Thomas Merton is the omni-denominational theologian who is credited as being the first to call attention to the essential truth that to spiritualize your life; you first need to spiritualize your desires. While most individuals sense this feels right they nevertheless do not actually take the time to list out their spiritual desires or ask themselves what spiritual desires are not on the list.
To help you do this simple Religion 2.0 five minute building spiritual desires exercise it is good to be aware of the benefits of a spiritual lifestyle. We have included this partial list of benefits to help you use it to help you know why you really want to spiritualize your desires...
The Amazing Personal Benefits of an Empowered and Authentic Spiritual Lifestyle:
A new, revitalized or expanded sense of:
inner peacefulness,
hope and calm,
self esteem,
purposefulness,
meaning and knowing your personal destiny,
releasing untapped personal potentials,
personal effectiveness,
being able to implement wise and balanced applications of the virtues to resolve life’s relationship, career, financial and other challenges to achieve your most important and enlightened goals,
emotional and mental balance,
physical well being, (this includes everything from improving your nutrition and fitness to paradoxically feeling younger in heart, form and energy as you age,)
present moment consciousness and awareness,
delight and joy in the beauty of life,
improved interpersonal relationships and experiences in the NOW, and personal autonomy, freedom and self control.
The Amazing Spiritual Benefits of an Empowered and Authentic Spiritual Lifestyle: :
A new, revitalized or expanded sense of:
your most authentic spiritual self --- your highest identity and dignity, interconnectedness to all of life,
a tangible healing or lessening of the sense of fragmentation and personal isolation (an epidemic in today’s post modern world,) present moment consciousness and awareness,
delight in the art and beauty of life,
improved inter-personal relationships and experiences in the Now,
compassion and personal peace,
personal or transcendent connection, relationship and union with the Ultimate Reality such as:
1. a visceral experience of Ultimate Reality
2. a personal connection with Ultimate Reality
3. a personal relationship with Ultimate Reality
4. union with Ultimate Reality
5. a transcendent experience of Ultimate Reality
6. personal ecstatic experiences of Ultimate Reality
7. knowing more about Ultimate Reality through direct experience
8. finding a presence of Ultimate Reality within oneself (or, even as them,)
9. ultimate connection with Ultimate Reality
10. having new cycles of personal renewal and empowerment in the form of feeling energized, motivated, inspired and rekindled hope
11. an expanded living of the virtues in a balanced way. So that in your personal and social behavior and attitudes you are being like what Ultimate Reality is like.
We believe that spirituality is the center pole that supports, nourishes and uplifts the whole spiral of life. It not only better interconnects us to the Ultimate Reality, it also better connects us to ourselves and others as well. When one authentically progresses in their spirituality one improves their ability to successfully create every single thing that is:
worthwhile to be or become, worthwhile to do or be done and,
worth having --- both in the here and now and, throughout eternity!
The Amazing Social Benefits of an Empowered and Authentic Spiritual Lifestyle:
co-creation of an equitable, just and sustainable world,
better interpersonal relationships and connection with kindred spirits --- through supporting their spiritual evolution while expanding your own,
a tangible healing or lessening of the sense of fragmentation and personal isolation plaguing today’s post modern world,
co-action with other spiritual pioneers and cultural creatives in life affirming social service through spiritualized collective social activism,
sharing your personal life, spiritual and social wisdom with others to help expand the global spiritual commons.
The Final Spiritualizing Your Desire Step:
A.) Now that you have reviewed some of the benefits above, print them out. When you print them out be sure to leave some room to add any additional benefits that you are seeking in your spiritual life that are not listed.
B.) Next, go over the list and mark the ones most important and that you desire most. You can use a 1-10 scale of desire if you like. You now have your list of personal spiritual desires! You even have which desires are most important to you if you did the 1-10 scale part of this exercise.
Keep this list where you will see and review it regularly! Watch what happens in the quality and results of your spiritual life now that you have renewed, clarified and/or expanded your real spiritual desires.