Article first appeared in Prediction Magazine , November 04, p. 19.

Over the past few months, we have been discussing various DIY practices, which you can use for your spiritual growth. The question that now begs to be asked is, “What Is Spirituality?”

Spirituality means different things to different people. Over the years, many schools of spiritual teachings and practices have developed to suit different people according to their historical and cultural background. In the end, the “creative force” is one.  However in my experience you can sum up spirituality in a nutshell, without any formal religious context, as: “being conscious at all times of what you think, and (of the consequences) of what you do (or don’t do)”.

Truth, Love and Harmony

I would like to expand this and say that spirituality is a choice: “Love what you think, and what you do”- because it is you who feel the brunt of your thoughts and the consequences of your actions. When we think or act in a way that is not conducive, or constructive, i.e. motivated by the ego; it is not from Love and compassion, and therefore the consequences of that would be dis-harmony.

In the end, you will hurt yourself, not someone else. After all, as has been pointed out in previous articles, everything is connected; nothing and no one exist in a vacuum. Everything is interwoven in a complex pattern, one that we struggle to understand.

A quick way of finding if what you say, think and do is harmonious; is to look into the mirror. If you can face the person in the mirror, then your mind and your life are at ease!

C.S.E. Contemplation, Spontaneity, and Expansion

When I started writing this article, I pondered some of the Oxford English Dictionary’s definitions: - Spirit: intelligent or immaterial part of a person. Spiritual: Having the higher qualities of the mind. Intelligence can develop through consciously exercising our own judgement, observing, and learning from experience- our own, and those of others. A higher mind can be developed through an open and independent way of thinking, which is not coloured by what the ‘tribe’ does or how it thinks. This comes about by taming the lower mind or ego, by being in command of our thoughts in the present moment, and by stimulating the mind through developing our inner gifts.

Experiencing personal growth through creativity is a sure way to refine your senses, expand your understanding and open your heart to wider spectrum of appreciating the ‘creative force’. In other words: contemplation, spontaneity, and expansion (CSE) are three ingredients of being spiritual and experiencing spirituality.  As you develop you will find that you are instinctively guided to what is right for you and that your progress becomes a self-reinforcing process.

To have any credibility at all, I can only discuss and share with you my own experiences and my understanding as a result of those experiences. I have to confess that I have always been a bit a rebel, and not much of a follower. In my view, sometimes the only way to learn is to find out for yourself!

The Sting

I remember through my teen years many arguments with my loving mother, who because she wanted me to avoid the pitfalls of life, offered her advice and experience. My invariable answer was, “but this your experience, your view, not mine!” A typical end to an argument would be her saying: “but, everyone knows that a scorpion stings; must you risk finding it out?”

As, you might guess, a typical reply of mine would be “yes. I don’t know that it does, until I experience that for myself”. Through the ‘stings’, my own spiritual journey and ‘immune system’ developed. I chose to say ‘immune system’ rather than life, as in my view this is what corporeal existence is about: to learn from emotional experiences and to refine our reactions to them in a harmonious manner; thus, the ‘higher mind’ develops.

Just like snowflakes, and fingerprints, we are all unique individuals with a unique brain-body-soul combination. This is part of the prolific, prosaic genesis of creation. And although as humans we go through similar experiences, our understanding and, the way we process those experiences are entirely unique.  ONLY YOU CAN LIVE YOUR LIFE.

Here are few tips to consider:

·         Live in the present tense: Love what you think, and what you do. If you don’t, change it!

·         Be spontaneous: try something different! Allow yourself to expand your mind through new experiences.

·         Reality Check: make a habit of facing the person in the mirror.

·         Develop your own reality, though your own ‘stings’: exercise your own independent judgement, not out of conditioning of what others expect you to.

In next month’s issue, we will discuss the ‘Miracles - Making them happen’. Till then, Love light and healing.

© Sahar Huneidi, 2004
www.psychicsahar.com ,  www.ps-magazine.com