Where does a person who believes themselves to be a spiritual being draw the line between spiritualism and materialism? This is a conflict many of us have encountered; after all, we are human beings living in an era dominated by technology, consumerism, and a growing abundance of "easy ways out" in the form of every day conveniences. No matter how spiritually attuned we are, or aspire to be, we're not immune to cases of the haves and have-nots. Is it necessary to find a balance - as it is with a lot of things - between sacred spirituality and the desire for material possessions? Are we hypocrites if we wake up in the morning, say our prayers or devotions, do our yoga practice, drink our Kombucha, then grab our cloth shopping bags and head to Wal-mart for the week's groceries? When we have allergies, do we opt for quick relief in pill form or do we make the time to mix our own homeopathic nasal spray using natural ingredients? These are daily conflicts that many of us face.

As with everything, there is a give and take. And somehow we must all look within to reconcile those differences between our spiritual and material worlds. Perhaps finding a balance isn't entirely necessary. Only you, as an individual, can decide how much weight you place on the spiritual and inspirational aspects of your life versus the importance you assign to the many facets of your tangible, material world.

So, again, I pose the question: where do you draw the line between artifice and the unseen? Perhaps the answer to this question, the awakening, lies not in drawing a line, but in wanting material things for the right reasons - sure, there are more sustainable ways to acquire those things we want, such as through local businesses that practice good ethics and support a healthy environment and community, but ultimately, it's a question of why and how we acquire those things, not whether or not we should work toward complete spirituality and relinquish materialism. Just as we have a right to our spirituality, we have a right to go out and get the items we've worked hard for and truly deserve. So as to not fill a spiritual void with the accoutrement of worldly goods, a good rule of thumb is this: If it isn't beautiful, useful, or meaningful, it has no place in your life.

If you've ever attempted to trace the origins of depression, you may have come to the conclusion that depression stems from a sense of hopelessness in our lives. We are spiritual, soulful beings inhabiting a physical body here on this earth. We are here to learn lessons and evolve toward a greater purpose. When we get off track and lose our purpose, we feel hopeless and depression sets in. Our reasons for getting off track in the first place are what complicates the state of depression, leading us to seek help in the form of medication, therapy, etc.

Ultimately, the key to ameliorating depression is finding and remembering our purpose and the path that will take us there. When we are able to re-connect to that, we are once again fulfilled. We need to quiet ourselves and pay attention to that powerful, internal guidance that we receive via our intuition. When we are not listening to that voice - that sixth sense - we get off our path and head in the wrong direction. It's like we are lost and don't know which way to turn to find our way back. It is then that we lose hope and feel depressed.

The journey to finding our true purpose can be long and intense, and it will vary from person to person. We can start by viewing our passions as our purpose. If you could do any job, travel anywhere, learn anything new, what would it be? Posing these questions to yourself and thinking through the answers will help you arrive at your life purpose in a positive and productive way. We all hold the answers to our questions within ourselves. Spirituality is about learning who we are as soulful beings who occupy physical bodies. Battling depression is about re-learning the truth of who we are, why we are here, and how we are the authors of our own lives through our thoughts, actions, words, and feelings.

It's not easy to find happiness and peace when you're constantly criticizing yourself. For those of us who spend all day every day monitoring our appearance, actions, words, and behavior and stacking the sum of it all against the insurmountable expectations we set for ourselves, it's no wonder we don't feel good - we're too busy loading on the pressure and setting unrealistic goals rather than rewarding ourselves for the things we do accomplish. We always think of ourselves as falling short, and always find ourselves wanting more. We say the wrong words, wear the wrong clothes, and do the wrong things. We look at other people with envy or awe and believe that they know secrets that we don't. We compare ourselves to others and come up wanting, never quite measuring up.

When we doubt our abilities, punish ourselves for making mistakes, and pay more attention to other people's opinions of us rather than our own, we become trapped in a cycle of beating ourselves up. And, oh boy, can we be ruthless. The key to breaking this cycle is stopping the negative self-talk and replacing it with positive affirmations and praise of one's own behavior, appearance, and abilities. Society has set us up to feel like if we believe or say positive things about ourselves, then we're being vain or conceited. This leaves little room for outward expressions of self confidence and a lot of room for that mean voice inside our heads that constantly puts us down.