Spirituality, Inspiration, and Joy Are Interconnected

Letter of intent to DEP book project #2

Dear Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Sharing Randomly, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, and Dr. Preeti Singh,

It was a great honor working with and collaborating with you on our first book, Holistic Journey Toward Wellness. I want to take a moment to acknowledge my appreciation for the hard work you do as a team on the back end of each article and each book to polish it and to make us, as authors, shine. Thank you.

I deeply believe that joy, inspiration, and spirituality are all interwoven. And I would love to be part of the upcoming collaboration for the second DEP Book to help spread the message of how these things help us live our best life.

How I have Concluded These Things are Interwoven

My spirituality continues to grow and become a more prominent part of my life. I discovered the essence of spirituality in my yoga teacher training many years ago. Religion, although there is nothing wrong with it, has a set of rules and regulations. Spirituality is a way of life that leads me to the best version of myself. Spirituality is acceptance and love. It is a growing consciousness. It is surrender to the materialistic and egoic worlds. When we surrender to those things, we are naturally more joyful.

I sincerely believe in a higher power. I do not know if it is God, Ganesh, Buddha, or whomever, and honestly, I do not want to get tangled in those details. My point is there is a higher power that gives me the faith to believe even in the darkest times. With this belief, no one can shake the innate joy out of me. That is my natural state.

When I finally embraced my spirituality, which took many years of practice, I eliminated resistance. Life began to flow with ease. Joy became abundant, and I found inspiration all around me in the tiny miracles unfolding. I see spirit signs such as repetitive numbers, like 11:11, feathers, and I tend to see hawks since my father’s passing.

Ancient Philosophy

I have embraced the ancient yogic concept of aparigraha, which is Sanskrit for non-attachment, non-greediness, and non-hoarding. When I embraced the concept of detachment from outcome, I shed the shackles of fear that held me back from becoming my best self. I have been through emotional and physical abuse and dealt with monsters in real life. But now that I have a deep belief and a fire within, no one can dim the light of my soul. I am now deeply connected with my higher self.

Many people and I was once guilty, hide, and coward back when fear arises. I tended to retreat to my comfort zone. Nothing good happens in comfort zones, and often we do not get to control what happens or where life leads us. But, in the dark night of the soul, when you hit rock bottom, you surrender to the higher power. You find a new level of strength. The fears dissipate and you are able to rise into the best version of yourself. I stopped worrying about what others thought and started following my passions and purpose.

The saying, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, is true. I never knew the strength I possessed until it was time to sink or swim. Even looking death in the eyes and feeling my body go limp as my husband waterboarded me, I did not realize my own mental strength. It took years of cultivating my spiritual practice and beliefs for me to understand.

Spirituality in Relationships

I believe there are several areas of importance in relationships. Physical and emotional intimacy, environmental well-being, financial responsibility, and spiritual intimacy. Without a spiritual component, I think it is nearly impossible for a couple to thrive. It helps them to remain faithful and respectful. It also helps them to remain vulnerable to each other and to create a safe space in which to grow. It is important to be able to discuss the history of your beliefs and then to update those according to your current needs and desires.

“A true spiritual partner is one who encourages you to look deep inside yourself for the beauty and love you’ve been seeking. A true teacher is someone who helps us discover the teacher in yourself.” ~ Trich Nhat Hanh

When You Feel You Have Reached Rock Bottom

• Ask for guidance from your Spirit Guides and Angels.
• Stop sweating the small stuff.
• Realize Angels are always guiding us. You are never alone.
• Practice self-care and quiet the inner critic.

Sometimes hitting rock bottom is necessary to show us our strength. The comeback is always stronger than the setback. That is when I realized that joy is a choice. And when I choose to be joyful no one can take that away from me. People, like my ex-husband, who are miserable in their own life will try to rob you of your joy and happiness. But it is impossible and that is why it bothers them. If I lost my home, my car, and my possessions, I would still be joyful and grateful for the simple things in life.

Spirituality, yoga, and meditation allow me to center myself. To stop thinking the worst and in fact to start thinking the best. It calms me and brings me clarity. I then feel pure in heart and joyous.

I think if someone approached me and asked what the bare minimum you need to survive and still be content and joyful is, I would answer, a blanket — because I cannot stand being cold, my gloves, a spare outfit, a knife, a bowl, a tarp to stay dry, and cheese. Yes, I love my cheese. I think being able to laugh at ourselves is important too. As I get older, I realize I do not need much. Material possessions tend to complicate my life. I am ready to simplify.

Conclusion

I am saying yes to living my best life, adventure, and love. And I am closing the door to fear. Everything is a choice. We make thousands of options every day. Each choice can lead us toward our desires or further from them. Choose wisely because we do not know how much time we have left in this game we call life. Turn inward and choose joy, as it is your natural state.

To consciously choose joy as your state of mind allows you to tune into your highest purpose. It invokes a feeling of connectedness with the universe. It is a daily practice that involves awareness, acceptance, trusting our intuition, and choosing love.

So, peel away everything that is no longer serving your highest purpose. Allow yourself to forgive anyone you need so that you can free yourself to move forward. Rise above when others seek revenge. The Universe will reward you for not sinking to their level. It all begins in the mind. Choose joy and you will find great comfort.