ARE YOU AWARE OF THE SPIRIT WITHIN YOU?

You do not need to work to become spiritual. You are spiritual; you need only to remember that fact. Spirit is within you. God is within you. Julia Cameron

Most of us believe that there is a spiritual aspect to our composition, that our being is comprised of both body and soul, and that this part of ourselves is eternal. And if we embrace this truth, then we accept that we "do not need to work to become spiritual," for that part of ourselves already exists and only needs our awareness of it. Our spirit lies within us--everywhere--in our sleeping and dreaming, in our waking and eating, in our breathing and drinking, in our working and playing, in our learning and teaching, in our loving and compassion. Knowing this part of who we are... is knowing the Divinity within. Having a spiritual aspect to ourselves requires that we take care of it. Prayer, meditation, spiritual reading, compassion towards others, and similar such exercises, are great ways to build and maintain the healthiness of our souls. In truth: if our soul is the part of us that is eternal, then it is the only part of our being that will last forever. It therefore deserves our time and our attention. The spirit within us is the most important aspect of who we are. Its eternal nature can help us to look beyond the small and insignificant things in life that cause us pain, suffering, and unhappiness, and keep our focus on the grand purpose of life. Today's Challenge:

Take a moment to recognize the spirituality within yourself.

Are you aware of the spirit within you? What kinds of things prevent you from focusing on your spirit as a major part of who you are? What kinds of positive things might happen if you were to allow your spirit to play a much larger part in your life?

Many of the most deeply spiritual moments of my life haven't happened just in my mind or in my soul. They happened while holding my son in the middle of the night, or watching the water break along the shore, or around my table, watching the people I love feel nourished in all sorts of ways. Shauna Niequist