Excerpt from my latest best-selling book TREASURES OF HEAVEN: Ch. 19 BEING “SPIRITUAL”:

Defining spirituality is challenging in this modern, ever-changing world. Spiritual living is an essential component of fulfillment, but defining it often limits its meaning. The world is undergoing a powerful shift in consciousness, with more and more people labeling themselves “spiritual” or “religious.”  We are on unique journeys of awakening, remembering our divine natures while still in this physical form, but no one path is better than another.

When we claim one route to God superior to another, we speak from ego and not spirit. Spirituality is not necessarily the same thing as religion, but both serve a purpose in our evolution as human beings. Religion can be a beautiful source of connection and guidance, giving us an elevated awareness of our integrity and morality. But labeling people’s beliefs and inclinations as “good/bad” or “right/wrong” is divisive and distracts us from the original purpose of religion.

While many religions have inflexible set of beliefs, spirituality is non judgmental and flexible.Religious dogmas often hide the truth of our divinity, with their rigid beliefs preventing us from recognizing the oneness of all living beings. The experience of “oneness” or “unity consciousness” is spiritual. Seeing the divinity in all people, all religions, and all paths is liberating.

Teachings which increase our prejudices or narrow our beliefs will result in unnecessary guilt, and intolerance, preventing us from truly seeing the divine nature in ourselves and others. So, religions which foster fear or guilt prevent individuals from remembering the core teachings which should unite us as divine souls.

Where there is fear and judgment, we will not find the divine love, unity and peace which are essential parts of the discovery process for souls incarnated on our planet. All religious teachings share a beautiful, common thread which carries a universal truth. This truth is a shared vision which brings connection and a sense of oneness to people all over the world. Sadly, when each religion holds out its own scriptures as the only path to divinity, the truth is lost.

The world would be a much more harmonious place if humanity could recognize and accept the beauty in all paths, realizing that each springs from the same source. Spirituality is internally rooted, a remembrance of our innate wholeness and divinity. Its expression is not limited to any particular set of beliefs. Spirituality is a feeling of unity, oneness, and connection with God, the divine creative force who binds us together. The Creator is felt and known through intimate sharing with others, through meditation, and communing with nature, or simply being of service.

Spiritual experiences expand the mind and awaken the heart and spirit. Remembering our true, divine nature brings us peace. When we love and accept, our spiritual natures glow on everyone around us. We feel and see the spiritual nature in others, and have no expectation or judgment because spirituality is rooted in divine love. No one can tell us what a spiritual experience “must be.” Each path is unique, guided by each soul’s blueprint for its journey through life. We come to live authentically when we nurture our unique spiritual selves.

As we integrate spirit into form, we become “divine humans.” We see beauty everywhere, and accept ourselves and others without judgment. As “divine humans,” we focus on what unites us rather than our differences. We learn the soul lessons we came here to learn, and the past falls away. Forgiveness, understanding and acceptance connect us with our divine nature, and our hearts come to see the divine beauty in others.

Internal and external suffering is a temporary disconnect from the memory of our divinity. We must have compassion for others and extend forgiveness to all. We are on unique journeys, at different speeds, navigating our individual paths with differing levels of awareness. When we make peace with ourselves and others, we become content in our lives. We are spiritual beings exploring and expanding our divine nature in physical form. It is easy to get caught up in the drama of three dimensional living, but we always have the power to explore the deeper meaning behind our challenges.

The divine invitation to remember our true natures is encoded in our souls. It’s up to each of us to accept this invitation. We choose the level of participation on our journeys. There is no right or wrong way to experience our humanity. All paths eventually lead home. So, we must take the best from religion, but eliminate any intolerance. The essence of spiritual awareness is understanding that God lives within us, not outside of us. To understand our divine purpose, we must listen to and trust our internal guidance system. We cannot see the true light and divinity in our souls if we adhere to any rigid dogma.

Mutual respect and compassion are the ways we unite in harmony with our fellow man. This is how we become divinely human. May we all come to see and feel the truth, to remember who we truly are. May we all strive to see the beauty, light and divinity within ourselves and one another, with each doing his part to make this world a better place. Now is the time to make a difference. We do this by focusing on our light and coming into personal alignment with the totality of who we are. Our example will shine more brightly than words every could.

Much love to you ALL ~ Cari