What is it?
Well first of all, it’s not religion. ALTHOUGH we can learn a thing or two from religion in regards to spiritual wellness. To quote Northwestern University “Spiritual wellness is defined as expanding a sense of purpose and meaning in life, including one’s morals and ethics. It may or may not involve religious activities.” That pretty much says it all, don’t ya think? In layman’s terms spiritual wellness means you have a reason to get out of bed in the morning that isn’t a paycheck (even if that reason does come from your job).
In addition, it means that you are living in alignment.
No, that’s not just some woo woo line. Living in alignment means that you are living in a way that aligns with your core beliefs and values. Remember how I said we could learn a thing or two from religion for our purposes today? This is what I meant by that. After all, what is religion if not a purpose? A reason to get out of bed, and a way of life. Think of it as a guidebook of sorts. All religions involve more than just a deity; they involve a way of being. Values to uphold, traditions and habits to practice, and characteristics to aspire to.
The moral of the story is that religion or not, spiritual wellness is being in touch with your personal values and your foundational purpose, and living it every day. How many of us can say we don’t need to work on this area?
Inventory
Like I said, who doesn’t need to work on this? So today we’re going to do a spiritual wellness inventory. Let’s get into it;
- Do you have a reason to get out of bed (that isn’t your bills)?- Yes I know, that 6am alarm is non-negotiable because that paycheck is non-negotiable. But let’s just imagine for a second that we live in a world where all of our needs are covered, and we all just get to do what we want for the sake of having something to do. Would you still get up in the morning? What would you do? Would you still be doing the same things you’re doing? If not…what’s different in this dream world? If you had NO responsibilities, nothing you HAD to do, what would you want to do?
- Are you living an authentic life? – Again, sounds cheesy, I know. But here’s what I mean: do you feel like you’re being your authentic self? You know the person that comes out when it’s quiet and you’re completely alone (and at peace)? Are you living the way that person would want to live? Are you acting like them? Making the choices they would make? If the answer is even a little bit of a “no”, you need to ask yourself why that is. You need to be you.
- Are you connected to something bigger than yourself? – While this may sound a little like a question about a higher power, it isn’t. Some believe in a God, some believe in many Gods. Some feel the most connected to nature. Some talk to a lost loved one in their hardest times. It can be anything. Whatever gets you through your worst times and celebrates your best times, that’s what you hang on to. If you have it then you know, if you don’t then you know that as well. This is your sign to go find it.
How’d you do today, friends? I’ve got a feeling this is one of those areas of wellness that is never perfected and often overlooked. In my humble opinion, we could all use a reminder to look after our spiritual wellness this year. Let this blog serve as a reminder to slow down, smell the roses, and think about what gets you up in the mornings.
