How is Spirituality Related to
Self-Improvement?
The deeper we look into nature, the more we
recognize that it is full of life, and the more profoundly we know that all life
is sacred and that we are united with all life that is in nature. Man can no
longer live his life for himself alone. We realize that all life is valuable
and that we are united to all this life. From this knowledge comes our
spiritual relationship with the universe. – Albert Schweitzer
In
a nutshell, consciousness makes us spiritual beings. So, it is within us to use
our gift of self-reflection to examine our lives and to improve ourselves.
That’s really special. As far as we know, we are the only species that can
effectively engage in self-improvement. To me, then, improving ourselves
through self-examination is the highest spiritual endeavor that we can engage
in. This includes trying to better ourselves and to help others better
themselves. Honing one’s spirituality is the result of developing one’s self
and helping others to reach their goals. In brief, then, the highest spiritual
calling is to build one’s character and to continually strive toward
self-actualization. The lifelong process of learning how to become a truly good
human being is the essence of spirituality.
Improving
oneself – becoming a better human being – is a spiritual process. It begins
with looking inside oneself and facing what’s there. People talk about the
human soul. I see the soul as one’s character – that which comprises and
defines you. So, soul building equates to character building. The human
condition – all the suffering and difficulty in life – may be necessary in
order to build one’s character, to make us better human beings.
Spirituality
involves helping others, being kind and honest. What more could a spiritual
person ask for in life than to be at ease with who they are, be satisfied with
one’s life, and be content that one has done his best to be a good human being? The true test of character is what you do
when no one is watching, not even God. To me, the highest form of character is
doing the right thing, not because God is watching and judging you, but simply
because it is the right thing. That is the highest moral road that we can
travel. In other words, doing good without the promise of reward or threat of
punishment if you don’t, or doing good simply for its own sake, is the basis
for a new, higher form of spirituality.
