What is Spirit?

In the english speaking world most people seem to have an ide what spirit is. Maybe inb Germany too. Maybe it's just me who went through life so ignorant that eh couldn't connect with spirit at all. Or know what people mean when they talk about it.

Please help me out. I think it's really important to have a clear idea about spirit. Even though it might be different from everyone else's idea.

So for a start let me quote the most simple definition of spirit I heard, and it is the on that got me started in finding out what spirit is in me:

“Spirit is that which is most important to you.” (Bjorklund, P., What is Spirituality, Hazelden Foundation, 1983)

That's it. You might think of team spirit, community spirit, or Christmas spirit.
Yes, with team spirit I could identify. Whereas my german idea of spirit = “Geist” meant more something like mind or reason. On the thinking level, that is, not with any “spirit” or “esprit,” as the French say.

And even though I am leaving the topic now, i would like to add: It seems that the German community spirit had been too traumatized, too disappointed by the Nazis, so that a whole generation, or even two, could not think of spirit as something worthwhile considering.