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Finding God and/or yourself.

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by MythicalBeing, Jun 3, 2009.

  1. How does one exactly find "God" or your inner soul and reach a point where you are happy with yourself and life?
     
  2. Greggers

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    Well, first off, be prepared to get alot of people replying to this telling you to give up on ever finding god cause he does not exist and only fools believe in that crap and blah blah blah blah blah cause it happens every time someone brings up religion.

    Now, yea. You addressed alot of things in your one sentence, so lets break it down.

    - God
    - Inner Soul
    - Happy with yourself
    - Happy with Life

    Well, the God thing first. I personally believe in God, the "Christian" God. I dont know if you believe anything or what you believe in, but for me i found "God" by meditating on my life, praying alot, and reading the Bible in a way that works for me. Its all about finding what you believe and what you think. Never let anyone else tell you what to believe. You have to find it your own way, or it wont be real.

    By Inner Soul, i dont *really* know what you mean, but im guessing you mean "finding yourself"? This is a hard one. Again, id suggest alot of meditating and deep thinking. Who you are on the inside can be differant than the outside. You change alot over time and with experiences too, everything you do changes you, so once you think you have it figured out you might not. This is most likely going to be an eternal struggle. Its hard to really know yourself. Maybe there are better questions you can ask though? I find sometimes its better just to ask myself what im not rather than what i am. If i know what im not, then in some strange way the rest does not matter so much.

    Now to be happy with yourself and happy with life? Can you explain whats wrong with your life right now? Maybe that will give us more to go on. The more details you give the more help we can give you back :slight_smile:

    ...But anyways, welcome to EC (*hug*) and if you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to post on my Wall.
     
  3. Bryan44

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    This seems to be a very interesting question and I agree with Greg in many aspects of his answer. Many people will tell you that there is no God, and to give up and just throw all your inhibitions out the window and live your life. I do believe in God. However, I dont recall ever going out and looking to find Him. I needed something to believe in, I needed to know that there was/is something out there bigger than myself, and this corrupt world that we live in. In my opinion this is where your inner soul comes in. You should take it upon yourself to find out what you believe, dont just take other peoples views and accept them as yours. Ask questions, see what makes sense to you. As for being happy with yourself, and your life. That answer is in the question. What makes YOU happy, what do YOU believe that you are here for, what do you feel is YOUR purpose on this earth. I honestly believe that every single person has a purpose and it is our job to find out what that might be. Im not saying that it is going to come over night, or that its easy task, but it will be worth it in the end. It takes time, and it also takes trial and error, dont be afraid to try new things in life, its all about experiences. Live for today, because like it or not, we are not promised tomorrow.

    Welcome to EC!! Enjoy your time here. :slight_smile:
     
  4. littledinosaurs

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    there is no one way to do it.
    everyone's journey is different and sometimes they never find it.
    I believe some man wrote a book about how he tried out ever religion on his way to enlightenment of something like that. I have no clue how to do it but i'd suggest trying some things out and see what clicks and what feels right and hope that you'll find something deeper to connect to.
     
  5. Mickey

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    Wow,I would never tell anyone there was no God! I believe. I'm just not into a formal religion. I'm a recovering Catholic.( NO disrespect to ANYONE,intended).
    I think everyone has their own way of seeing things. Some go to church.,etc. Others,like me,don't.You need to decide,for yourself,what you want to do. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. Just try new things and see where it takes you.
     
  6. stymied

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    Does God exist? That's a question I will never know the answer to. It's impossible to know, and anyone who tells you differently is only fooling themselves. That is why I consider myself an agnostic. However, unlike many of my fellow agnostics, who believe that because it is impossible to verify God's existance so we shouldn't bother, I disagree. I've looked at everything from Christianity to Wicca, and I still don't have the answer about any spiritual matters, and I never will, but I will keep trying as long as it brings me closer to myself.

    Maybe the most important thing in my soul searching has been finding a purpose for my life. Spirituality is far more complex than the typical Christian will tell you. It's not just obeying the words in a (highly debatable) book, or following the teachings of a man who lived 2000 years ago. Religion is a highly personal experience. This is why organized religion will never answer all of my questions - because my questions are my own to grapple with. Spirituality, in my opinion, is learning about yourself; what you think about the world, what you believe the meaning of life is and what your morality will consist of.

