Yrs ago, I studied at Columbia University

Yrs ago, I studied at Columbia University or college for a doctorate in Adult Learning and I was shocked to discover of which adult development theories stop at 66 and very few of the theorists even brooch the subject of spirituality. So I decided to carry it on. I've since discovered several organizations that discuss spirituality, several of them talk about spirituality and wellness or how to cope with dying. While these are generally important topics, this article takes a various approach, and talks about LIVING, and just how the aging process actually helps us to build up ourselves more spiritually.

Spirituality is not only one aspect of life; it permeates and is what gives meaning to everyone of life. Spirituality is not religious beliefs.

I've heard it said that even more older adults become religious even if they haven't been earlier. 1 comedian said, "It's because they are cramming for the final exam! "

Spirituality can certainly include religious practices, that are supportive, but, for me, it is something that gets us in touch with the fact that LIFE IS MORE THAN WHAT it APPEARS to be and that REALITY is not what we SEE, but more with what we cannot see. When our own eyesight and our hearing appear to get worse, our insight and the KNOWING actually get stronger.

Over the next few articles, I will cover four themes about spirituality in addition to aging. The first one is:

One of the most essential spiritual teachings for every religion and spiritual philosophy is about Living claromizador in the particular NOW. Ask yourself,

How much of your life can be spent looking back? I'm not really saying not to have wonderful recollections. But I have come to a bottom line about this time of life. Probably the unhappiest older people I have seen are those which long to be as they once were, as opposed to as they are now. Those who compare by themself with the way they were 20 years ago are engaging in an exercise certain to help keep them in an unhappy state. Trying to be happy with who and what you are at the moment is essential to happiness as we age.

Among the spiritual tasks of aging is learning to live without regret.

Whenever you happen to be anxious it is because you are living in the near future. When you are depressed, it is because you are surviving in the past.

One of the reasons we reject what happens to our bodies, for example, as we age, is that we are able to no longer do the things we i did so.

I was once a dancer (even danced on TV on the Children's hour together with Ed Hurlihy. ) Does anyone understand that one? I won contests web site got older and could do every single ballroom dance then imaginable. But, a few years ago, I had my to begin with hip replaced and now the second you are acting up. I could make myself pretty miserable over that. However rather than regretting that I am not able to dance, I use DANCE as a metaphor for living fully. That I are able to do at any age.

I used to be a musician. I had a beautiful voice, which naturally, I didn't really ever believe was good enough. But I enjoyed the guitar and sang before significant audiences and once even at the Asbury Park, NJ band pavilion. We even got to sing with the Vonseiten Trapp family once, but what a whole other story.

Today, I am able to hardly carry a tune. Our voice has dropped significantly plus my breath doesn't support holding high notes anymore. I have a couple of choices: I could be upset and even discouraged that 'It ain't what it used to be, " or I could delight that I had all those wonderful activities and spend my time generating new ones. I'm choosing the latter.

The columnist Jan Glidewell once said, "You can clutch yesteryear so tightly to your chest which it leaves your arms too total to embrace the present. " PROCESSING what is is probably the MOST important of all religious practices. And certainly as we age, we get a lot of opportunity to practice that.

Just about every spiritual teaching emphasizes the importance of Residing the NOW.

Letting go belonging to the past can get very practical, and for us, spirituality is nothing if it is not necessarily practical.

I'm in the process of going and I'm following the advice that was given to me years ago when I kept California for Florida. The person assisting me sort and pack would hold up everything before we bundled it and say, "Is this who you are today? " I perhaps let go of my doctoral dissertation mainly because I realized that the learning is now inside of me and someone else could benefit from all those books and research resources. They are no longer serving me and are also not part of my NOW.

I think that most people, as they get older, as well learn to live more simply. Living is another spiritual practice. When we grow things, we are really telling the Universe that we don't trust of which we'll have what we need whenever we need it. Or that we never consider we have enough. Any collectors in this article? Take heed.

The very search System.Drawing.Bitmap for more is often a denial of the interesting depth and beauty of what is present at this time.

A guru once asked his / her disciples what they would choose should they were offered 10 million bucks or 10 children. Of course, most people shouted out, "10 million, inches to which he replied, "You can be better off having 10 children, since then you wouldn't always be wanting even more. "

One of the other ways that aging assists us to live in the present is the way our memories seem to be challenged.

Do this one on. I believe that failing to remember is the wisdom of spiritual advancement forcing us to stop living prior times.

They say that one thing good about getting over the hill is that you avoid remember climbing it.

I deal that forgetting is under-appreciated and may be re-examined. It isn't time together that heals things. It's failing to remember that smoothes the edges.

Which brings us to another Spiritual principle which often comes under the heading of permitting go of the past,

the practice of Forgiveness. I could write for days on this one alone. But for at this time, I'd like to present what may seem such as an unusual idea.

The ultimate spiritual development and experience is coming to realize there is NO NEED TO FORGIVE.

What do I mean by of which? I believe that as we age, we come to recognize that Life doesn't just happen to people. We are NOT victims of circumstance. The ultimate spiritual understanding is that we have become responsible for everything that happens to us and even through us, and that no one or any experience comes into our lives by accident. All is a function of our consciousness. Consequently, every insult or hurt we think someone caused us was really a mirror reflection of something our spirits wanted to learn, and the person and even circumstance just obliged so we could get that gift.