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Spirituality: It’s As Easy As 1, 2, Wait…No It’s Not. The Truth About Spirituality, And Why It’s Deeper Than You Think.

11 Heart it! Lillianna Galvan 397
June 7, 2018
Lillianna Galvan
11 Heart it! 397

The word spirituality lacks a concrete, universal definition, which is what makes people so skeptical and put off by it. That, and non-spiritual people who claim to be uber spiritual to be cool. So what is spirituality?Arguably, it’s just the way in which you connect with yourself, your higher power, and others. But that’s much easier said than done. Connecting with each of these things is a job in and of itself and takes time and a regular practice to solidify. Let’s talk about how difficult and misunderstood actually being spiritual is. Spirituality isn’t a one and done type of thing, it takes dedication, and is a life-long, ongoing practice. Even when you’ve had an awakening, the process continues and you must work to maintain your spirituality.

It took me 11 years of ups and downs and hundreds of hours of meditation and self-reflection just to reach my first awakening, and they continue to come in cycles as long as I continue my practice of ceremony and self-awareness. Spirituality is very complex, but at its core it is connecting with your spirit, the spirit of those around you, and the spirit of the divine. At the same time, it entails detaching oneself from the physical, materialistic and achievement-driven world. This is perhaps one of the most difficult parts about practicing spirituality, because society has done such a good job of attaching the idea of happiness and self-worth to status, money, career, and what we have. Add social media to the mix, and constant comparison to misleadingly glamorous and seemingly perfect Instagram personas, and it’s a miracle that we aren’t all depressed and self-loathing.

Detaching from the physical and materialistic world involves distancing oneself from these types of influences, and today’s obsession with appearances and external markers of success and happiness. Unfortunately, that’s where most millennials draw the line, and seem more preoccupied with appearingto be spiritual on Instagram, than actually beingspiritual. Spirituality entails finding a much more substantial and worth-while form of happiness that comes from discovering and aligning with one’s true self, and self-love. Self-love can be a very difficult goal to achieve, but it starts with gratitude, and measuring your self-worth by internal and deeper markings such as how selfless, generous, intelligent, or reliable you are…what a good friend, brother, or co-worker you are and how well you treat others.

Unfortunately, the way society works, how nice we are doesn’t pay the bills and put food on the table, but once the basic needs of survival are met, true happiness rarely is measured in how many possessions beyond that one has. That’s why so many of us are depressed and seemingly lost, society tells us to chase a shallow and non-gratifying form of happiness. We’re on a hamster wheel trying to fix the internal with external Band-Aids of instant gratification and shiny Instagram-able things. That’s not what life is about, what we have is not what people will remember about us, that’s not how we impact others, it’s how we treat people and how we make them feel that leaves a mark. And to truly treat others how we want to be treated, we must love yourself. This comes with self reflection and conquering our internal traumas and demons, not buying a new car. When we truly love ourselves, loving others comes naturally and we’re able to love others as we love ourselves. How wonderful the world would be if we all loved our authentic selves and loved one another instinctually.

Now, the key to self-love and spirituality is loving our true self. Many of us don’t know who our true selves are. This is what takes major self-reflection and awareness. Our true self is us at our core, without any outside influences or superficial motives clouding our intentions. It’s who we would be and how we would act if we genuinely didn’t care or take into account what other people, or society thought or imposed on us. This is what we have to work to love, in order to be truly spiritual. It’s loving ourselves for our soul. Conversely, it’s also loving others for who they truly are and not what they have or their status.

We come to this world not knowing anything, and we embark on a journey to find our purpose and our true selves, and this is where real happiness lies, not in the materialistic consumer ideologies of happiness. Every day is a challenge to align our thoughts and actions with our true self, and we have the choice to do so with every moment that passes. This is true integrity—thinking, believing and acting from an authentic and pure place. This, too, is difficult, as every part of spiritual practice seems to be, but the pay-off of true satisfaction and happiness is insurmountable. When our moral compass and self-worth aren’t dictated by possessions and status, but by love of true self and others, we are being spiritual. When we are able to reflect on how we impact others and this world with our thoughts, words, and actions, and when that is how we determine our value, we are being spiritual.

