Part of the training system used by the military is resiliency training. The ability to recover quickly from one mission to another is extremely important in the modern military. Just as important as it si to the military, spiritual resiliency is important in our lives and learning a few tips will help us recover in times of trouble or distress when our spirituality is pushed to its limit.
Resilience is defined as the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity and, the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Spiritual Resiliency is the ability to recover the emotional, psychological and the physical strength that is required to adjust to adversity or traumatic change. What all of this means is that we have the inner fortitude to bounce back from difficult experiences.
Just like we are at our best when our physical, mental, and spiritual lives are functioned properly so will our spiritual resiliency work when the four dimensions are working properly.
- Spiritual ~ We are spiritual beings, and sometimes this is separated from organized religion. I know many people who do not attend a church on a regular basis and they are as spiritual as people who do. At the heart of our wellness is our spirituality and it is our driving force towards well-being. Spirituality can be confusing at times, and I find it helpful to have a guide or someone we can talk to about our spiritual life.
- Physical ~ This is one of the most difficult dimensions for me. When things are not going well, we tend to want to curl up somewhere and do nothing. We need to fight this urge and try to push through it. Our health is maintained through physical activity. This can simply be walking around the block once a day. Eating right and having proper sleep patterns also play a large role in the physical dimension of spiritual resiliency.
- Social ~ At our core we are a social people. Although, as I said above, one can be spiritual even though they do not attend a church on a regular basis, what they miss out on is the social aspect of religion. A church that is a right fit will do far more for us than trying to do it on our own. Good relationships with family, friends, and the community will nourish us and keep us grounded.
- Emotional ~ How we manage our responses to events, joy, anger, fear, etc. can affect our state of being. Just as we are social beings we are also emotional beings and gaining and maintain control of our emotions is the goal of the spiritual life. We do not function at our best when we function from a place of emotions. This is another dimension where a guide can be helpful.
These dimensions are intertwined and inseparable. Each of the dimensions is connected to the other, and they work in unison to establish our state of being, our well-being in an integrated system.
Working to achieve and then maintain balance in our lives is an important and a challenging thing but to function well on the battlefield, the board room, or in life we need this well-being.
