Renouncing Spirituality

I hereby declare that I am a not a spiritualist. I do not ascribe to the New Age spiritual movement. I’m simply a soulful and grounded human being with a heart and a yearning to understand myself, this universe, this world, and the people who inhabit it. I don’t need an organized belief system that engages in judgment, hierarchy, or especially the notion that throwing “love” and detaching from personal circumstances will heal the world. I will no longer apologize for not understanding spiritualists who live in a broken reality and feel that through their “specialness,” they can save it.

The “New Age” movement has all of the characteristics of a traditional religion yet it hides behind a curtain that claims it as all-inclusive. Well, I have news for everyone: It is not. We are here on this earth to co-create, to grow, and to include everyone. We are here to feel our emotions and experience the physical nature that we were born into. We are not here to be special or separate and especially not to simply “love our hurts away.”

The beauty of life comes from the exploration of the pain and the messiness of screwing up and learning from our mistakes. That’s where we find the awareness and “enlightenment” we have all been searching for since the beginning of time. No one has answers to our questions except the all-knowing Soul that each of us possesses.

From now on, I will engage my tribe, the soulful ones (people I have connected deeply with throughout my life’s journey), and I will only subscribe to belief systems that are self-generated from a place of experience of the world, humanity, and the universe. My definition of the soulful ones has nothing to do with whether or not they are part of a movement or a religion.

Soulful ones to me, are:

  • Ones who appreciate transparency and authenticity at the rawest level.
  • Ones who inspire others with their devotion to truth and humanity.
  • Ones who take conscious responsibility for the reality that has been created.
  • Ones with compassionate hearts that fall in love with the world and its inhabitants each and every day, over and over again.

And, most importantly,

  • Ones who step into action to manifest a powerful vision for life.

I invite each of you to define your own personal belief systems that resonate with your individual spirit. Find your tribe, and experience life in all its greatness. This, in my experience, is how you live in peace and joy through all the days you inhabit the earth.

 

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About the Author | Kelly McNelis

Kelly McNelis is the founder of global community, Women for One, a speaker, coach, facilitator, and bestselling author of Your Messy Brilliance: 7 Tools for the Perfectly Imperfect Woman. With more than 25 years of experience as a nonprofit and small-business consultant, Kelly empowers generations of women around the world to build the relationships, community, and confidence they need to achieve their wildest dreams. She finds daily inspiration in spending time with her husband and children in her home outside of Seattle.

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17 comments to "Renouncing Spirituality"

  • Hi!

    I have alot of issues with being used in either previous relationships, by men in general like randomly and whatnot. I am an Indian girl born in Canada raised in the US, being such, comes from a conservative background where talking about sex is taboo. Because of this, I never got advice or background knowledge of dos or donts in relationships. I suffer from low self esteem because numerous men have taken advantage of me, used me, and having the family I have, not able to talk about it. This has become a pattern since I was 16. I am now 28, but last three years I kind of halted alot of things in life to well, HEAL. Please if you could help talk me through this issue, that would really help!

    Sonia

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      Women For One

      Hi Sonia,

      Thank you for sharing your words with us. Healing take times. At the end of this month I am leading a 3 part conversation about emotional healing and spiritual transformation. You might consider signing up. You can find details at http://www.realtalkonspirituality.com. Also, I encourage you to find someone locally that you can speak with transparently for healing.

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      Women For One

      Hi Sonia,

      Thank you for sharing your words with us. Healing take times. At the end of this month I am leading a 3 part conversation about emotional healing and spiritual transformation. You might consider signing up. You can find details at http://www.realtalkonspirituality.com. Also, I encourage you to find someone locally that you can speak with transparently for healing.

  • Absolutely, Kelly! Here’s to the authentic Indie Mystics.

  • Love this article . . . couldn’t agree more!
    Thanks Kelly!

  • Hi, thank you for your blog and for saying out loud what many think. Yes, the New Age movement is it’s own religion and there are too many “should” rules and ways to live by. I have found in my experience that some of the people who claim to be spiritual are in fact by their actions the exact opposite – and it is easy to learn the theory but many of these knowledgeable people don’t actually do the work on themselves… living from the heart, knowing what is right for you all mean the world to me – and YES! feeling our feelings! There is so much wisdom contained within them

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      Women For One

      Hi Jody. Thank you for your support and for writing such wise words. Feeling our feelings is a powerful component to healing! Let’s banish the shoulds!

  • van Chapman

    Dear Kelly, you must love the work of Jiddu Krishnamurti!
    the most deep and integer of all truth-tellers I met personally in my life! (though he was a man, sort of…).
    Spiritual self-awareness means that, to me…I do not know what it means to you…

  • الاء

    Although I don’t have a clear definition of spirituality, but of course I believe in the soulful concepts and beliefs. Still I believe in a religion but not religious, trying to actually but because it is a really grand concept I know I will not. Also, I am inclined to be spiritual (spirituality here from my point of view, could be very close to soulful). All I know is that I am always supportive to those who delete barriers, who respect others being different without stereotyping them. those who aspire to see the world a better place. I support the religion, spirituality, soulfulness of LOVE (without exploiting it or making use of it).

  • BRAVA Kelly! You speak with truth, wisdom, compassion and kindness. May no one be intentionally or unconsciously marginalized or disenfranchised.

    You know I cherish you!  Elizabeth

  • Kelly, you hit the nail on the head!!! I reacted most profoundly to your understanding that we must engage with the messiness and worldliness of our problems so that we can listen intuitively to how we END those problems.

    I just wrote a blog post last night that I think you will love. Please, if you have time, read it and let me know how it makes you feel!!!

    https://www.drniamawilliams.com/indigence/loveseat-on-the-rocks-what-to-do-when-the-testing-wont-stop/

    Love and blessings,

    Dr. Ni

  • Thank you Kelly .. Brava!

  • Susan K. Chen

    Thank you so much for sharing this Kelly. I have had these same thoughts myself, and I completely agree with everything you have said. xx