Overview of Spirituality
This topic is one that brings several different meanings and ideas. It depends on who you ask and what their experiences have been as to how they view it.
In basic form, our spiritual being is one part of us. This article on whole body health explains how our entire person is broken down into three parts: physical, mental (including social and emotional), and spiritual.
Often, we hear information explaining our spirituality including “how we think” or “our state of mind.” These areas are different although can be closely related.
(Our explanation shows that mental aspects, or mindset, contain thoughts and emotions, and are not in the spiritual realm.)
Seeing them as separate, although closely related entities, shows that spirituality does have its own place.
In This Article
The Meaning of Spirituality
Although challenging, we will break down spirituality and its meaning in a way that allows greater understanding.
Various parts of spirituality will be addressed such as the importance of it, the views, and methods for gaining spiritual wellness.
The Importance of Spiritual Wellness
As with other discussion regarding the whole body, it is apparent that the portion which gets the most attention likely has a better result.
For example, of the three areas mentioned—physical, mental, and spiritual—when one part gets more attention, it flourishes. If any part is neglected it decreases.
Therefore, staying in balance is extremely important. We should give equal time and effort to each part.
Regarding body wellness, we discussed the difference between health (our current condition) and wellness (our action steps), and this also pertains to our spiritual health and spiritual wellness.
Since being a spiritual person, or increasing our spirituality, does bring greater wholeness, we should make efforts to identify what spirituality looks like to us.
Views of Spirituality
We will first look at a variety of ways spirituality has been described.
Some of these ideas are:
- Taking great care to love other people and yourself
- We are all one and should act accordingly.
- There is a greater entity, whether spirit, cosmic, or universal.
- Religion or religious guidelines
- A need to focus on self and acceptance of others
- Something that pertains to a non-physical reality
- Finding the meaning of life and its fragility and embracing it
- Direct connection to something
Some of the topics about spirituality stand alone and others tend to overlap.
The easiest place to begin is to acknowledge that spirituality is within us, is a part of us, and does bring us to a place of higher well-being if addressed and maintained.
Methods for Spiritual Wellness
When addressing the ideas of spirituality, there are also methods that are used to increase our well-being or achieve a greater overall wellness.
Since wellness will be considered taking an action step, we will look at the following methods which are often used for increase:
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Bible study
- Numerology
- Astrology
- Chakra or energy focus
- Healing crystals
Just as with the overview of the meaning of spirituality, we each should decide the approach or methods we use to gain more spiritual meaning in our life.
Qualities of a Spiritual Person
After looking at some ideas that are considered spiritual and identifying some methods that bring us into greater spiritual wellness, it’s time to look at the characteristics of a spiritual person.
It is important to remember that although spirituality is its own part of our being, the three parts—physical, mental, and spiritual—readily revolve around each other.
When these character traits are discussed, we realize they are found at the core of spiritually mature people.
They provoke our thoughts, emotions, and actions.
An important note is that spiritual people are not driven by emotion. (Their character is birthed from the spirituality they experience.)
Also, one of the best measures of spiritual character traits is that they are consistent. (This is one of the most important differences in spiritual character vs. thoughts and emotions.)
10 Character Traits of Spiritual People
Several character traits can be considered part of the spiritual realm, but these 10 are anchors for truly spiritual people.
1) Love
Love is at the core of a spiritual person.
While many ideas can be portrayed with the word itself, true love is anchored in the spirit.
This is not the up and down emotion that’s makes us a wreck.
True spiritual love is the acceptance of others as they are, and this applies to everyone we encounter.
It is not only for those people we can tolerate.
Spiritual love involves loving even our enemies and those that hurt us.
While it seems impossible to many, it is based on the notion that we are all equal, and that everyone deserves the same chances.
It does not involve judgement.
2) Integrity
Integrity is one of the greatest spiritual characteristics.
It can be identified as staying true to our values.
Honesty is a component of integrity.
Also, it is important to mention that this trait is part of sound judgement and doing what is right no matter what the circumstances.
Even when difficulties arise, integrity encourages us not to compromise the values we believe in.
3) Wisdom
Wisdom can be tricky to some.
It is not knowledge of a topic or even a greater understanding of something.
Gaining wisdom cannot be quickly achieved and is something that takes time. Wisdom comes from experience.
When we have wisdom, we are in a place to share with and teach others versus just knowing or understanding something.
4) Humility
Humility is one of the most difficult character traits for many people.
It is easy to become egotistical or seek power the more we learn or know.
It is common in society to be rewarded for achievement, so possessing humility increases the likelihood that we won’t perform actions just to seek acknowledgement.
Staying humble allows more growth and a greater view into what others may need or even in discovering our own steps.
Humility allows the practice of putting others and their needs before ours.
5) Awareness
This character trait has multiple facets.
