Lifestyle Enhancement #6:

[PERSONAL/SPIRITUAL GROWTH] I regularly incorporate activities into my life that offer opportunities for personal and/or spiritual growth.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day business of today’s world that many of us lose touch with the deeper meaning of life and just exist on the surface level. Go to work, take care of the kids, do the laundry, cook the meals, shop for groceries, shower, sleep – repeat.

Within these daily routines, we may program in things that require scheduling – dinners with friends, exercise class, visit to the spa, doctor’s appointments – but those things that don’t require a scheduled time and day get pushed to the side or ignored completely.

Church-goers have a built-in schedule that dictates the days and times of their worship. This schedule can help to ensure that they make and keep spiritual development as part of their weekly life.

But those of us who do not worship in a church and/or do not align ourselves with a religious spirituality have no outside structure that dictates when and how frequently we spend time on our personal and/or spiritual development.

Most people crave some deeper connection to the world – some sense of meaning to their existence or how they fit in. Even those people who are not conscious of this desire become moreso as their age and mature.

This connection can be gained through a regular practice of personal or spiritual growth. This practice can take the form of reading books, journaling, participating in workshops, attending church services, spending time in nature, meditating, or a host of other activities.

At this point in your life, you may not find that the lack of time for personal or spiritual growth inhibits you in any way. But, if you are craving some sort of deeper meaning or significance to the world and your place in it, set up a regular schedule of time for your own personal or spiritual development.

Schedule this activity in your calendars on a particular day and time every week. It doesn’t have to be the same day and time every week if that’s not feasible. Just make sure you select a specific day/time at the beginning of each week and honor that appointment with yourself the way you would an appointment with another person – like your doctor or accountant.

When you schedule the time, specify what activity you will participate in or focus on during that time. This will keep you from arriving at your scheduled time and date with no direction which might lead to distraction.

The particular activity or activities you choose can change from week to week. Just make sure they are things that renew the energy you have been depleting throughout the week.

In the summer, you might be more apt to spend this time outside in nature – taking a walk through the woods, watching the sunset, or poking around in your garden silently. In the winter, it might be more feasible to read books, write in your journal, listen to inspirational tapes, or participating in workshops.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to spiritual or personal development. The important thing is that you do things that expand your view of the world and that you make a point to incorporate time for them into your schedule on a weekly basis. Doing so will remind you of your own personal significance and special place here on Earth.