How spirituality shows up in the every day, for me, centers around small joys, not huge, life-shattering moments. Spirituality has been showing up in my life in the simplest of moments; kissing my son, hugging the dog, and random acts of kindness. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pondering a lot of things lately, including how I contributed to the pandemic. (If you believe, as I do, we are all one, then I suppose I played a part. Hard to swallow, I know.)
I’m asking, “Who do I want to be when the pandemic breaks? Will I go back to my “old” ways of doing, or do I even know what that is anymore?” The phrase getting back to normal bothers me. Why do any of us want to go back? Have you been experiencing an entirely new take on spirituality? I’m finding it’s not the “big aha moment.” I’m seeing spirituality show up in small moments of joy, snuggling with my new puppy, really tasting my food, and finding the patience to listen to my son as he excitingly explains a video game I know nothing about.
My T-Paper Story and Spirituality Showing Up?
Let me share my toilet paper story and how it led me to enjoy a joy-filled spiritual moment. My son works in a grocery store, and my neighbor had zero toilet paper. You see where this is going. She asked, “Do you think your son could get me some?” I requested a t-paper six-pack. He got it within two days. When I delivered it, I swear I thought she was going to cry. I don’t believe her reaction had anything to do with getting the toilet paper. I believe it had everything to do with the fact that someone listened and cared enough to do something to help. The doing was easy, yet to her, the kindness was immeasurable. A simple act. A big impact. Here again, this is how spirituality shows up, in the everyday. No big moment, just the joy of giving ⏤ it was the kindness of my twenty-something son. He’s a good kid, even if I do say so.😌
The Effects of Binge-Watching
Have you been binging shows since the prescribed home retreat situation was mandated? One of my favorite shows, Outlander, airing on Starz, is dishing up one episode a week. I look forward to each show as a rare treat. I find when I don’t binge-watch, so much is revealed. Each episode becomes more meaningful as I can concentrate thoroughly on the episode at hand. Do you find after you’ve binge-watch, you’re exhausted? How does sitting on a couch for the better part of the day make us feel out of sorts? Honestly, I didn’t research this; I just stopped doing it because it didn’t bring me joy.
One thing I’ve learned during my prescribed home retreat stay is I don’t have to do everything right now. Even saying the words “right now” seems intense, reckless, and forced. I look forward to Sunday evenings when a new episode of Outlander airs. It harkens back to my childhood days when my entire family was glued to the TV to watch the Sunday movie du jour. These times were rhythmic, simple, and easier. Another defining spiritual moment I want to embrace is a more rhythmic life. Another way spirituality has shown up in the everyday.
How Spirituality Shows Up in Freedom to Choose
Everyone on the planet, especially in the Western world, has, at some point, probably been rethinking freedom. A few months ago, we could pick a restaurant, movie, place to visit, or shop, and now many of these choices have been paused. After this is all over, will you go back to the habits of yesterday? For me, I think it goes back to being busy and making choices without a lot of thought. I’ve been working on this for the past ten years, and I’ve definitely gotten better, but I’ve found even my better needs improvement. Slow is hard for me, as I’m an extrovert. Translation, I favor new, busy, and doing. My new freedom is to choose slow. This has been tough for me, but actually, I feel less anxious and stressed than before.
Maybe it goes back to the rhythm. Perhaps it’s because choices do not consume me. Whatever it is, I like the simplicity of it. I’m a proponent of the freedom to choose. Hell, I’m an aquarian, a Seven on the Enneagram, and according to Myers-Briggs®, an ENTP personality type. So freedom is my middle name. But I do resonate with the idea of simplicity ⏤ a spiritual habit I’m working on manifesting daily.
Does Spirituality Show Up in a Simpler Life?
One last thought I had on keeping small but mighty spiritual moments alive. I want to continue connecting more on video or via phone. I’m a phone girl, so I prefer a “happy hour” phone call with or without libations. I think we’ve all learned that social distancing doesn’t mean not connecting; it means reaching out in different ways. We, as human beings, need to connect. With that said, I hope that our global world takes on a genuine, connected, nuanced, small-town feel. Regardless of where you live, we should know our neighbors and look out for them. Let’s keep the idea of being kind and neighborly in our hearts moving forward. When we become a slave to our egos, pushing, wanting, doing, and desiring, we diminish what’s truly important—the small moments of joy, laughter, kindness, and the recognition of one another…
Do we really know what’s ahead? Another lesson ushered in by this pandemic. We think we’re in control, but are we? And if we believe we are, are we happy with it? What if the best place to live is in the unknowingness. Based on my experience, it keeps me in the small, spiritual moments of now. What if you trusted in the unknown ⏤ leaving behind the past and the speculation of the future? Living in the present is how spirituality shows up in the every day. It’s in the small moments of now.
How Spiritually Shows Up in the Every Day?
I hope you resonated with how spirituality shows up in the everyday. It’s always in my heart to share what I experience and to help you see things differently. In this case, I desire to broaden your ideas on spirituality. Oprah has made the “aha” moment uber-popular, which I define as a significant, monumental shift. For the past ten years, I’ve been working on myself. I’ve done a lot of work, but I’ve never had that monumental aha moment where everything changed dramatically. What I’ve experienced are small micro-moments of change. Maybe, those momentous ahh-ha moments are pop spirituality to sell a book, show, or product. What if?
We are all individuals, and we each experience life in many different ways. I wanted to share my experiences, and I thought it would be helpful, especially if you feel bad, frustrated, or somehow left behind because you haven’t had your big “aha” moment. Maybe, you’re like me and had a 7-year tsunami – years of relentless changed followed by a series of small spiritual moments. Or you’ve had both big aha moments and small micro-moments of change. Either way, change is inevitable.
One Last Thought
If you do go out for essentials, please show your appreciation for the people who are on the front lines, serving you, and for those like my son who work overnights to make sure the shelves are stocked. Say please, and thank them for being there for all of us. Their servitude is helping the world keep the lights on. Just another way to see spirituality showing up in the every day 🙏
I do think it’s ironic how people’s perceptions have changed so quickly. My son stocks shelves at a local grocery store. Just a few months ago, I would get comments like ⏤ he’s so smart, why isn’t he in college; blah, blah, blah. Now all of a sudden, people are so grateful that he’s stocking shelves so their basic needs are met. He’s still the same kid, busting-his-ass like he’s been doing for years.
Why all the comments of praise now? It’s because you’ve stopped to notice. You’ve become grateful for the little things. I hope this gratefulness continues long after the pandemic has left the world. Not just for my son but for everyone you encounter. We are all here to serve one another no matter how big or small the role.
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It’s Time to Discover; the Soul’s Role in Personality Typing ©️ — Nina Zapala, a Curious Type, ENTP. I’m a certified Myers-Briggs® instructor with an intuitive side ready to introduce you to a new paradigm in personality typing supported by a spiritual understanding.
Photo credit: Nina Zapala/Unpack Your Personality
