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Finding Your Spiritual Path

Well-being, Spiritual Potential, and the Search for Meaning

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Questions About Spirituality

What characterizes a “successful” life?

How much fulfillment should you have in your life?

What things give meaning to life? What goals give meaning to your life? Does human life have any

transcending purpose? What determines the quality of our

lives?

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Questions about our Spirituality

What are the tools and techniques that are necessary to develop our own level of spiritual health?

Are there discernible steps or stages along the way that indicate attainment of a positive direction in the development of our spiritual nature?

Do all people progress through those same steps?

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Definiton of Spirituality

Optimal spiritual health may be considered as the ability to develop our spiritual nature to its fullest potential.

This would include our ability to discover and articulate our own basic purpose in life, learn how to experience love, joy, peace and fulfillment, and how to help ourselves and others achieve their full potential.

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Definitions of Spirituality

A process of learning about oneself and one’s personal value system and applying this knowledge to the pursuit of one’s meaningful purpose in life.

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Spiritual Health

Calls for connectedness, harmony within the self, with others, with nature, and (for many) with the Ultimate Other or higher power.

Encourages a balance among all aspects of our personal lives, love, compassion, tolerance and respect for all of creation: human and non-human, organic and inorganic.

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Distinguishing Between a Spiritual and Religious Nature

Victor Frankl: Spirituality does not have a religious connotation, but refers specifically to the human dimension.

Spirituality is a living process of learning about oneself, unlike “being religious” in which this process is shared with others in an organized fashion, sometimes even to the point of creating an addiction to that religion.

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Spirituality/Religion

Religion is a specific dogma, an active application of a specific set of organized rules and guidelines based upon the ideology of the human spirit.

A person can be very spiritual yet not religious.

A person can be very religious but have a poor awareness of his or her own spirituality.

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What is the Meaning & Purpose of Life?

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Meaning & Purpose in Life

A specific meaning for each individual at a particular moment in time.

Accomplishment of goals. Experience of deep values. Personal suffering or loss in which

one turns personal tragedy into triumph.

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The Purpose of Life

To serve others To make an original contribution to

mankind To serve God To maximize personal pleasure To attain personal security To feel valuable To actualize human potential To live a full life

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The Human Spirit

Integration of three facets:

1. An insightful relationship with oneself and others

2. A Strong personal value system3. A meaningful purpose to one’s life

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Personal Spiritual Relationship

Ability to be honest with oneself regarding feelings, attitudes, and self-perceptions.

Self-reliance, self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and self-love.

Activities of solitude, meditation, reflection, or prayer (all promote resolution of inner conflict and decrease perceptions of stress).

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External Spiritual Relationships

One’s attitude and behavior toward all individuals

Open tolerance & acceptance of other people’s opinions, beliefs, and values

Forgiving attitude toward others for behavior which may appear different or inconsistent with one’s own ideals.

Built on connectedness, community

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Healthy Spirituality

Spiritual health calls for: Connectedness

Harmony within the self, others, nature and/or a higher power

A balance between all aspects of our personal lives, love, compassion, tolerance, and respect for all of creation

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Spiritual Enlightenment

Optimism Connectedness Compassion/love Forgiveness Humility Insight Community

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Roadblocks to Spiritual Health

Stress Fear/Anger Greed/Laziness Negative Values Unresolved Value Conflict Immaturity/Underdevelopment Hopelessness/Helplessness Pessimism Guilt/Worry

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Wounded Spirituality

mental: depression, anxiety, panic, addictions, compulsivity, pessimism

Emotional: grief, loss, fear, shame, low self-esteem, rage, anger, worry guilt

Victim role: feeling helpless, powerless, unable to take risks, make choices or take actions

Co-dependency: over-control or approval seeking

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Wounded Spirituality

Sudden loss of hope Sudden loss of courage Sudden Feelings of helplessness Sudden despair Sudden loneliness/isolation

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Causes of Wounded Spirituality

Dysfunctional family of origin

Negative or unhealthy childhood messages

Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

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What are some ways you might nurture your spiritual growth?

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Find Your Spiritual Path

Love forgiving passion relationships change

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Finding Your Spiritual Path

Attention Compassion Forgiveness Meditation

Get Connected to Others

Isolated and lonely people die earlier

Friendships enrich our self-esteem and give comfort

Social support is one of the best ways of staying balanced

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Get Connected With Others

Develop rituals Be more romantic Plan time with friends

and relatives Look for opportunities

to touch Connect with family in

little ways Build a support network Be with positive people

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Connecting to the Big Picture

Orient around your values: living with integrity

Develop your spirituality

Find your passion

Develop meaning and purpose

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Attaining Spiritual Wholeness

Seek treatment identify unhealthy childhood

messages learn skills of empowerment use tools for creating self esteem create a balanced lifestyle

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5 Keys to Spiritual Healing

Improve your Self Esteem Develop intimacy with another

person Create a sense of purpose in your

life Practice mindfulness (the present

moment) Improve your sensual awareness

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Essentials for Creating Spiritual Balance

Worship Meditation Journaling Singing Exercise Therapy Massage Meaningful work Mindfulness Group support

Meaningful relationships

Yoga/tai chi Music Self-help books Lifestyle practices Volunteering Hobbies Art Get a pet forgiveness

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Ways to Remove Roadblocks to Spirituality

Journal Writing Yoga/Tai Chi Meditation Social Support Value Assessment/Values

Clarification

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Develop an Attitude of

Tolerance Forgiveness Patience Sympathy Compassion Gratitude humility

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Spirituality Research

The Power of Prayer & Health (Larry Dossey)

Relaxation Response: Herbert Benson Victor Frankl: Man’s Search for Meaning Scott Peck: A Road Less Traveled Dean Ornish: Love & Survival

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What Would Your Life Look Like if it were Spiritually Healthier?

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Community Spirituality

Individuals know that others will help them in time of need and that the community provides resources for physical, mental, spiritual support during these times.