Spirituality is now something which I feel very much connected to, however, this hasn’t always been the case. There was definitely a time, not too long ago, in fact, when I felt extremely lost, unsure of my place in the world- why I was ‘put here’ in the first place… In other words, I very much felt confused about ‘God’ (religion/spirituality). To help solve my confusion and thus help me to feel more ‘at home’ in this world, I read a lot of books about the subject I so deeply longed to understand- spirituality. It was this- reading- which led to what I can only describe as my ‘enlightenment’- my realisation that there is a force far greater than us individual human beings at play, and that, in the grand scheme of things, our worries are really just insignificancies that don’t mean anything. In terms of the authors that I have read, and still read, they mainly consist of celebrities. Why? Because, understanding the human mind is something that I find absolutely fascinating, and understanding the minds of people in the public eye who I look up to/who inspire me, well, for me it doesn’t get much more fascinating than that…
Oprah Winfrey, Fearne Cotton, Russell Brand- they’re just a few of the people whose books/interviews I’ve read regarding their belief in a ‘higher power’ that have greatly influenced my own perspective on what it means to be having a human experience in a spiritual world.
Today’s post is all about passing on what I have learnt from others, onto you– a ‘recycling of knowledge’, if you will… The aim of doing this is to equip us all with the spiritual insight to lead happier, more fulfilled lives.
So, lets get into it. Lets see what the first inspiring ‘celeb’, Oprah Winfrey, has to say about spirituality…
Oprah Winfrey on Spirituality
Although brought up as a ‘traditional’ Christian (she was raised in the Baptist church), Oprah now adopts a more ‘new age’ approach to her beliefs. Unlike the Christian God who is totally outside of ourselves and outside of our universe, when Oprah now refers to God, she describes it as ‘an impersonal force that is within us all.’ In essence what Oprah says then, is that ‘God’ is really just another word for our consciousness.
To expand on the above point further, the idea that God is within us all and must be sought from within, Oprah says:
'Spirituality isn't something I believe in. It is what and who I am: a spiritual being having a human experience.
I am connected to the energy of all creation- I am a part of it, and it is always a part of me. Whatever label or word we use to describe "it", it doesn't matter, for words are completely inadequate.
Knowing this has made all the difference. It allows me to live fearlessly. And to make manifest the purpose of my creation. And I will be bold enough to say I know for sure it's the greatest discovery of life: to recognize that you're more than your body and your mind.
You then realize that you don't live your life, but life lives you. Life is the dancer, and you are the dance.'
Fearne Cotton on Spirituality
Fearne is someone whom I have looked up to for a long time, being first introduced to her work and all the amazing things that she stands for four years ago now via her exciting, much needed podcast; ‘Happy Place.’ In her podcast, Fearne has conversations with (I purposefully use the word ‘conversations’ and not ‘interviews’ because they certainly feel like the former- insightful conversations whereby knowledge, ideas and inspiration are allowed to flourish, as opposed to the asking of solely one sided questions that can feel somewhat ‘forced‘) with all sorts of different, incredibly interesting people. Despite the differences Fearne’s podcast guests have on the surface though, they all have one thing in common- they are all connected to the greatest force to ever exist- the creator of this thing we call life. They- we– are all connected to each other. We are one, and this oneness is a recurring theme throughout the Happy Place Podcast episodes, albeit sometimes a ‘subliminal’ (less obvious) theme.
As well as her podcasts, Fearne also has several books out, the latest of these books being ‘Bigger Than Us’- a book that certainly hones in on Fearne’s interest in spirituality and the idea that there is, quite literally, something ‘bigger than us’ out there.
So, what does Cotton have to say about spirituality then. Her musings on the topic are written below…
'By now we all have a rough idea of how to look after our bodies and minds. We know that eating a balanced diet, doing a bit of exercise and remembering that cigarettes look cool in films but suck for our lungs will help our bodies out. We know that having decent relationships with others, doing things we love and refraining from bingeing social media will give us a healthier mind. But what about the other bit? The… what do-you-wanna-call-it bit? The soul? Spirit? Awareness? Energy? I don’t mind what you call it as I’m not sure what name to pin on it myself, but I know it’s there. I personally believe – wait, sod it, I want to be pretty definite about this – I KNOW that I am not just a body and a mind.
And God, a higher power, the universe? It is within us, not outside of us as we may believe.
Russell Brand on Spirituality
Russell Brand is another extremely inspiring person to me, and I’m sure to a great many other people around the world, too. Brand transformed his life, going from a despairing drug addict, to a spiritual practitioner, sharing his motivational story through his podcast- ‘Under the Skin.’
Russell Brand talks, on his podcast, about his love of meditation, saying…
'Meditation helped me to understand that I am not what I think and feel. I am witnessing what I think and feel.
We must all transcend the beliefs of who we are, then perhaps together we can transcend what our belief of a society is.
We are all heading in the direction of oneness, we are all heading in the direction of love. And meditation is an invaluable tool for facilitating that journey.”
To conclude, all three celebrities that I have written about here today (Oprah Winfrey, Fearne Cotton, and Russell Brand), despite their surface level differences, have expressed the same one united belief- a belief in ‘oneness’ (the idea that we are all connected), and their belief that God is something inside of us, not outside of us. Furthermore, all three celebrities also endorse the benefits of embracing spirituality (unsurprisingly).
My hope, as I write the final sentence of this post, is that you too will have been inspired to embrace the life transforming potential of spirituality for yourself.
‘To live spiritually is a journey and one that, when you take the first step towards it, you’ll never look back.’
-Lisa-
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