by: Geela
It seems like everywhere you turn these days, extreme stress and high anxiety are the norm and joy of life is the exception. Sure, we have our “toys.” The only problem is that like anything that’s artificial, the effect of artificial joy produced by the pursuit of material things and from engaging in superficial activities that promote anti-social behavior, is as fleeting as it is cruel. With all of our hard earned material achievements and success, how come we are still left with a sense of emptiness, loneliness and a vague longing to something beyond the material world?
This is what I call fatigue due to spiritual pollution. That’s because we’ve been brainwashed and bombarded day after day with negative messages from the media and Hollywood alike in pursuit of The American Dream, which is based on materialistic values system and basically is an illusion. In the absence of a strong spiritual foundation, which includes solid moral values, it’s easy to develop a false belief system about the self and the world, feel a sense of insecurity. Is it any wonder that society is experiencing ills such as an increase in senseless violence, including our schools, chaos and the deterioration of the family unit? In the absence of a sound foundation, any building, no matter how tall or beautiful, will eventually collapse. Spiritual foundation is no different. “Why should I care about spirituality or moral values?” you might rightly ask. For starters, spirituality is just a non-religious way of knowing God, that Infinite Intelligence and Love in the universe, the Source of all life. It enables us to gain better understanding of ourselves, our place in the universe and the unity of life, which helps us develop sound moral values that serve our best interest in the long run. Sound moral values means (among other things) understanding the difference between right and wrong on a deep and fundamental level. It means understanding and incorporating in one’s life the elements of compassion, sensitivity to human condition, kindness, and the honoring of all living things. These elements contribute to a peaceful and thriving society in a win-win climate. People who are highly aware and understand the unity of all living things, experience positive feelings towards themselves and others and therefore are not very likely to destroy themselves, others or the environment.
Without spirituality life becomes an empty experience devoid of real meaning, purpose and true joy. Spiritual living is the difference between living consciously and unconsciously. It’s the same difference between moving around in a dark room and moving around in a well-lit room where you are less likely to go bumping into things and “see” where you have to go. You might say spirituality is your secret weapon to give you a winning edge regardless of your circumstances. That’s when riches of the heart will beat any material success (by the narrow definition of THE AMERICAN DREAM), and no one can take it from you either. Increased awareness and spirituality naturally heal any fears you might have – from fear of failure (and even success) to fear of death. And as a bonus, spirituality and high awareness help us gain clarity, inner peace in the face of adversity and uncertainty and the ability to better cope with any type of loss. With such enormous power at your disposal (and best of all, it’s free of charge too), wouldn’t you like to at least give it a try and create your own sign rather than be a victim of signs of the times? You have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose. I should know. I’m living proof.