Another major pillar of spirituality is energy work, i.e. using the energy in and around us to create a beautiful reality. Energy work goes hand in hand with the laws of the universe, and one must understand and abide by them to make the most of energy work. This entails manipulating energy to raise its frequency (or in laymen’s terms, turning bad energy to good energy), which in turn can change our circumstances through the law of attraction. The universal laws govern everything and include concepts such as the law of cause and effect, the law of vibration, and the law of universal oneness to name a few. Living spiritually means living our life according to these universal laws, which raises our ability to manifest things through energy work. The universal laws also help us understand how the divine plays a part in everything, and to see the art in everything around us. We are constantly creating and painting the masterpiece of our lives with our energy, and spirituality is about consciously co-creating this art with the divine. To do this, we need to shed our ego, and align with our soul, with our true self, so we can co-create authentically. By tapping into our true self, and tapping into the divine source, we can create the most beautiful reality through our energy work, and this is spirituality in motion.

I think we’re all aware that “spirituality,” meditation, and pretty sage sticks are trending, but truly spiritual people are surprisingly few and far between. Pop culture doesn’t seem to have a grasp on what spirituality really is. Living in Los Angeles, I’m constantly faced with people who I like to call “Instagram spiritual.” They’ll say they’re spiritual, collect all the cute paraphernalia, and pose for Instagram-able pictures of them smudging with a colorful wildflower sage stick, or practicing yoga in an Alo outfit, but when you talk to them there’s nothing spiritual about them, and it’s heartbreaking. They’re all about appearances, the appearance of being spiritual, and they are driven by materialism and superficialities. And I just want to scream from the rooftops, “spirituality isn’t just meditating and being vegan!”

But I digress…my point is that spirituality has nothing to do with the appearance of being spiritual, it’s much, much deeper than that. It’s not merely another label to hang onto your name—I’m a lawyer, I’m a dog-lover, I’m spiritual. It’s a dedicated practice of love, awareness, gratitude, and self-reflection. It’s aligning our energy and actions with the laws of the universe. It’s compassion, integrity, and human decency. It’s truth and selflessness. It’s walking in love instead of walking in fear, and measuring life by the good energy you put into the world, instead of the status and possessions you get out of it. It’s not about materialism, Instagram posts, likes, or seeking attention and recognition. It’s about detaching from the ego and superficial social norms, connecting with the divine energy in you and in every other living creature. It’s about being the light vs. being in the light. It’s about going inwards and connecting to our most pure self. It’s about our substance, our thoughts and our actions, not just being a pretty package with nothing inside. And lastly, it’s a life-long practice, a practice that if we all engaged in, would make the world a much, much better place.

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11 Heart it! Lillianna Galvan 397
11 Heart it! 397

Reply to Stephy G cancel

issa.rolando Jun 7, 2018 2:08pm

Wow. This 100%. Especially living in LA… Spirituality has become a trend, and has been adopted by some pretty shallow and selfish people. Going “inward” means not only bettering yourself, but treating others with love, kindness, and respect. Thank you for writing this. It’s about time people start treating others better. We really need this right now, especially with all the toxicity out there.

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 8, 2018 7:28pm

    Hi Rolando, you are very welcome and thank you for reading it. I really do hope we can all get along and start to see ourselves beyond the veil of this limiting reality implanted within our current society. Much love and light on your journey!

manal.h.aleisa Jun 7, 2018 2:31pm

Amen sista! Great article, very informative and such a positive message! Love the “instagram spiritual” reference…so true!

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 8, 2018 7:25pm

    You are most welcome, Manal! And thank you for reading it! Much love and light on your journey. <3

Stephy G Jun 7, 2018 7:52pm

This is such a beautiful post! so raw and real . I am grateful that you took the time to express exactly how you feel about spirituality, because i can honestly relate. I awakened in 2012 but Indeed, this awakening continues to happen over and over again and doesn’t ever really stop.. It is a beautiful ongoing process, that presents itself with new challenges everytime. Once again thank you for sharing your wisdom, I really enjoyed reading your post. Sending you all my blessings <3
-Stephy

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 8, 2018 7:24pm

    It really never does stop and indeed, it is such a beautiful process. It’s a continuous, growing experience, aligning us closer to our truth and the truth in this creative expression called life. It really is a blessing. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a beautiful day! Much love. <3

es Jun 7, 2018 10:03pm

This is amazing. Fantastic, well thought out article with nothing but truth bombs. Spirituality is “trending” right now and so many people use the beautiful premise to tote superiority complexes over others especially in Instagram! “Looking spiritual” does not make one spiritual. It’s a humbling journey that doesn’t necessarily come with pretty sage sticks or Alo pants. Loved these insights so much – please write more!!

