By definition, spirit is the nonphysical part, which defines our character and emotions. Spirit is commonly associated with metaphysics. However, what would happen if we gave it a more complete definition. In other words, that the word “spirit” could also refer to a psychological transformation, which generates radical changes in our emotions, attitudes and thus in our actions. In this case, spirit could then consist in the behavioral transformation characterized by; strength, intelligence and creativity.

In this post I will describe a proposal, without talking about religion, about which features could strength the meaning of the word spirit.

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Strenght

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When we are born, we can’t choose certain circumstances in our life. We can’t choose our parents, siblings, friends, education etc. These circumstances have a direct relationship with the type of learning we acquire in our early years of life.
The learning we develop in our childhood gives us the most profound paradigms and knowledge, which moulds our character and psyche that will define and follow us through time.

Trough out the years, as we interact with people, as we experience different social “context” and as we acquire knowledge from different sources of information, we begin to develop a critical thinking. This allows us to develop new interests and desires. But, what if these new interests and desires don’t go along with the beliefs and paradigms that we grew up with?. It's possible that we could enter into an internal conflict or fight with ourselves whenever we decide to do something that is contrary to what we’ve always believed in.

Changing childhood paradigms or changing paradigms that we have been nurturing for a long time, is one of the most difficult tasks for human beings. It takes a lot of effort, pain and “catharsis”

This is why the first stage to transform the human spirit is strength and the capacity to bear a heavyweight to face situations of internal conflict. To commit to activities that will guide us towards where our critical thinking truly defined it.

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Intelligence

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Animals guide their behaviour purely in biological needs; they are savages and look primarily for their own survival. It could be said that Abstraction is the only thing that sets humans apart from the animals.

Human beings evolve and through knowledge pass on, the use of symbols, social organization, scientific organization, among many other things, we have managed to survive and develop better technological tools along with more transcending desires.

Today, the technology we develop gives us many sources of information. Effort and strength can be optimized with the proper use of the tools at our disposal. In other words, it doesn’t matter how much will, constancy or energy is invested if is done inefficiently. Intelligence and knowing how to develop it allows us to not get lost in the sea of possibilities and allows us to focus our efforts on our maximum potential. Thus, the spirit is also found in this precious quality: Intelligence.

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Creativity

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Repetition, either constant or not, creates patterns in our behavior and thoughts. Our perspective sees the reality biased according to what we have learned.

As we grow up, we forget the importance of doubting, of asking essential questions such as; why?, what for?, how?. Its as if we had completely forgotten our childhood and that incredible attitude to question and be amazed by almost everything. We begin to believe that we have seen, learned, heard and felt enough.

The last but not least quality to the transformation of spirit is creativity. Creativity is a sense of doing “catharsis”, of creating liberating circumstances, destroyer of paradigms that make us remember that we will always be kids against the universe and its immensity.

Being creative implies to play, have fun, relax and stress, to occasionally reinvent oneself but above all learn how to keep an equilibrium to focus in that “catharsis” towards a transcendent mean.

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