Sometimes the spiritual journey can be a lonely one.
If you've been part of a particular religion or group for a while, it is easy to feel alone when you step out of it to find your own path.
It may be tempting to quickly try to define what you believe and join other spirituality groups, online and locally, that seem to embrace those beliefs. However, that is akin to leaving a romantic relationship and jumping into another before you really assess your feelings. It's really not fair to either party, you or the group, because you may soon find that it wasn't a good fit and you're back to searching, leaving both of you feeling disappointed.
Sometimes we really need to go within and figure out what makes us tick, without the influence of enthusiastic, albeit well-meaning, folks of a particular spiritual bent.
This does not mean that we have to be alone, however.
Recently I've been noticing that rather than seek a particular spiritual group with which to identify, if I instead participate in ordinary things that I enjoy, I meet people of similar spiritual interests. That may seem obvious. It wasn't to me. My natural tendency was to seek out spiritual gatherings where they taught a few things that I believed and hope to find kindred spirits there. That has not always proven successful. It was when I started attending events that I enjoyed based on other things- my love for music, art, gardening- that I inevitably began to meet others who not only enjoyed these interests but had similar spiritual leanings.
If we show up often enough, just being who we are and doing what we love, then kindred spirits will cross our paths. We just need to be there to recognize each other.
Recently, I've been participating in some events at Grandin Gardens and it has been spiritually fulfilling even though that wasn't my impetus for participating. Just doing a little work along side others afforded time to get to know them and to learn of our similar ideas (or not) without the pressure to believe in a particular brand of religion or spirituality.
I highly recommend getting out there and having fun with others who like to do what you enjoy doing. Plant a community garden, participate in a public hike or bike ride, sing in a community choir; any activity that you enjoy.
You may be surprised at the friends waiting for you there.
Comments
Great article! It's really just about realizing we are all one, although each on our own path. Look out for each other and especially be kind to yourself. I have learned so much over the last couple of years and found many friends in the online crafting community.I wrote about my journey on the creativity portal which is a great place to learn and share if any of your readers is looking for a fun, safe place to grow creatively and spiritually. Have a great week!
Hi Lisa, I'm just seeing your comment! Thanks! The online community has been such a comfort and source of inspiration for me. I receive the creativity portal newsletter. It's awesome. Congrats on writing about your journey there. Sorry it took so long for me to see this!!
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