| I normally write articles using the words obese, or fat, | | | | ravenous fashion. I know, I know, I'm an oldster and you |
| or self acceptance or self love. Behind all of that is the | | | | may think my ideas are archaic. I'd like to offer the |
| fact that only through the exercise of spirituality can | | | | slant that perhaps after dozens of years of |
| you make any changes to your sense of self or | | | | experience, I might just have unfolded a truth or two |
| sense of body that are permanent and effective. | | | | and am now sharing those truths with you. We may |
| Some folks think that spirituality has to happen only on | | | | lose out on what is truly happening in our lives if we |
| solemn occasions or only in a location that has been | | | | only focus on the job, the car, the relationships, or the |
| set aside for "things spiritual." I don't happen to agree | | | | clothing. |
| with that concept. I think that every time and every | | | | In a spiritual experience, the unfolding that goes on is |
| place is spiritual. | | | | silent and invisible. You have to be consciously good to |
| Let's define spirituality first. Webster's 1828 edition of | | | | recognize that is is reality. I hope you are good enough |
| the dictionary is the most spiritual format. He defines | | | | to see it. When you elevate yourself to a purely |
| spirituality there as the essence distinct from matter; | | | | mental plane, you can see that the unfolding of your |
| immateriality. That seems fairly simple to me. Do you | | | | faculties and your virtues is what has been happening |
| see life as a spiritual experience, distinct from matter, | | | | silently and invisibly behind the scenes of your going to |
| immaterial? I'll just bet a dollar to a donut that some of | | | | school, or dating, or functioning inside a family, or |
| you do not. Huzzah for those of you who do. | | | | purchasing that car, or anything you could name. |
| I think that the "I" of you is the spiritual part - the soul | | | | I think I've set the stage substantially enough to get |
| part - the mental part. I know that if I died and you saw | | | | back to my first idea, which was the raw ingredients |
| me laid out on a slab, all my physical parts would be | | | | of spirituality. As a spiritual individual in a spiritual |
| there, but the part that animates me, would be missing. | | | | universe, everything is the raw ingredients. And to live |
| That would mean that without my spirit self and with | | | | consciously in this environment, you simply need to ask |
| two ears, I would not be able to hear. The same would | | | | yourself some key questions: |
| be true of all the other parts. Without my spiritual self | | | | - What can I learn from this experience that will |
| present, none of the other parts could perform their | | | | augment my spirituality? |
| function. I wouldn't be seeing, feeling, touching, tasting, | | | | - What have I been thinking (a most spiritual action) |
| thinking, etc. | | | | that has caused this to happen in my experience? |
| And what all that means is this: the spiritual part is the | | | | - Question how you can use what has happened as a |
| real part. The spiritual part of each one of us is our | | | | means of stepping up higher in your spiritual life? |
| spirituality. | | | | At some point, if you continue to work consciously to |
| I'd like to take this one step further. If I am a spiritual | | | | gain all the good you can from each of your |
| self with a body, is this earth experience spiritual or | | | | experiences, you will be propelled into a functioning |
| physical? Well, it seems to me that if my spiritual self, | | | | spirituality that is rich, rare, easy, convenient, normal and |
| and your spiritual self is the real part of self, then this | | | | natural. You will exude the aroma of goodness. You |
| world would have to be spiritual also so that the real | | | | will manifest all the money you want and need. Your |
| self could function, could ambulate, could unfold. | | | | health will be perfect. You will ensure your own |
| In order to gain enlightenment, I believe you have to | | | | happiness. |
| reason your way to the position that Life is Mental. I | | | | Many of you know that I am an advocate for |
| could also say Life is Spiritual. The words "mental" and | | | | self-acceptance for folks who struggle with their bodily |
| "spiritual" mean the same to me. I believe spirituality is | | | | image. My wish for you is that you discover sooner |
| our very nature. | | | | than later that your nature is spiritual. I hope you will |
| Our world today is so much about gratification. We go | | | | learn how it functions so that you can enjoy its fruits |
| about satisfying our needs and wants in an almost | | | | as quickly as possible. |