My Spirituality Unmasked

The other day I was asked to explain what spirituality meant to me. Caught off guard by this question I failed to come up with a thoughtful response that truly reflected what spirituality means to me. My standard response is that I am not religious, but I am spiritual. With all due respect to my religious friends, I do not identify with one specific religion. I think of the bible as a book, a collection of stories that are a good reference guide on how to live a good life. Although there may be some historical accuracy to the stories, they are simply stories. Stories reported by average human beings seeking to find meaning to this life. I do not mean to offend anyone or dismiss anyone’s beliefs. I believe the quest to spirituality and self actualization can take us down many different paths. I was raised catholic, and to date have received all the sacraments with the exception of Sacrament of the Holy Orders. In my quest to find meaning I have explored other religions and visited multiple places of worship, but I had come to realize that is not my spiritual path. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for other’s beliefs, and encourage all to forge their own way. The question lingered, what does spirituality mean to me. In an attempt to be primed and ready for this question when next asked, I came home and looked up the definition of spirituality. According to the Oxford Dictionary it is “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things”. One of my favorite explanations came from Christina Puchalski, MD, Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health. She said that “spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.” Both these definitions satisfied my explanation that being spiritual and religious do not necessarily go hand in hand.

The same person who asked me about my spirituality has also referenced an opinion that we all wear masks. That who we are at work is not who we are at home. I am sure this is unfortunately true with many people, I do hope this is the exception and not the rule. Honestly when it comes to me, what you see is what you get. I may not give away my story easily, but when I do I can guarantee it is completely authentic. When we wear masks it isn’t possible to be true to others, or ourselves. This thought reinforces my belief in karma. Basically the theory of Karma is that what happens to a person happens as a result of their own actions. The idea that we do bad things in life and that will somehow cause bad things to happen to us, and the same for good actions causing good results in our life. I believe this is true to some extent. For example when one expels so much time and energy keeping areas of their lives from crossing because they have been layered with deceit and manipulation, the end result is never good. Like a house of cards built on a shaky foundation it will implode, leaving you naked and exposed with no shadows to hide in. Living an authentic life free of the burden of lies frees the soul. It provides a lightness and bouncy of spirit impossible to replicate when anchored by deceit.

I find peace in nature, sometimes in solitude, and often surrounded by loved ones. I find moments of authenticity bring us close, and cannot be achieved when masked. I honestly find the most interesting things about people lie within their cracks, the ones we race to hide or use humor to deflect. I like to shine a light into the cracks, not to exploit but to understand. My spirituality lies in the truths of who we are. Releasing negativity to make room for the positive, forgiving to lighten the burden on the soul, embracing truths, and allowing yourself to be truly seen. In truth, this has been difficult for me in the past, but I am making strides in the right direction. Life is an evolution of mind, body and spirit that truly never ends. My unmasked faith begins and ends with the unknown, and I no longer feel the need to rush to fill the void with explanation or apologize for it. Simple and free from eternal damnation, my spirituality whispers in my ear and encourages me to be open to all that life has to offer.