Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Therefore we call other people “brothers and sisters” even if there are no direct blood relations. Moreover, deity-centred religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being.
On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things.
In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow. Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.
Growth is a process thus to grow in spirit is a day-to-day encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual growth is made possible.
Growth is also acquiring a deep and profound respect of all living things, acceptance of yourself and who you are and tolerance towards others. Everyone is on a journey, everyone wants to experience certain elements of life and the feelings associated with them. It is up to us to be tolerant when others do not live their lives as we live ours. Tolerance and acceptance are the greatest gifts that we can give to others and possibly the hardest to achieve.
Learn not to judge what others do, within your own boundaries, you are not necessarily right, you are just coming from a different place!