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 8, 2018 7:21pm

    Why thank you! Truth, in my opinion, is the only thing that is real and so I’d prefer to address matters in that space, especially since our world has been so tainted with misleading falsities. To turn a blind eye, doesn’t do justice for anyone, and so we should be brave, speak our truth and help others align to theirs. I will definitely be writing more, so please do stay tuned! Much love and light on your journey.

carlsbadcatch Jun 8, 2018 8:54am

This is a beautiful, honest, and inspiring read. Thank you, from someone who is truly looking for spirituality and guidence, soul seaching, self love, and a true sense of meaning in life. There is so much more to this life than materialism and ego. This blog inspires me to reach so much deeper and really dedicate myself to the true exploration of my true self and the spiritual world around me. Thank you!

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 8, 2018 7:07pm

    Indeed! And you are most welcome. 🙂 I hope you have so much fun on your journey. Remember to get curious with the changes, and know that the universe has your back. It really wants to show you how beautiful and boundless you really are, so trust, let go and allow good to flow. <3 Much love to you!

jdor1on22 Jun 8, 2018 3:16pm

Thank you for speaking your truth! I loved “it’s about BEING the light vs being IN the light!” Keep burning bright love ? ⚡️ ?

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 8, 2018 7:04pm

    You’re most welcome! Being the light is like a state of blissful eternity… yup, that sound good to me! One dish of blissful eternity please! 🙂

Linduras56 Jun 8, 2018 5:31pm

Wow! Thank you! What a wonderfully inspiring read. This is exactly what our world needs right now and you hit it right on the nail. I’m so glad I took the time to read your words! If only everyone on this planet would think the way you do and strive to be a better human being. Linda Garnica

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 8, 2018 7:01pm

    Thank you for your kind words, Linda and for taking the time to read my message. I really do have a lot of hope for our world, it’s just a matter of getting these truths to each individual. Life is so much better when you come from a place of decency. You honor yourself, others and the world when you do and the universe rewards those that nurture its creation. Much love and light on your journey. <3

Jessica T. Jun 13, 2018 4:46pm

Yes! 100 times yes. This is everything. “Being the light versus being in the light.”

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 15, 2018 11:13am

    Yes mam! Happy you liked that!

caroleemoore78 Jun 14, 2018 4:06pm

So true if you can’t love yourself than you can’t love someone else. I suffer from bipolar depression and it was hard. But I too took pills for it and therapy and finally had to stop all because it made me sleep a lot. I have three children in the home who needed me so I learned to love myself to be able to love and care for my children. I am now in a good relationship. My children are happy and I am happy.

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 15, 2018 11:18am

    I’m sorry to hear that you suffered from bipolar depression and happy you were able to move past the pills. Loving yourself is such a beautiful and fulfilling choice and I’m sure having children taught you many things. They really are such a blessing. Thank you for sharing. Sending love and light. <3

witchywoman223 Jun 14, 2018 5:17pm

I love this….. my spirituality journey has been short so far. I had my first awakening about a year ago. Amazing is all I can say . my whole life has changed and everything in it. I’m so thankful for blogs such as yours

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 15, 2018 11:13am

    Thank you for sharing and I’m happy you experienced your first awakening. They truly are blessings and so powerful beyond measure. I’m happy you enjoyed the blog. Please stay tuned for more. Much love and light!

t.maldonado78 Jun 15, 2018 12:49am

Hi I’m new to this and I’m a cool mom

    Lillianna Galvan Jun 15, 2018 11:10am

    Great! Sending much love and light on your journey. <3

anonymous Jun 15, 2018 9:18pm

Very beautifully written Elisha. Paragraph six is especially enlightning. Being your mother I remember you from birth. As a child you had such a sweet spirit and we’re always so helpful, giving and caring. You were such a beautiful little girl and so innocent too. I remember when you were six years old on Easter Sunday and Olivia was frustrated that she couldn’t find any Easter eggs. You intervened and helped Olivia find them. That is the sweet innocent Elisha that I will always remember.

As we age life happens and we encounter different life circumstances and lose our innocence and purity. Only an encounter with God and a spiritual awakening will realign us and take us back to that place of innocence and a pure heart ❤️. I Jove you very much Elisha.

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