It's More Than Spirituality: Finding Your Connection to Meaning

When I check in with clients about what practices sustain them, what brings them joy and a feeling of connectedness, the term “spirituality” comes up often. 

Perhaps they are a member of an organized religion, perhaps they connect to spirit in other ways. They may not believe in any spirit at all. All are equally important. 

There is no “right” way to find meaning in the world. And that is why I try to expand past only “religion” and “spirituality” as avenues for connection.

Yes, those are wonderful ways to feel connected and open, but they are only two of the endless options. 

What I like to talk about, instead, is your connection to meaning. 

What makes you feel connected to a sense of meaning? What makes you feel connected to the rest of the world? To other people? To the earth? 

There are as many answers to that question as there are people under the sun. We all connect to a sense of meaning in our own unique way, and no one avenue is better than another. 

While our own histories with organized religion can be fraught, our individual connection to meaning is our very own. 

It may not feel like that right now. Perhaps your connection to faith or religion has been marred by your childhood experiences. Perhaps your association with those terms brings up feelings of oppression or exclusion. We all have different experiences with “spirituality”. 

What I know is this: we are all on our own path through this life, and our connection to the meaning of our existence is central to how we experience it.

I also know that, whatever our initial experience with how others define meaning, at a certain point we get to take over and decide for ourselves what we feel connected to.   

Starting today, ask yourself what you can do on a regular basis that makes you feel deeply connected to something larger than yourself. Think about what has given you that feeling in the past. 

If you’re coming up empty, here are some ideas to try: 

·      Being in nature. 

·      Engaging in music/dance. 

·      Different types of movement. 

·      Meditation. 

·      Organized religion. 

·      Yoga.

·      Deep conversations with others about meaning. 

Whatever you try, pay attention to how you feel when you feel connected. What are the sensations that are happening in your body? Where do you feel lighter or heavier? Follow your emotional, physical, and spiritual cues to what really works for you. 

Try things both alone and with others. Experimenting to find what works for you is one of life’s most valuable activities.  Once you’ve figured out what works for you, find a way to make it a regular practice. 

Feeling deeply connected to something bigger than ourselves, to the world around us, helps us to feel more centered, hopeful, and joyful in our daily lives. It helps relieve stress and keep us focused on how we want to move through the world. Whatever that connection is for you, you deserve to engage in it and reap the rewards. 

If you need helping figuring out how you connect to meaning, and you want a partner to work toward your goals, schedule a free Coaching session and see if Coaching is right for you!