Discovering a sense of your own spirituality

¶ … Spirituality

Discovering a Sense of Your Own Spirituality:

Who Am I?

In considering one's own sense of self and spirituality, it is important to consider humanity's history. While modern culture promotes the individual, the individual self is just a concept. We are a part of something much greater. We 'individuals' are but small parts of a bigger world and universe. Many of us are raised to believe in something specific in terms of God (or whatever we call that higher power), but what we don't realize is that humanity is only divided by the boundaries that we create with our concepts and our special terms for God. This creates special problems for humanity. It creates a crisis of consciousness. How are we to be spiritual beings, connected to our fellow humans and the universe, in general, when we create such divisions between humanity? In looking at specific religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam, it is easy to see that there are so many similarities that link them together. Institutionalized religion needs to take a backseat to spirituality so that humanity can be more interconnected. In understanding that we are all the same as humans, linked by a greater force somewhere in the universe, we can promote goodness in the world that begins with the individual but manifests in the human.

Into the Wild, a film starring Emile Hirsch and directed by Sean Penn, is a story about the allure of stepping away from modern day culture. In the film, the wilderness is representative of a place unspoiled by individual-ness and self-interest. In the wilderness, everything works symbiotically. The plants and the animals are there for each other. In the wilderness, if there is a lack of something, something else suffers because of it. This film shows us the ways in which humanity could be. It is also in this wilderness that one can be free to live how one wants. There are not any rules except the rules of nature, which are always governing, but that we seem to forget about in modern culture.

Like Henry David Thoreau who wrote Walden, Christopher of Into the Wild gives up a modern-day existence in order to become closer to nature. One of the themes of Walden is self-reliance and the good in simplicity and this is also present in Into the Wild. Self-reliance doesn't have to be considered self-interest. Self-reliance can be seen in Christopher's actions in the wilderness. By letting go of a more materialistic existence and becoming more self-reliant, he is being more true to his soul and to nature (as well as the world, in general). There is much value in simplicity as well as illustrated in the film. For Thoreau, simplicity doesn't simply mean eliminating material possessions from his life, but simplicity means having a simplicity of the soul. Simplicity of the soul can be likened to being in harmony with nature and one's natural surroundings. Taking the time to contemplate the color of the sky and the beauty in the sounds of unfamiliar animals brings us into a state of consciousness that modern culture doesn't afford us oftentimes.

This is a culture where we spend money to relax and to feel spiritual. We go to expensive yoga classes to unwind and we sit inside fancy spas in order to connect to ourselves. Into the Wild shows us that a true connection with ourselves can only occur when we are in harmony and communion with nature. Technology and progress define our society. This is a world where the newest cars, the fastest Internet connection and worldwide cell phone coverage have come to be what is desired of most of us. Into the Wild and Walden show us that when we scale back and embrace the minimalism and simplicity of nature, there is an abundance of benefits that we can achieve.

While leaving our family and friends and becoming a hermit may not be for all of us, the message of simplicity and living with nature is still something that can inspire us. Family is one of the most important things in the world for many and we can find simplicity in our relationships with them. Turning off the television and taking more walks, enjoying more sunsets together and laughing together as we plant a garden are things that will not only inspire our hearts and souls, but it will bring us together, helping us forge a more honest bond with one another. Reality television cannot bring us inner peace nor can video games. We use these things to disconnect from life when what we need to be doing more is connecting with life.

Maddux states:

Despite the multiplicity of philosophies and religions that have permeated the human world, the individual person continues to look to the stars and wonder: What is this place we call the universe? Why are we here? Who am I? How do I fit in? and, where do we go once our corporeal existence has ended?

These are questions that man has been asking since the beginning of time. It is not just the great thinkers who ask these questions or the people who have had the best education offered to them. These questions are inside of all of us; some people simply have not brought them to the forefront of their consciousness. To become conscious of these questions and to try to formulate answers to them is part of our growth as human beings. To be able to speculate on one's own existence and what it means is to be conscious of our own existence and to understand that it is a finite time that we are here in these corporeal bodies can urge and inspire us to lead a life much more full or purpose.

Who am I? This is the question that we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives. Am I a daughter? A student? A Methodist? Yes, I am all of those things, but I am also more than just a label. I believe in a higher power, but I do not have all the answers. I believe in God, but not necessarily that he is a masculine being. I am a caring individual. I like animals and enjoy going out with my friends. I respect my friendships and my family. I am grateful for the love that I have in my life. Do I wish that I had more knowledge of the universe and what my role in it means? Yes, I do. In writing this paper I have been forced to look at the world from the perspective of my private location and I can feel the enormity of the world around me. As I contemplate my existence and myself as I sit under this tree that is probably older than my parents, I think about the things that will still be around after my corporeal existence on this planet has ended. but, will I just disappear? Will there be some mark under this tree that proves that I was here? Will my spirit go on to a higher level of being? Or will I became a part of this tree, of this ground upon which I sit, and of the air that softly whispers in my ear. What is it telling me? I can try to listen to clues around me, hoping that something can tell me something. It is nice to contemplate the elements around me, imaging myself to be some sort of Thoreau or Christopher from Into the Wild. I suppose that there is a sort of relief to let go of the pressures of society that bind us to the superficial. To not have to worry about finances or the latest technology would be a welcome gift. After all, these things do not necessarily bring me much spiritual pleasure when I consider their presence in my life. What is important is my family, my friends and moments like this when I can take in the beauty of the world around me. I should do it more often.