    There's no easy way to search for your spirituality. I'd suggest simply researching religious beliefs to begin with. This is a great site to begin your search, if you're interested. I'd suggest learning about some of the older religions, like Paganisms and Aboriginal spirituality, as well as the standard Christian stuff. Figure out what interests you more - are you entranced by the fantasy of mysticism or do you prefer a more tangible, applicable religion? Remember, the teachings of several religions can be combined to reach your own spirituality if you feel the urge.

    It will be a long journey, and you may not choose to follow it. Good luck, and I hope this helped!
     
  7. Wander

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    There's no searching, no religious meaning, no back-breaking effort in being content and happy with yourself. If you mean being happy with your sexuality, that's a gradual and self-motivated process. If you mean happy with life in general, it's your perceptions that have to adapt.
     
  8. djt820

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    Have you tried looking in the dumpster?
     
  9. twixy30

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    im not good at this type of thing i do believe in God but i have always believed so that not an issue for me so it hard to help you on how to find him other then praying and going to church as to finding yourself i have not even found myself yet put i am looking and it helps just being on here we all have somthing that everyone can take to heart so just stick around and some one will help
     
  10. Legnaj

    Legnaj Guest

    What I understand from your post is that one needs God to be happy and content with ones self.

    I tired finding god but it didnt workout. In fact I was most depressed while looking for it. It was in that time that I discoverd myself by "soulsearching." I ended up realizing that I dont need Gods, Bibles, or Religions to be happy. Now I'm a happy gay Athiest for Jesus :c)

    Soul searching is hard because you really dont know what your looking for other than you know that you're searching for something. If you wanna start, Find out what you believe in, why it is important and why it is that you believe in what you believe in. Dont be afriad to question everything...all your beliefes..nothing is taboo.

    Also soul searching is something that really happends when someone is at their all time low because when your at rock bottom there is nowhere to go but up a path different than the one you took that let you fall.
     
  11. ArcusPravus

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    Actually he's behind the couch.

    <serious part>

    No one can really tell you how to find god or define your spirituality. It's something that is unique to you and only you can really figure it out. The best any of us can do is give you our take on it so to get you thinking about what it is you actually believe to be true.

    <god>

    Personally, I'm agnostic. I don't know wether or not a god exists. But probably more importantly, I don't care if a god exists. The universe is no less wonderful, special, or (literally) awe-some if there isn't a god. The complexity of the universe is completely bind boggling. Every single time we think we understand something, we find out that we're either completely wrong, or that it is far more complicated than we initially thought. The sheer probability of everything occurring exactly as it has and the complexity of how everything interacts with each other is perfection in my eyes. Whether or not it is all by chance or by divine design is irrelevant to its magnificence.

    <spirit>

    As far as my philosophy on the spirit or inner-soul as you called it, that get's a tad more complicated. Many years ago, I contemplated under what circumstances suicide would ever be a valid option. I came to the conclusion that it would never be. Life is too precious and wonderful to ever give up on. There is no guarantee that there is something after this so every second should be spent to its fullest. Even a life of misery is worth more than death for you are still alive and exist. Once you die, everything that is you and makes you unique is lost. Even if a spirit does remain, it will never be exactly who you are again. If it is born again, the experiences that have shaped who you are will never occur exactly like that again. If you live forever in an afterlife, you’re ethereal existence will be markedly unlike from this. So how you spend this life is as precious as can possibly be.

    <happiness>

    Happiness isn't something I have a lot of advice on. I'm still trying to figure out that one myself. At the start of this year, I had a mental breakdown and lost myself and what i want. It's been 5 months, and I'm just now starting to figure out the first part of that. What has helped me is sitting down and really trying to focus on what I actually enjoy during the course of a day. What are my interests. Now I'm starting to make goals based on them. And its not as simple as just saying "I like movies" so "I'll watch movies" but rather combining interests to form goals. For instance, I like to learn, to better myself, to know that today, I'm better than i was yesterday. I also like anime and watch subbed episodes rather than dubbed (subbed being English subtitles vs dubbed being English voice overs). So one of my goals is to learn Japanese. I've also taken things that i don't like and don't enjoy and made goals to change them. I probably should have started with this since my first goal was based on not being happy. I also take each goal and break them down into how to do them. I know this section is just one long ramble, but I really don't know how to express an answer to it.
     
