on my desk - spirituality

This is a bit of a personal post and I am pretty private person naturally. And on my blog I get to share a few things about myself, such as my journey in Tae Kwon Do, my art, my feelings about Day of the Dead, and more. So sharing what's on my desk is a little look inside my head and life; a look I don't let many take. Right now on my desk is my little skeleton nutcrackers holding images and memorial cards of friends and loved ones that have past on, as we just celebrated Dia de los Muertos. Also, on my desk is Every Day a Friday from Joel Osteen.

This book is great for everyone, even if your not religious or practice one. For example, I haven't identified myself with a organized religion. I do consider myself to be spiritual though.

What is spiritual? Coincidentally and recently the editor, Melvin McLeod, of  the Shambhala Sun magazine, a Buddhist magazine explained his thoughts on spirituality and it was the first time someone explained it the way I felt it.

"Except for a few daring freethinkers, that’s the way it was as recently as the 1950s, and that’s still the way it is in most of the world today. It’s the way we’ve related to religion for thousands of years. Until now. Today, a significant and growing number of Americans do not identify themselves as members of any religion.

According to a Pew Research Report, 20 percent of Americans — one-fifth of the adult population — describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated. That’s up from 15 percent just five years ago, and the percentage goes higher the younger you are — up to 72 percent for Generation Y. 

There are many different reasons why people become disenchanted with organized religion — the litany is long and depressing — but most continue to yearn for something more than a life of materialism, for something that gives deeper meaning and happiness, for something they describe as “spiritual.” 

"...some thirty million Americans — maintain some type of spiritual belief and practice, even though they no longer feel at home in a church, synagogue, or mosque. These are the famous “spiritual but not religious,” philosophically the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S. Generally, they’re educated, liberal, and open-minded, with a deep sense of connection to the Earth and a belief that there’s more to life than what appears on the surface." To read more of the article click here.

That's me in a nutshell. Never did I read an article that explained it so well and made me feel not alone in my beliefs. There are so many of us seeking more. We believe in something, something higher, but we just aren't a part of an organized religion.

Joel Osteen is a preacher, and even if I don't practice a religion I don't judge anyone  and I respect and listen to everyone thoughts and beliefs. I enjoy listening to gospels, I love religious icons, there is a lot of beauty in religion and I appreciate it even if I don't practice it. Joel is a really great motivational speaker and I really enjoy what he says as I think he says a lot of good. He's positive and I love positive thinkers and sayers. I started reading his book and  even if you are not religious there are many things and stories that you can relate with from his book.

I caught myself looking forward to weekends, holidays, vacations. I was looking forward to an event, and then the event would come and go and I would find something else I was looking forward to, and I stopped myself from doing that.

It's good to have hopes and dreams, but you can't just be happy looking forward to those. You need to be happy every day. Look forward to everyday. We have to be grateful that we wake up everyday to live one more day on this Earth.

I accidentally found his book when I was shopping at Target and I just was drawn to it and flipped open a random page to find a passage:

"It's good to wake up each day  believing and expecting.  But don't wait for those things to come before you enjoy your life and happiness."

And it was exactly what I was looking for at that time. To me the book is being a better person to yourself, for yourself, to others, and who doesn't want to be happier everyday and who doesn't want to be a better person.