Spirituality Articles

Spirituality is a broad yet personal topic. Although it can vary as much as people do, spirituality is an important part of figuring out how to be happy.

How To Be Fearless: Harnessing the Courage to Be Free

by Jared Akers

Fear can be debilitating. It can stop us in our tracks as we pursue our dreams, aspirations, or even the simplest of daily tasks. So how and why does fear manifest itself in our lives and what can we do to live a fearless life? In Guy Finley’s book, The Courage to Be Free: Discover Your Original Fearless Self, he discusses some simple steps and keys to freeing oneself and living fearless.

The book starts with a cute parable demonstrating how we become attached and crippled by false beliefs. The story is about a group of bald eagles duped by some crows into believing they need certain equipment to be more effective. Equipment like rain coats, goggles, and flight suits. The eagles are visited by a wise owl named Solomon who eventually convinces them to see past these beliefs and realize they were born with the only equipment they need. This leads to the first key lesson in this wonderful little book:

No negative state, no compromising or otherwise self-defeating thought or feeling, is your “original equipment.” – Click to Tweet

The first part of the book helps us see that negative thinking, fear, regret, resentment, and anxiety are not part of our true authentic self. What’s more useful is that following each key lesson are specific areas of proof, insight, and explanation. I like books that lay things out to me in an easy and logical way. [Read more…]

Self-Pity and Overcoming Low Self-Esteem

by Jared Akers

“One thing that makes it so difficult to stop feeling sorry for
ourselves is how real it feels when we are full of self-regret.”
-Guy Finley (The Courage to Be Free)

Regret, in any form, nags at our consciousness continually reminding us we’re unworthy or incapable of achieving greatness or even mediocrity.

Be it a relationship, job, school, or whatever, the regret of something we’ve either failed at accomplishing or even started, binds us to the past and keeps us in the dark unable to see the possibilities available to us.

Consumed by self-regret, we sink into a morass of self-pity and low self-esteem. Even the possibilities available to us in the present moment are overshadowed by our past regrets.

Even though it sucks—a lot!—its familiarity keeps us bound to a cycle seemingly impossible to break.

“The secret attraction behind self-pity—why it’s so hard to set down—is that the part of us that feels like nothing makes the part of us that points out this nothingness feel quite special!”
–Guy Finley (The Courage to Be Free)

We can look at two sources for the dilemma of being stuck in self-pity and feeling sorry for ourselves: lack of choice and fear.

[Read more…]

Matching Calamity with Serenity: Spiritual Training and Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos

by Jared Akers

NOTE: I wrote this article on June 27th, 2010 prior to Goodbye for now, Dad

As many of you know, I’ve been through some shyt in my life. Of which I have come out on the other side full of inner-peace and happiness. Thus the tag line matching calamity with serenity: the ability to maintain inner-peace and serenity regardless of life’s circumstances.

This is where the rubber hits the road.

June 26th, 1:30 P.M.
I’m sitting next to my mother on a small couch as we wait for the surgeon. We’ve arranged the chairs in a semi-circle with my aunt, uncle, wife, and mother facing the empty chair where the surgeon will sit. Where he will explain the results of a biopsy they did of a lump on my fathers neck. I already know the results. The day before they found 5 tumors in his brain. Cancer. Logic tells me that’s not where it originated.

The surgeon comes in and sits down, he starts to explain the bad news. I watch his lips move and hear his voice and understand what he’s saying, but I’m not in my own body anymore. I’ve seen this movie before, it’s a sad one. Yet for some reason, no tears seem to come. I hear my mother say, “it’s in God’s hands now.” I think to myself, “it’s always been in God’s hands.” The thought brings some peace to my heart in the moment. I love my mother so much. We’re so alike. After the surgeon leaves I hear “it’s OK to break down now” as everyone else seems to let go of their emotions. I just sit there, watching… I’ve seen this movie before. [Read more…]

Spirituality for Non-Spiritual People: 6 Ways to Practice Spirituality

by Jared Akers

Regardless of whether or not you believe in God, higher power, creator of the universe, etc., you can still be a spiritual person. Whether you realize it or not, you probably practice spirituality without even knowing it. The simple fact that you’re here reading this implies you’re seeking something. Welcome.

Maybe you’re wondering how one becomes spiritual or what the benefits are of being a spiritual person.

The definition of spirituality is that which relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Spirituality touches that part of you that is not dependent on material things or physical comforts.
– Living Words of Wisdom

Sounds good to me

A Glimpse into the Practicality of Belief

My family attended church every Sunday until I was about 6 years old; so I was told and vaguely remember craft time in Sunday school. We then moved 60 miles away to “the farm;” away from town, churches, and the routine of going to church. My father’s dream was to farm. And he did for many years until we had to sell the farm and move to the city when I was in junior high. Well, “city” for me had a population of 3,000. The point is that spirituality or church (which meant the same thing to me) was not a part of our daily lives; but work was. However my mother has always been a women of faith.

[Read more…]

The Spiritual Power of Running (and why running and reading are keys to Life)

by Jared Akers

Just to make certain we’re all on the same page, I’m talking about physical running here; with your feet and legs. Not running emotionally… for anyone who was looking for validation to run away from your problems. Sorry, won’t find that here.

One of the side-effects of living a life filled with spiritual love is the desire to live a healthier life style. To be healthy spiritually, we should exercise not only our mind and spirit, but also our physical bodies.

Leather interior and heated seats are nice, but those features won’t get you to where you need to go if the car is out of gas.

As a cross-country runner in high school, I hated running. I remember standing with my foot along a white chalk line with 100 other guys thinking “I’m about to sprint for three miles, this sucks!” [Read more…]