Spirituality

Folds on marble statue, Accademia Museum, Florence, Italy

Why should it be synonymous with religion,

Or related to any omnipotent entity?

I feel it, instead, to be both the source and the expression of an inner life.

It translates into fodder for the soul,

Into a state of the mind, and a quality of the heart,

A connection to the creative self,

A dialogue between the Child and the Adult within,

An awareness of all the senses.

Needing no creed, dogma, hierarchy, or sacred texts.

It dictates a way of trusting oneself,

Of responding to people,

Of relating to nature,

Of assessing events,

And of interpreting the world.

Relying on intuition more than analysis,

On process more than product,

On stillness more than movement,

On one's own instincts more than another's,

On letting go more than hanging on,

On the preservation of innocence,

And on the respect for experience.

Based on the reverent appreciation of beauty,

The concerted pursuit of simplicity,

The thoughtful setting of priorities,

The constant search for substance,

The deliberate rejection of cynicism,

The conscious acceptance of change,

And the instinctive need for depth.

More easily found in being than doing,

In feeling more than analyzing,

In listening more than talking,

In experiencing more than dreaming,

In discovering more than denying,

And in accepting more than resisting.

Ultimately recognizing an inner space

Which material things cannot fill,

Where needs cannot be met by worldly pursuits,

Where balance and harmony occur

In silence, contemplation, and solitude,

Through introspection and creativity,

To achieve serenity and wisdom,

Resulting in contentment and peace.