The Spiritual component of Happiness.
Stuff to ponder
We talked about taking care of your self in the previous module. In this module we’re going to discuss taking care of your Self — with a capital “S”. There’s a lot of research in the area of positive psychology that shows a correlation between spirituality and happiness. Let’s dive a little deeper.
The inner environment
Cultivate a connection with Higher Self
Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, having a connection with something greater than you is important and correlates strongly to one’s level of happiness. Whatever your spiritual tradition, you can cultivate your inner environment — increasing your happiness.
Several philosophies explain that we are of two minds: the lower mind, which is our ego, and the higher mind, which can be called our higher wisdom. Most of the time we operate from the perspective of our ego, which is useful in our everyday lives because it regulates and protects the body.
However, we neglect the higher mind at our peril. It is the higher mind that can inform our daily lives with Divine wisdom. Take the example of a relationship challenge.
The ego will assess the situation, attach blame, and create a plan — all from the ego’s point of view. If you come from the consciousness of your higher mind, you may approach the situation with more compassion, kindness and equanimity.
Checking in with that place of higher wisdom within can lead to more peace, and ultimately greater happiness.
Tools for consciousness
You don’t need to sit in silence or attend an ashram (although both are beneficial) to develop a closer connection with your inner environment. There are simple tools that you can bring into your daily life that can help you to connect with your inner guidance system.
Here are a few:
Meditation
Prayer
Daily journaling
Time in nature
Open your heart (through service work like volunteering, adopting a pet, supporting a cause)
Tools like those above can help ground you in your practice of connecting to your higher mind. As you invest in cultivating your higher wisdom you will notice its integration into your daily life.
P.S.: Research shows that people who maintain a spiritual practice are happier.
Mentoring challenge
Do you have a daily spiritual practice? What can you add as a daily ritual to enhance your spiritual growth?
Resources
Beautiful handmade journals https://www.etsy.com/market/handmade_journal
Find a retreat http://www.retreatsonline.com/
An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life, HH Dalai Lama