How often do you look after your spirit? Most of us focus on our mental capacity and physical prowess, but the third leg of the powerful human triangle of life is the spirit, which people mostly ignore. The soul is the intangible part of your existence, determining a lot about who you are and how you deal with other people and, more importantly, yourself and your world.

This is the part of you that believes or denies a higher power in the universe and determines how you approach each day. Is there a grand plan? Are we just individual organisms, randomly existing and experiencing life? All of this and more is determined by your spirit and sits in that very personal possession called a soul. It is my challenge today to be aware of the choices you make in life and how they affect your soul and, of course, your spirit. Use your thoughts, words, and actions to become more aware of nourishing your confidence and enhancing your energy. Or, conversely, how you can do things to harm it.

Religion vs. Spirituality

Some folks choose to rely on the organization of faith to develop their spirit. This practice requires you to listen to the ideas of others and accept them as your own. Following another’s an interpretation of the world. It also describes what God is and how you should worship. There are all types of religions, and each has its dogma, rules, and history. But in the end, no matter what religion resonates with you, it is still someone else’s interpretation of God you are following, and thus you are not in control of how you view your spirituality. In my view, if an organization preaches separateness, it does not have the best interest of your spirit in mind. They want to control you for some reason. Usually for money.

Spirituality is how you choose to relate to a higher power based on your personal experience and thoughts. It is my view that I don’t need a religion to control my thoughts or my spiritual growth. A relationship with the universe (God) is a personal choice. I choose to be responsible for my own decisions and look for guidance from a higher power. When you look at the world, either you see a whole lot of wonder or a whole lot of mess. The health of your spirit results from this view. One of the things that I am sure of is that we are all connected through a higher power. It is in each of us, and our experiences, intelligence, and openness determine how aware we are of this phenomenon. The health of our spirit is determined by our connection to others and the world around us that we are conscious of the day today.

Enhancing Spirit

There is within us all a version of our being, which is our best self. The part of us does the right thing, helps others, and leaves the world a better place after our time here has passed. Our best self reveals itself when we put the well-being of others in front of our interests—giving of our time and effort more than our money to someone or something. This type of spirit makes the world a better place. Making choices that benefit everyone and everything is seeking your best self. This path is not as easy as it sounds.

Since this is so difficult to do, we get help to find our best selves. Our spirit is either enhanced or limited by the people we choose to associate with in our adventures. Each of us is continually given guides in our lives. They provide thoughts and attitudes, and our choice to listen, follow, or disregard what they say and do will help determine our spiritual health. If they are positive and enhance your existence, you will grow and feel good. If they are on the negative side and limit you, you will have negative emotional feedback. Look for the positive influences of other people to feed your spirit.

The third influence on your healthy spirit is how you choose to view a divine presence. Is there a God? Do they influence your life? How do you see this divine presence in life? Understanding how a divine presence works in your life if at all, will help your spirit. Each of us is naturally going to look at this differently, and that is ok. There is more than one way to see things.

Don’t Limit Your Spirit.

The factors that will limit the development of your spirit are limiting beliefs and the people who try to build them. Each of us has a lifetime of interactions with others. The messages they give us that we accept determine what we believe about the world and ourselves. It is vital to choose beliefs that honor you because these will lead to thoughts that honor you, which will lead to words that keep you and, of course, actions that observe you.

All of us have let beliefs push us in directions that are less than honorable. We have to accept responsibility for this. To develop our spirit and have a healthy emotional journey, we need to evaluate our beliefs and how they honor us continually. If you have limited confidence in your abilities and life, then your experience will be limited. I would never tell you what to believe, but I would urge you to seek the spirit that honors you and all of those you meet. Only you can decide for yourself what that is and how to honor yourself and your life. Remember, Our spirit connects our physical and mental selves; a healthy heart will bring a healthy and happy life.

Creativity lets your spirit run free. Create whenever you can from the soul.

“So be good with what you’re given
For it’s all you have to give
We are only passing shadows
In the mighty wind.”