Paying Attention to Your Spiritual Side

07/02/2003

Paying Attention to Your Spiritual Side

"You want nothing but patience-or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope." - Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR SPIRITUAL SIDE

Sylvia Boorstein, Ph.D. (www.spiritrock.org), writes in her recent book Pay Attention, for Goodness' Sake (New York: Ballantine Books) that spirituality is not something separate from our daily lives. It isn't just time spent in church or meditating. To cultivate our spiritual side, she recommends. . .

* Perform five acts of generosity each day. When I am generous with others, it isn't just to make the world a better place. Focusing outward takes me away from my own problems. Helping others makes me feel better about myself.

* Don't get stuck on why. The better question is, "What do I do now?" Asking "Why?" or "Why me?" in times of pain is natural, but it may only make us bitter.

* Use humor to cultivate patience. When I find myself feeling impatient or anxious, I lighten my mood by poking fun at myself.

* Remember that everything changes. In times of suffering, this realization reminds me that the pain will end. In good times, it helps me savor the moment. I take fewer photos now than I used to. I would rather focus on each moment and enjoy it to the fullest than worry about getting a picture.

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