I found this definition in the Ohio State University Wellness Center. I am posting this here not necessarily because I agree or disagree with all of it, but simply to stimulate discussion as to what your ideas are about what is spirituality. Here is the definition they have given:
“What is spirituality?
Spirituality is not religion and is not even necessarily affiliated with religion. While the definition of spirituality is different for everyone, here are some common themes associated with spirituality:
* The idea of a process or journey of self-discovery and of learning not only who you are, but who you want to be.
* The challenge of reaching beyond your current limits. This can include keeping an open mind, questioning current beliefs, or trying to better understand others’ beliefs.
* A connectedness to yourself and to others. Spirituality is personal, but it is also rooted in being connected with others and with the world around you. This connection can facilitate you finding “your place in the world.”
* Meaning, purpose, and direction. Spirituality, while it doesn’t necessarily solve or reach conclusions, often embraces the concept of searching and moving forward in the direction of meaning, purpose, and direction for your life.
* A higher power, whether rooted in a religion, nature, or some kind of unknown essence.”
So, what are your thoughts? You can share in the comment boxes below.
This is amazing. The cost of this project is a SMALL percentage of what our governments spend on war in a single day…imagine the possibilities of what we can accomplish if we funded this instead. We wouldn’t have a food crisis at all, and we probably wouldn’t have war. A must watch:
I have felt very fortunate to have had the experiences I have
shared in the post below. The war was by no means the end of the challenges in
my life. I have had many many more difficult challenges. With such
difficulties in life, there are often two ways you can go, down, or
up. Even though there was a lot of sadness and pain in these
challenges, I allowed them to open my up to my spiritual core. To
go through what I have gone through requires a lot of inner
strength, which has come from my connection to my Higher Self. I
have also learned to stay connected to my spiritual core constantly
so that I can apply that into the rest of my life.
First of all, we are all spiritual beings in human body. Everything
stems from Spirit/Superconscious/Higher Self* first. You could say
that there are four aspects to us: the physical, the emotional, the
intellectual/mind, and the heart/love. There is a lot that has
represented within each aspect. Yet all of these are encompassed
within, and borne from the Spiritual/Superconscious*. If we try to
work on the intellectual, heart, emotional, or physical levels
without first working on the spiritual level, we are only applying
a Band-Aid solution. Once you realize your true spiritual nature
and sustain it, the other aspects will automatically fall into
place. This is not to say, that you do not take action to eat
healthy for instance, it simply means that you will automatically
be guided without confusion in the right way. When you work on the
Spiritual/Superconscious* level, you will let go of all your
limiting beliefs and patterns that stop you from living a life of
joy and passion. Therefore, we work on all of these levels in the
coaching, but our first focus is on the spiritual level. Once you
have achieved a spiritual awakening and realization of your true
self, we will work together to continue to sustain that awakening
in your day-to-day life. We will also work on all the other aspects
of who you are, physical, emotional, intellectual, and heart/Love.
* Some call it God, Source Energy, Superconscious, Life Force, All
That Is, Goddess, Higher Self, Love, Universal Intelligence, Spirit
etc. in science it is called, “The Unified Field” or, “The Infinite
Field of Possibility”. Regardless of the label, this is only force
that both science and spirituality agree is behind all creation in
the Universe.
I look forward to speaking to you soon. Remember, my complimentary
coaching sessions are done on a first-come first-served basis, so
please reserve your session now. You can do this by e-mailing me
and letting me know two times that work for you in the following
week. I would like to be able to speak to you.
Best,
Hanan
Your Spiritual Transformation Coach
www.effortlessbrilliance.com
This is the story of my war continued from the previous post
To continue with the story, things continue to get worse and worse
in the war situation. There are a lot more bombs, looting, attacks
etc. We are even more unsure of our safety in our own home or
outside our home. I have no way of contacting my friends to know if
they are well. It is too dangerous to go to their houses.
However,now there is a glimmer of hope. As my mother and myself are Swiss
citizens, we would be evacuated by the Swiss Embassy. Luckily, due
to my mother’s pregnancy, we get somewhat of earlier evacuation (it
has already been at least a month since the war started). However,
we have to leave my father behind. Leaving my father behind, not
knowing if I would ever see him again, is extremely painful for my
nine-year-old heart. I cry with deep pain as I leave behind
everything I know. Everything that I have ever known, my friends,
my toys, my home, and almost all my belongings are now gone. As the
bus carrying the evacuees pulls out, I say goodbye to my father,
not knowing if I will ever see him again.
Fast forward two months later… My father did escape. My mother
did give birth to a healthy baby boy . I have no idea what
happened to my friends. There was extreme upheaval in our lives
after the evacuation process. I could write a whole book about it,
but for now, I will just tell you that it was extremely difficult.
However, it led to some extreme growth and spiritual awareness for
me at a very young age. It has also given me a phenomenal amount of
strength to deal with all of my life’s challenges.