  12. Jim1454

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    I don't think you need to find God... I think you need to have a willingness to believe, and he'll find you.

    Someone recently described it as there being a door that stands between all of us and God. And there is only a handle on your side of that door. God can't open the door himself - you have to do it. But he's there, patiently waiting on the other side, for you to open that door and open up yourself to Him. I thought that was a really nice way of looking at it.

    Happiness? Well that's something different again. For me, happiness doesn't come from things or events. It comes from inside me - my reactions to things and events and people. And what I've learned is that my expectations are inversely proportional to my serenity or happiness. i.e. the higher my expectations in life, the lower my serenity.

    That's not to say that I expect my life to be a sack of sh*t. I try not to expect anything. I keep myself open to the possibilities and live in the moment - rather than living in the past or the future. As 'bad' things happen I try to roll with them, and as 'good' things happen, I try to enjoy them.

    That's my philosophy, anyway. Good luck finding yours.
     
  13. xequar

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    Several parts to this one...

    "God"
    Giant. Load. Of. Shit. The idea of god is nothing more than a crutch for people who are, for whatever reason, incapable of facing the real world on their own. It's an evolutionary holdout that, much like the appendix, no longer serves any discernable useful function. I know this statement will be offensive to some, but to be completely honest, the idea that I or anyone else needs some god-being in my life to be a good person and have meaning in my life is offensive to me. Relying on "god" to give you guidance or bail you out when times get tough is a recipe for disaster, and in the extreme it will have you loading a shotgun and heading to the basement bathroom to blow your brains out when you realize that god ain't showing up.

    Inner Soul
    This, on the other hand, is a very valid idea. It's not necessarily the form that Christians and other religions would ascribe to it, however. Think of it as the one-word embodiment of all that you are as a person, as in your beliefs, your political views, the things that give you pleasure, the relationships you have, your personality, and that certain energy that you possess that drives you forward and that you send off into the Universe by existing.

    So how do you find that? Introspection. Take stock of who you are as a person. Figure out what you believe, as in spiritual beliefs. Figure out what your political views are. Figure out what things give you pleasure. Take some time and revel in the positive relationships you have. Pay attention to how you react and interact with various people and places (yes, places). Pay attention to that gut-feeling you get when you meet certain people, and then pay attention to what facets of that person cause that gut feeling. The same goes for places. I believe that all places and all people have something like an energy signature, and that some places and people match, and some do not (as an example, I feel great in Burlington, Vermont even though it's a small little town, yet I feel ill-at-ease in Knoxville, TN in spite of it being a bustling city with a neat downtown).

    It's about introspection and paying attention to the signs that both yourself and others put out there for you.

    happiness with life
    This is an extension of what I've been saying. I firmly believe that one has to know who they are as a person and get everything aligned properly before one can be truly happy. Assessing who you are will allow you the opportunity to see any issues that you might have. You feel as though you have no positive relationships? Work on that. Go hang out in a (game shop/arcade/bar/whatever) and meet some people. You have confidence issues? Take note of the things you accomplish, even if it's something small.

    Knowing who you are as a person is the key to being happy. It's from knowing who you are that confidence can rise. If you're sure of who you are as a person and what you believe in, you will become more confident, and you will become better able to articulate what you believe. As you become better able to communicate who you are, you will become more confident, and as you gain confidence, you will become happier.

    Now, let's be perfectly clear-this isn't an easy process, and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of it. Like anything else in life, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, even if it's hard.

    I hope for the best for you! (*hug*)(*hug*)
     
    #13 xequar, Jun 4, 2009
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2009
  14. Jim1454

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    Remember that everyone's story is different. I came from a family / upbringing where there was no concept of God. It was a 'fend for yourself', 'you're in charge' kind of attitude. Unfortunately, I also had a predisposition to addiction. As a result, doing it my way, leaving ME in charge, resulted in some rather disasterous consequences.

    Thankfully, I came to realize that 'A Power greater than myself' could relieve me of my addiction. This was a concept that was taken up by the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous in the early 1930s, and that concept has allowed literally millions and millions of addicts to free themselves from the bondage of their addiction and carry on to live a healthy and happy life.

