Evidence of spirituality dates back to the earliest cave paintings, reflecting humanity's timeless quest to more deeply understand the nature of life and being human. Since the beginning of humans being humans, there has been an underlying question that resembles:

• “Wait, what’s really going on here?” (understanding)

This question, further explored, leads to more questions like…

• “Who, or what, am I?” (identity)

• “What is this life thing really about?” (purpose)

• “Why do I suffer, and where is this peace (love) I crave?” (healing)

The spiritual quest of seeking to understand identity, purpose, and healing is encoded within every human being. It could be said that every human being is on a spiritual journey, regardless of whether they would use the word “spiritual” to define the journey they are on.

We could simply replace the word “spiritual” with “seeking a deeper understanding of what is real and true.”

This seeking to understand (identity, purpose, healing) is always happening, whether we realize it or not. The natural human curiosity that looks out into the world is only trying to understand what is “out there” because of a more primary desire to understand the self.

This primary desire to more deeply understand the self is what we might call “the spiritual impulse.”

The Ancient Invitation of Spirituality, as it relates to satisfying the spiritual impulse, is ultimately inviting YOU (the seeker) to:

• Discern the difference between what is imagined and what is real.

To communicate this another way: If the impulse is to see and connect with what is real and true about YOU and Life, then the ‘reality or truth’ we seek can only be found in what IS real and true.

Of course, this is why the primary function of all spiritual practices is some flavor of exercise to get out of the mind’s content (imagination) and bring you back to the present moment (reality).

WHY? Because, if you are going to find the “REAL” answer, the “TRUE” answer, which IS what you are fundamentally seeking, then this can only be found in what is real and true.

It’s the difference between seeing a photograph of a sunset and experiencing the real thing. It’s the difference between showing you a picture of someone who is happy and the visceral personal experience of being happy.

The photograph is an image; it’s not the real thing. The mind can only create images, which is... imagination. Yes, the photograph can be helpful; it can point toward the real thing. However, and importantly, the photograph (the image of it) is so far removed from the reality of what is real.

Your Exercise:

Take 5 minutes and explore the following:

• Can I see that everything I’m trying to figure out about myself and about life is some form of seeking a deeper clarity (truth) about:

  • Who or what I am

  • Where/what my purpose is, and

  • How to return to some flavor of inner wellness
    

• Then, find a brief moment of stillness and notice the profound difference between what you imagine things to be and what they really are. This is like noticing the difference between thinking about the tree and more deeply seeing or being with the tree. You can use anything to replace “the tree”; be it a bird singing, the temperature, your own breath, etc.