Religion and religious beliefs have been the foundation of many fights, wars, and deaths. Fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters have all died because someone disagreed with them or their way of life.

People become so wrapped up in their faith and beliefs that they refuse to accept anything other than what they're taught by their priest, pastor, rabbi etc.

Everyone interprets communication differently.

Relying on anyone other than yourself to deepen your spiritual understanding is very dangerous. That's not to say going to church and surrounding yourself with like-minded people doesn't have its benefits--it most certainly does. However, that's not enough.

Introspection, meditation, and prayer are such important practices.

Studying the Bible, Torah, Quran and other scriptures is like researching your faith. God reveals things differently to people, and just because you're Christian doesn't mean you can't learn something from the Vedas or Quran.

Note: It's importantto have a solid foundation and understanding of your own spiritual beliefs because it is very easy to become confused when reading different types of scriptures.

Spiritual health is just as important as your physical and mental health.

A lot of people don't realize their spirit is the essence of who they are. Without introspection, we can't grow. We become comfortable with who we are and start to focus on other things like supporting our family or advancing our careers.

Both of those things are and should be priorities, but self awareness is crucial. As humans, we're constantly changing. Why? We are inevitably experiencing different things at different ages. We undergo different stages of life, and each one is a learning experience. As we experience life, we make mistakes, learn, and move on.

But we can't grow if we don't take the time to truly learn something about ourselves from our mistakes.

Sometimes, people wake up and wonder who they are and what they want. It's like a big wave of confusion and self-doubt overwhelms them one day, and they feel lost. They look for answers in the wrong places--money, sex, alcohol, and drugs. Addictions are formed and people are hurt, all because people don't acknowledge the importance of their spiritual health.

Simply going to church is not the answer.

Some choose to turn to church and fellowship to fix their problems. They think that by attending a congregation once a week and telling people about their problems, they'll feel better. But religion, like alcohol and drugs, only lasts so long.

Too many people believe if they're kind, considerate, and help every once in a while, that's good enough...it's not.

I'm not here to judge anyone's convictions, but simply to challenge others to seek out more about their spiritual health. You have annual doctor checkups, so why not have periodic checkups for your spirit?