    My 'Higher Power' is God. It doesn't have to be God. It is God as I understand God to be. But knowing that my Higher Power is there for me - to take away my addiction when I ask Him to - is absolutely critical. I had my own 'shotgun' ready and loaded as I approached bottom with my addiction. Entering a 12 step program, letting my God into my life, and finding serenty in recovery is what saved me. It saved my life. I don't call that a recipe for disaster. I call it a miracle, and one for which I'm never sufficiently grateful.

    I'm glad you don't suffer with an addiction. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Just as I'm sure you wouldn't wish your religious upbringing on anyone. But for those people that are powerless to their addiction, it's essential that they maintain an openess and a willingness to believe in a 'Higher Power' that can help them.
     
  15. The Enigma

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    Lol Good god, (no pun intended) Greggory.
    "How supportive" as you've told me. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    Well it seems like many people have hit the nail very well already. But the answer is a very difficult one to get. I believe the answer lies in the unconscious need to have a higher power or authority to guide us in times of shame and downcast. In other words, I believe God to be a coping mechanism needed to survive hardship.

    I have a few theories on God myself and actually wrote an essay that graduated me from English studies titled "How We Murdered God" if you might want a look at that. It states my opinions as well as factual information about the history of God and culture.

    I believe that there might have been an actual God or Entity but they have left us because we cannot seem to become higher power or coalesce fundamentally with them. (as in becoming ultimately good) However, my thesis was that we killed (metaphorically) God by disobedience and grievous sin, replacing It with a new God.

    And that god is Technology.

    Think about it a minute. A new god as technology. I'm sure you can find the similarities.

    But moving on.

    In regards to the Soul? I think finding God and finding your "Inner Soul" are two completely different things. Finding your soul would be more appropriate for finding happiness and peace within yourself rather than God. I don't think finding a God or Entity will acheive this for you. Otherwise I think it's just a cheap compensation or it may turn into blind faith without regard for the Soul or individual will.

    What do you think?
     
  16. Rygirl

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    I tried a lot of things, I went to bible classes, read the bible, but it really did not work for me, (no offence to Christians intended) but I felt that I could never feel content with a religion that was so restricting. That is just my view on Christianity, however I have found something else.

    A couple of people in my old school started to read up on Wicca and the Craft as a fad, and I tagged along thinking 'what could be the harm?', however I found something a lot more meaningful, and liberating. Now I am a strong follower of the Craft, going on for two years now.

    I guess what I'm saying is, keep an open mind, and what you are looking for will find you. Never force yourself to believe in something, been there, got the T shirt, it is just exhausting and not rewarding at all. Everyone is different, everyone finds spirituality in their own way.
     
  17. carrie90

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    everybody finds god and inner happiness in there own way. What worked for one person may not work for someone else. I personally have always had God and when i need inner happiness i think of the good things i have. Maybe you could talk to someone like a friend or loved one and they could inspire you
     
  18. Chip

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    As far as God...
    I've come to look at various religions as simply many different paths to the same place. If you look at the overall messages in most (if not all) of the major religions, you'll find that there are some very fundamental truths that they espouse. Most of those truths are worthwhile for human beings to follow whether or not the believe in God and an afterlife or not, simply because by following them, we make our own lives, and the lives of others around us, more pleasant and enjoyable. (Obviously I am not speaking here of the "hell fire and damnation" flavor of Christianity.)

    As far as your own happiness...
    The biggest challenge for all of us is to learn to truly love ourselves, and to not rely on what others think of us in order to be happy. Happiness, in my book, comes from loving and accepting yourself and your life as it is. It doesn't mean you can't work to make it *even better* but it does mean that you can look at nearly any situation and say "There's goodness here, I just need to look to see it." And when you ultimately are able to do that, then every experience, good and bad, helps you to grow and understand yourself and the world around you better.
     
  19. Jose Carioca

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    If you find genuine personal evidence for god then you go ahead and believe in him, but I won't encourage you to believe. Relaxation and healthy living can help lead to a healthy lifestyle.
     
  20. silas99

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    After today I'm not feeling the love of religion! But on a normal day I would say that as long as someone finds solace or inspiration or good life then they have found their god. But its all relative and I think that once someone begins to hurt others and contradict the message of love then they cannot possibly claim to have found god.
     
    #20 silas99, Jun 4, 2009
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2009