TruthBook Religious News Blog

Stella Gray
Monday, May 12, 2008

In all the hustle and bustle of daily life it is vital that we find sources to nourish and feed our souls as well as our physical bodies. No one can do this for us; we have to find ourselves that which supplies us with food for our mind and spirit.

Have a vision of how you would like to enhance your life spiritually. Find a quiet place to sit with your journal and reflect on the following questions.

. What does my ideal spiritual life look like?
. What qualities do I want to bring into my life - forgiveness, gratitude, hope, compassion, etc.?
. Where do I turn for help -books, organisations, people?
. What do I value, how do I live these values everyday and how can I enhance them?
. Who and what am I grateful for?
. How can I move forward on my path of spiritual living?

Take time to think before you answer these questions so you can allow your vision to expand and grow. Consider what qualities you want to develop in yourself and what you would like to engage in on a regular basis. You could develop a meditation practice, attend regular church services, take calm walks in nature, work in your garden or listen to inspirational music. Read spiritual poetry and writing regularly. Think about developing a specific value or emotion like - joy, peace, love, patience, understanding, forgiveness or faith.

Keep a separate 'gratitude' journal where you write everyday all the things you are thankful for, you will be surprised at how many things you can be grateful for daily.
Now explore the things that might prevent you from achieving these goals.

How do I sabotage myself from living my true spiritual self?
What can I change in my environment that can help me?
Who or what can help me grow?

How can I be more creative to improve my spiritual life? Being part of a spiritual group can be a big advantage.
Having considered the roadblocks to truly nurturing and finding you mind and spirit, ask yourself the following questions:

. Who are my role models?
. Are they the right role models to guide me on this journey?
. What are my sources of music, reading and inspiration?
. Are they truly inspiring me to growth?
. Even though I'm apart of a spiritual group, how can my contribution help the group improve?

If you're not currently in a group, you may consider starting your own group with like-minded people, where you pray together, sing together, read poetry or inspirational materials together. Maybe you want to write your own poetry or spiritual writings where you express your gratitude, values, love and belief.

We often believe that we are unable to change the path of our lives however, by defining our spiritual values, our source of nourishment and how these are manifested in our lives, can only serve to enhance the quality of our journey through life. In this way we can shift our lives in a positive direction and serve to be an inspiration to others.

Labels: gratitude, spiritual journal, spiritual values, spirituality, Stella Gray