This week we are placing an emphasis on cultivating the spiritual dimension of wellness. So volunteering might be at the top of your list for attending to your spirituality. Maybe when you are planning the spring cleaning in your home, you can add in a visit to Goodwill to drop off the clothes you are no longer wearing (one interesting rule of thumb you might want to consider - if you haven't worn something in 12 months - you do not need it and someone else could benefit from it.) Or, even easier call Big Brothers and Big Sisters at 413.732.7111 and get on their pick-up route for clothes or small household items. Leave marked items out on the curb and they will come to you. Lightening your clutter can help lighten your spirit!
Here's another idea for enhancing your spirituality. How you talk to yourself matters. Do you regularly engage in negative self talk or thoughts? Are phrases such as "I'm not good at... I am so stupid...etc. etc."a reoccurring part of your inner dialogue? If so, then take a note from positive psychology experts and turn your top ten negative thoughts or phrases into positives. Replace "I could never do that" with "I can do whatever I set my mind to."
For another spirituality activity check out any of the more than 70 books by Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh was born in central Vietnam in the mid-1920s and at age 16 became a monk. During the Vietnam War, he and many of his fellow monks became actively engaged in helping war victims and speaking out for peace. In 1966, he was invited to the U.S., where he met with hundreds of groups and individuals, including Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Merton, and Daniel Berrigan. In 1967, Dr. King nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. As a result of his outspokenness, Thich Nhat Hanh was unable to return to Vietnam, and requested and received asylum in France. In 1982, he founded Plum Village, a monastic retreat community near Bordeaux, where he resides when not on tour. Some of Thich Nhat Hanh's books include, "Being Peace," "Living Buddha, Living Christ," and "The Miracle of Mindfulness." Or, search through any of the dozens of You Tube videos featuring him and his work.
Ask yourself what you know about Hinduism, Islam or Zoroastrianism. Christianity has the largest number of adherents of the world religions, but it is only one of many world religions. A good exercise in increasing spirituality might be to familiarize yourself with one or more of the other world religions and its tenets. To test your current religious knowledge, visit the BBC's online religious quizzes at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/
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