What does it mean to be Spiritual?

I recently attended two taping s of Oprah's Life Class in Toronto and it inspired me to address the topic of spirituality. Oprah has never been afraid to express that she's a spiritual person and although she's been criticized for it she continues to practice what she preaches knowing that its all connected with her divine purpose. I know that when people think of me they often make references that I'm a very spiritual person too. And I've never really directly expressed what spirituality means to me personally. Much of my posts I have written here all pertain to some spiritual experience I have had in my life and so I thought I'd take the time to really express in words what I feel spirituality is for me. I've also been asked many times over the years how one can become more spiritual? If you're looking how to embrace spirituality into your life and in need of guidance on how to become spiritual please read on.
The first step in understanding spirituality is recognizing that we are a spiritual being that is having a human experience.

"There is no life without a spiritual life because we are Spiritual beings having a human experience". Oprah Winfrey

We can use the term soul and spirit interchangeably to a certain extent. I believe the soul is that part of us that is ever knowing and is that part of us that connects us to each other and everything. That is every living thing. And the soul is part of a larger being that you can call God or the Universe. The spirit is a characteristic of the soul that is the fuel that moves us towards our divine purpose, our path on earth and ultimately back to our origin. The human body  allows us to witness and observe our journey. It's just the vehicle that our soul is using on earth as a means to have all our experiences.

There are no rules and or guidelines on how to become spiritual. If there were we'd call it another religion. And that's not what spirituality is. The world of spirit is not governed by rites and rituals but there are some universal laws that assist us in understanding how this way of life is led by simple energetic principles. I use the term energy here as it is the understanding how this energy works which  fundamentally teaches us how the universe works.There's a law that states what you put out is exactly what you get back. This is your actions, your deeds and most definitely all your thoughts. This is called Karma. Your lessons in Karma are designed to make you the best person you possibly can be as when we perform acts of love we are representing God. As all thoughts and actions that come from love allow us to connect more deeply to the biggest source of love. It remind us of who we really are, what we are made of, where we come from and what is our divine purpose. Our ultimate purpose is to learn to love our selves that is our God selves without judgement and without condition. Think of the feeling you get when you see and hold a baby that's come into the world for the first time. It is pure joy and perfection. All we feel is nothing but love for this new born. It hasn't made any mistakes. It hasn't said anything nasty to us. It hasn't rejected us. It hasn't told his how hurtful we are etc. We were all that baby when we first came into this world. It's our purpose to ultimately feel the same way about our selves and others. Being spiritual means having an open heart and seeing everyone and everything just like this new born baby. Perfect love.

Being spiritual is knowing that you are not your thoughts. You are simply the observer of your thoughts. When you speak and think from a place of love you are connecting to your spirit. When you say harmful or judgmental things you are disconnecting from your spirit. The universe is always speaking to us. Through our thoughts, feelings and from everything around us. When are we disconnected with our spirit we are disconnecting ourselves from everything and lose our ability to hear the messages of the universe. Being in the flow of spirit is knowing that  we expect and are able to receive the messages that are meant for us from the universe. When we are disconnected we often feel lost and confused. Unsure of ourselves and our circumstance. We aren't able to make sound decisions and resort to unhealthy choices. Since we are a spiritual being having a human experience than know with certainty that every problem in our lives has a spiritual solution. And to be able to be guided to the solution we must be connected with our spirit.

Being spiritual is knowing that you are not your thoughts. You are simply the observer of your thoughts.Thoughts also have powerful energy. They can bring us up. They can bring us down. They have the kinetic energy that is always creating your future.  Deepak Chopra says "Use memories, do not allow memories to use you." In other words you can use your thoughts to make your self be the ever continued victim or you can use them to create the future your heart truly desires. The optimist is right. The pessimist is also right. He suggests that when you have a negative thought think of the word S.T.O.P. which is an acronym for "S" Stop. "T" Take three deep breathes. "O" Observe. "P" Precede with kindness.

You still might be asking where do I start with all this spiritual stuff? To really be spiritual there is no trying. There is just being as we are all human"beings." You don't need a great big awakening or near death experience to start the process. It is a self inner discovery process that is ever evolving. It helps us to better understand ours relationship with ourselves, others and God. But you can start with questions that you can consider thinking about.
1. Who am I?
Now really think about this. The answer shouldn't come to you right away. And it has nothing to do with your occupation or any role you play. In other words it's not the fact that you are a wife, husband, son, brother etc.
2. What are my talents and gifts?
Make a list of all your strengths. Don't ask for help with this. You must come up with this list on your own.
3. What is my purpose?
Once you've done your true soul searching you'll realize that the real answers will all lead to your ability to connect with the frequency of love. That frequency will lead you to the bigger love, that is God's love and finally your true purpose will arise when you discover that it brings you passion. And often times it will pertain in some way to the contribution towards others, animals the planet etc through acts of love.
It will feed your spirit. The fuel or energy that will lead us back to where it all started. These three questions have answers to which will always evolve as you evolve. Like all the energy in the universe it flows. As you stay in this flow so much will unfold in front of you. Don't expect to have all the answers right away. The universe likes to do things the best way and not your way. Besides the mysteries and all it's discoveries makes life all too exciting. I believe that God has and knows the bigger picture. I believe God has a bigger plan for us then we could ever imagine. When we see and witness the world and our lives with unlimited potential we embrace all kinds of possibilities. We just have to let go and let God.

Angel Spiritual Blessings to ALL