I have made it my life’s mission to help other people connect with
their spiritual selves so that they can live happy and fulfilled
lives. What I have discovered is that there is absolutely no way
you can truly be happy, healthy, wealthy and fulfilled, unless you
work on the spiritual aspect of yourself first.
Tomorrow, I will share more about what I have learned is the
ultimate way to a passionate, purposeful, happy and fulfilling life
on all levels.
Is it really possible to live a life you love, live from true
passion and purpose, be healthy, wealthy, happy and fulfilled? No,
I mean really think about it, is it truly and fully possible?
Well, my belief is that it is. BUT…. there is a trick to it.
First, let me explain to you how I came across the true secret to
having all of the above.
When I was nine years old, I had a pretty normal life, except that
I was a refugee living in another country. I got teased and taunted
for my ethnicity. What happened next was extremely intense for an
adult, and even more so for a nine-year-old. One morning, I was in
the car going to the hospital for my father’s surgery, when we saw
huge tankers blocking the streets, and planes throwing down what
look like balls of fire. It was surreal. The roads were blocked,
the hospital was closed, there were no radio stations anymore. We
were able to go back home. As we are walking in, the building
watchman rushes in to tell us that we have been invaded as of 2 AM
that morning. My little child mind goes into a state of shock and
bewilderment. Why would someone do this? What is going to happen?
Are we all going to die? Were my friends already dead?
As we enter our apartment, everything is a state of confusion. I
am crying, I want to call my friends and extended family to know if
they are alive. I still have Leila’s cartoon tape, I want to make
sure she gets it back. The phones are dead. We rush to the
television. All the television stations are blank. There is only a
picture of the invading country’s President on TV. We are able to
tune into BBC radio to confirm that we had indeed been invaded, and
that there was no way we can leave the country. We stick together,
breathe together, never knowing which would be our last breath.
Will it be tomorrow, or will it be at 3 PM? Is Leila already dead?
What about my favorite teacher, Abla? She is of a wanted
nationality they were putting in torture camps. I cry while my
frightened parents do their best to comfort me, not knowing if they
really have the power to save their little girl’s life.
We get into survival mode. There is no more time to feed the
building ducks or water the plants. We get together with the other
residents in the apartment building and prepare for bombings and
chemical and biological attacks. I had never heard about biological
attacks before and my little nine-year-old mind is stunned and
heartbroken that any moment a killer virus could be unleashed on
us. Our only refuge is the basement of the building. The children
are given the task of cleaning the basement to make it habitable,
while the adults strategize and plan for supplies.
We get to cleaning the basement, knowing that our family’s lives
depend on it. It is dirty and dusty, with no windows. I fear how
all the residents of the building will fit in there. Will we get
enough oxygen? Will the chemicals and viruses get through the
basement doors, as oxygen hopefully will?
As we sweep the dungeon like basement, we find two dead cat
carcasses matted into the floor. A little part of me wonders if
that’s how we would end up, just a dead carcass on the basement
floor. I cry a little, wishing I could at least say bye to friends
and extended family. I sweep with determination, determined to make
it as clean as possible as it is our only chance of survival
against bombings and other attacks.
The war still hasn’t stopped. It’s been several weeks now, and
things only seem to be getting worse. We never know when soldiers
might come and kick down our door, or throw a bomb from overhead. I
go to sleep knowing that I may never wake up.
We need to go out to buy food and draw out money from the bank.
My parents have to take me with them, they can’t leave me alone at
home for fear of what
might happen. We are stopped several times along the way by
soldiers carrying guns. Some are friendly, some are stern. I
can’t trust either type, there are no rules in the war zone.
Myself, my mother, or my father could be dragged out over the car
at any moment and shot, or put in a torture chamber. Even while we
are driving, we have guns pointed at us in every direction from army
vehicles, just to let us know that we can never know that we are
too safe. We look around… there is chaos everywhere. The car
showrooms are all looted, there is fruit strewn all over the
supermarket floors, empty cars with luggage and belongings in the
trunks…empty, stopped by soldiers… no one knew where the
soldiers had taken the once alive inhabitants of the cars.
My parents go to an ATM to draw out money, but there is no more
money. It’s gone. Stolen. We take whatever little money we have to
a shop we see open to buy food. Soldiers patrol the shop, pointing
guns an inch away from me. I wonder to myself, “what do they think
a 9 year old would do?” and get an image of my blood splattered on
Kitco packets (a type of potato chips). I try to be brave and
strong. I have to be strong for my parents too. My mother is 7
months pregnant, I am terrified the fear would make her miscarry.
I pretend to be brave and strong so that she wouldn’t worry about
me. I want my little brother or sister to be fine.
To be continued in the next few days…In a few days, I will tell you the rest of
what happened and how this and other experiences in my life led me
to deep spiritual insights and realizations that allowed me to live
in close connection with Spirit and my higher self. I feel blessed
to have had these experiences to grow and become who I am.
I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow.
Bliss and Peace,
Hanan
Spiritual Transformation Coach
www.effortlessbrilliance.com
. I have no idea what