and unnecessary comments. We need to be aware that when unkind words are chosen, they come from a place of anger, jealousy, and internal insecurity. The words we speak are a direct reflection of what we are silently fighting within.
- Our thoughts, or our inner dialogue, can make or break us. No one knows what we think, which makes us skillful at concealing them. Despite this secrecy, as long as we know what we are thinking and processing we can harm or nourish ourselves. With thinking positively and proactively, we are able to renew our view of life. When the inner dialogue is healthy and motivational, it shows in our actions, reactions, and words. We have the option to wake up with a focus on pain, hard work, fatigue, and life challenges or being thankful to the Universe for another day of opportunities and lessons on this beautiful planet that we take for granted.
Let’s try to practice these four tools one by one in our daily life. When we notice that people around us are all souls just wanting the same things as us, without judgment we learn to love and handle them gently. That’s when we have tapped into our spirit. Then, we can proudly call ourselves “Spiritual”.
Namaste
