Why Bother with Spiritual Growth?
As opposed to physical improvement journeys which have well known and clearly defined standards (eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise), spiritual growth journeys seem to be harder for most people to understand. This makes sense as we are an instant gratification kind of society that measures worth in terms of hard work and productivity. Calories can be counted, hours and quality of sleep can be charted thanks to smart watches, and sweat is evidence of hard physical work.
Spiritual progress is much harder to measure and see from the outside. It’s about understanding who you are at your very essence and making the changes you deem necessary to refine who you are at a spiritual level. Selfies in the bathroom mirror 3 months apart aren’t going to reveal the fruits of this kind of labor.
So why bother with spiritual growth if others can’t see it? Like so many things in life, when you embark on a spiritual growth journey for yourself and not for others, you get so much more out of it. Spiritual growth is not something you do out of fear (like losing weight might be) but something you do out of love — love for yourself.
This is quiet, behind the scenes work. It’s not done for insta worthy photos, it’s quiet daily progress that’s just for you. It’s meditation first thing in the morning and again before a meeting. It’s time spent journaling to understand why you got upset about something that surprised you. It’s sitting with what you feel and getting curious about why you feel that way. Spiritual growth can be based in religion or not, that’s up to you. Essentially, it’s about getting clear on your purpose. When you sit and try to feel your way through something rather than think your way through, you see it and yourself differently. It may light a spark in you.
When you start to question your purpose on this earth, your journey begins and I’d bet yours already has. Seek help from experts and coaches. Seek time away either physically or mentally. In time you will learn to trust yourself to know what feels right for you, what work you’re here to do, what situations you’re here to change, and what serves you best in all kinds of interactions. You’ll learn how to let go of things you’ve carried around for years and how to invite in new ideas and new people.
Journey inward for yourself alone. Don’t worry about how long it will take. There is no is no deadline here, no one is timing how long your journey lasts. It’s not for them, it’s for you. Trust yourself.
Have you ever wondered how happy you really are and what you could do to change your happiness level? Get the assessment to find out!
