Faith and Spirituality: Lifting Your Spirits

Last week’s post was about normalizing. The day after posting it, I was  mindlessly scrolling when I stumbled upon the following message: “Normalize comforting people without mentioning God. While that may be a comforting thing for you, it isn’t for everyone.” This came just a few days after I attended a gratitude gala hosted by the most incredible group of women who all happened to be formerly incarcerated, now thriving, sparkly, and full of Godly praise and adoration. These women had unshakable faith and, with it, they knew they could get through and accomplish anything. Call it a superpower from a Superpower! Godwinks. Everywhere. If you don’t know about godwinks, take a look at this earlier post. What is it about faith and spirituality?

Unshakable Faith

It seems like an incredible gift to have the kind of faith that keeps you buoyed no matter what’s going on, that makes you appreciate rock bottom even while it’s happening. The gala women had endured unimaginable hardship and it only served to strengthen their faith. Organized religion can be polarizing, to say the least. But when you peel away the layers that may offend or exclude, believing and belonging are at the core.

I’ve had more than one crisis of faith over the years and though I have questioned the existence of you-know-who on several occasions, I know I’ve always believed in something bigger than all of us. When it comes down to it, whenever something really good happens, I look up at the ceiling and say “thank you.” Conversely, in those moments of crisis, I’m pretty sure I’ve looked up at the ceiling and incredulously asked, “Really?!?!” And now that I think of it, one year I was asked to carry the Torah during Yom Kippur services at synagogue and I was terrified that if I dropped it, the Jews would be wandering the desert for the next 40 years and it would be my fault. I suppose all this suggests that my faith has always been there even when my conscious belief is not as strong as some of what I’ve witnessed and appreciated in others. 

Faith and Spirituality Are About More Than a Higher Power

What has always been clear is my connection to the history, traditions, and culture of the Jewish people, my people. The strength of that connection is immutable. It gives me a sense of self within a greater context and it gives me a sense of belonging, of community. An important concept of Judaism is Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew phrase meaning “repair the world.” In Tikkun Olam, my religion and faith also give me purpose.

Someone I greatly admire and respect commented after reading my post on normalizing, “I feel fortunate to have been raised Quaker. The ideology of my faith ingrains the acceptance of difference and has made me both curious and tolerant, something I value tremendously.”

Faith certainly has a higher power aspect but, for many of us, it’s so much more. The comfort for some comes from belief and commitment to God. To others, the comfort comes from the spirituality itself and the gifts of community, learning, and gratitude that come along for the ride. Spirituality to some is a belief in God within or outside of an organized religion. To others, it is a non-religious connection to something higher than ourselves. It puts our own existence into perspective, allows us to contemplate the vastness of the universe, and reminds us to pass through it respectfully, curiously, and tolerantly, with kindness and compassion.

Power Tools

Faith and spirituality are power tools in the mental health kit. They are grounding, empowering, and hopeful. Because spirituality allows for a non-religious interpretation, it’s easier for a lot of people to feel and embrace. Faith may bring you to a house of worship while spirituality may look more like meditating at home or pondering the universe every great once in a while when you’re taking a walk.

Faith and spirituality are inextricably tied to gratitude. Gratitude, by its very nature, reminds us that our power is limited. After all, gratitude is something we feel in connection with someone or something outside ourselves. Like gratitude, faith and spirituality have physiological and psychological benefits, including higher levels of psychological resilience, positive emotions, and improved immunity. 

Dr. Emma Seppala, the science director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism and author of “The Happiness Track” (2017), suggests spiritual people are more likely to:

• Engage in regular community service, which can serve as a buffer against the effects of stress, thus leading to longer lives.
• Meditate to cope with stress, thereby improving health, happiness, and focus and decreasing pain and depression.
• Spend time with family and feel a strong sense of belonging to a community of like-minded people.
• Turn to prayer, assisting them in dealing with difficult emotions, encouraging forgiveness, and leading to healthier relationships.

Normalize Comfort Without Mentioning God

Faith and spirituality can certainly lift us up. At the same time, normalizing comforting people without mentioning God makes sense. First, spiritual and agnostic individuals, not to mention atheists may not find the notion of God comforting at all. A grounding meditation may help much more. Second, mentioning God as a comfort often sounds like “God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle”. That’s been said to me many times over the course of my life. Some people may find that comforting but I don’t. At all. When I’m in crisis, knowing there’s a human or two on standby with open arms and a lack of judgment is the comfort I crave.

Musical Playlist While You Ponder This Post

Higher Love by Steve Winwood; Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder; Rise Up by Audra Day; Don’t Stop Believin by Journey; Faith by George Michael

Thinking and Trying

Something to think about: We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience and Infinite love is the only truth; everything else is an illusion. – Pema Chödrön

Something to try: Study. Explore others’ experiences of spirituality, whether through religion or personal journeys. Find something that you find relatable. Ask questions and get curious about people who have cultivated this beautiful way of being in the world.

Coaching Can Help

Becoming more spiritual can be as simple as staying silent for 5–10 minutes a day in a quiet, somewhat peaceful environment. But first you” have to commit to loving yourself enough to set the time aside. If you’re struggling with your self worth or wanting to being a meditation practice or both, coaching can help. Sign up for a free 15-minute discovery call here and let’s work together.