What is spirituality? And what role does it play in the eight facets of our lives? This topic has been much on my mind over the last couple of months since I have started attending a spiritually-minded Toastmasters club and have recently returned to regular Mass attendance each Sunday.

Because “spirituality” is such a broad concept, there are many perspectives on what it is and what it means. However, generally, people agree that spirituality incorporates a sense of something bigger than ourselves, a search for life’s meaning and a connection with some form of creator/God/Universe/Great Spirit. It is a universal experience that all people experience to some degree in their lives.

My personal experience of and journey through spirituality are colored by my Catholic upbringing — although I have some very un-Catholic beliefs — have been shaped, molded and nurtured by my reading habits, the people I’ve interacted with and my education; and expanded and made practically palpable by my natural intuitive abilities.

I talk with God almost daily, as well as my spirit guides/angels. And these conversations are almost as real as those I have with physical, three-dimensional people. For me, spirituality is an integral part of who I am and my lifestyle. But I also acknowledge that this is not the case for everyone.

I believe that there are as many paths to God as there are people, and I know that belief is heretical to some. If this is you, you might want to move along as you’ll probably just get pissed off if you continue reading. I believe that we each need to discover this path and that any technique you may use, as long as it does not harm yourself or others, is valid. That said, here are some suggestions for finding and integrating your unique spiritual awesome in the eight facets of life.

Finances & Prosperity:

• Learn about universal laws and how they impact your abundance and prosperity
• Practice tithing
• Be grateful for and bless all the money you currently have and use it wisely and compassionately

Business/Career:

• Behave in your business as you would in the other areas of your life, respecting others and making compassionate choices
• Use your business or career as a way to do good in the world, either by creating a business or career that does good in and of itself or using the money it generates to do so
• Practice gratitude in your business/career, both in receiving and giving

Health:

• Eat mindfully.
• Honor your body for the temple it is.
• Take time off when you need to heal.

Physical Environment:

• Clear the clutter regularly.
• Decorate your home, but especially the spaces you spend the most time in, so that it is pleasing to you and fosters warm, fuzzy, happy feelings.
• Make space for a spiritual/sacred spot or altar.

Social Life & Romance:

• Practice the Golden Rule: Treating others as you wish to be treated.
• Honor/respect other’s beliefs … in fact learn about them if you can. You might find you have more in common than you realize.
• Share sacred time with your significant other.

Fun & Recreation:

• Honor and interact with nature. Give to environmental organizations. Volunteer at a pet shelter or participate in a litter removal project.
• Walk on the beach barefoot and feel your connection with Mother Earth.
• Make time to relax and have fun with your friends and loved ones. Hold that time as sacred.

Learning:

• Read up on your own religion.
• Take a comparative religions course or read books about different belief systems.
• Attend services with a friend of another faith.

Spiritual Growth:

• Practice meditation daily.
• Use the “Conversations with God” journaling technique to get in touch with the creator.
• Incorporate spiritual/religious practices that are meaningful to you into your daily life.

You can bring your spiritual experience into your everyday life. The suggestions above are only the tip of the iceberg. Jump in. Explore. Grow in your own personal understanding.

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May is Spiritual Literacy Month, so for the five Fridays in May I will be covering various topics that touch on spirituality. Here is the planned schedule.

• May 8: Meditation tips
• May 15: Finding Meaning in Your Business
• May 22: Intuition and Business
• May 29: Reading the Text of Your Own Experience