Overall, increased awareness allows for staying more in tune to our own well-being, creates opportunities in our life, and encourages greater capacity with others.
Mindfulness and empathy are two concepts that are part of awareness.
Staying mindful creates greater insight into our wholeness, while empathy is a greater understanding of what others are feeling. (Unlike sympathy—feeling bad for someone due to a circumstance—empathy relates to how they feel.)
Greater awareness can increase compassion and action steps for outreach.
6) Compassion
Sometimes the term “caring” gets interchanged with compassion, but they are not the same.
Compassion is the effort made to alleviate a need after realizing that a need exists.
It is a derivative of love.
Caring is a tug on our heart when something moves us.
It could be brief or long-lasting but does not necessarily prompt action.
7) Peace
Authentic peace is not something that we create by thinking we want to be still and quiet.
True peace encompasses our heart and is within our spirit.
It creates a calm that cannot be mimicked by “thinking” we want to be peaceful.
The action that peace brings is authentic no matter if we are having our best day or are in turmoil.
8) Optimism
Optimism is often confused with positivity; however, they are not the same.
Overall, optimism will carry us through ups and downs and has longevity.
Positivity is one specific mindset and can quickly dissolve when things get tough.
Spiritual people know the difference and strive for an optimistic outlook.
9) Kindness
This term is often interchanged with the word “nice” but is not the same thing.
Kindness brings continuous movement.
You can be nice and offer a word or hand to someone temporarily, but sincere kindness comes from deep within and is longer-lasting.
It portrays an outlook rather than one gesture that might be made.
Kindness promotes a new way to see others and those things that are important.
It comes from a place of love.
10) Purpose
Those that are spiritual have a greater understanding of being on this Earth for a purpose.
Instead of living only with insight for the immediate vicinity or near future, we realize that there is a greater purpose intended to be accomplished.
Spiritual people understand current steps are not the only ones to be taken.
A greater wisdom comes with purpose when we understand that a purpose cannot be forced.
Instead, it includes patience and staying aware of all steps.
How to Become a Spiritually Mature Person
Unlike the other parts of our whole being—physical and mental—spiritual may seem more difficult because it is viewed in numerous ways. However, this also allows multiple options for success.
Physical health is more easily defined, as is mental health, although both can have difficulties for taking steps toward wellness.
Where spirituality is concerned, it is often the most challenging because it is viewed as a personal preference which brings in a variety of parameters as we saw earlier.
Why the Interest in Spiritual Health?
When attempting to increase spirituality, it should be remembered that it can be the anchor for other parts of our whole being.
There has been an increase in interest in spiritual wellness over previous years, and especially with various situations taking place in the world recently. (Cultural, worldwide sickness and death, and global threats.)
The number of people inquiring about spirituality doubled, then more recently tripled, as grand scale difficulties began surfacing.
This information speaks to the idea that our society in general is more interested in finding ways to become spiritually mature, or at the very least there is more curiosity.
Steps to Increase Spiritual Wellness
How can greater spirituality be accomplished?
Just as with physical wellness and mental wellness, spiritual wellness begins with realizing the state you’re in currently. (Your spiritual health.)
Next, identify steps you can take to increase wellness (action steps) in those areas you want to improve.
In this discussion of wellness, we will identify spirituality as recognizing that we are a part of something bigger.
Within that scope, our steps for spiritual wellness involve:
- Identifying what we are a part of
- Identifying how we exist in that realm
- Leaning into steps that promote gains in wellness
- Creating a deeper spiritual connection which will increase spiritual character traits
- Maintaining a deeper connection to have consistency with spiritual wellness
These steps can become a part of the whole effort to increase spirituality, and we should continue seeking to improve our wellness. See this article about my personal spiritual journey. It includes a belief in bigger and choosing God. I also have included thoughts on how to pray.
A side note, after assessing where we currently are, gaining spiritual maturity requires a deep dive within our personal being.
As with any part of our whole self, it can be detrimental to allow others to decide the situations we should walk in or tell us how to react.
If we only follow what others suggest, but don’t fully experience spirituality for ourselves, we will miss the authentic benefits that come from being truly spiritual.
Check out this article for a list of relationship needs that can help promote greater wellness.
Final Thoughts about the Meaning of Spirituality
We have seen what the basis for being a spiritual person is and looked at an overview of different ideas for spirituality.
We also addressed some methods that are often used to become more spiritual.
In addition, we looked at ten character traits of spiritual people and learned that these are anchored from within when we are spiritually mature.
These parts of our character can help encourage other thoughts and emotions. Increased belief also brings daily blessings.
Finally, we addressed multiple steps that can be taken to become a spiritually mature person.
It’s important to remember, especially in this realm, that following what others do is not a way to sustain our personal spiritual maturity.
For lasting result, the change and growth for our wellness should come from within.