cultivating spiritual health with research-based ideas
The Four Connectedness Relationships
We can improve our spiritual health by cultivating Connectedness in the following four types of relationships: self, community, environment, transcendent.
Self
We experience Connectedness with ourself by:
cultivating personal awareness
living by our values
finding a purpose in life
working on our mental and emotional well-being
having a healthy relationship with our physical body
Community
We experience Connectedness with our community by:
remembering we are not alone
cultivating relationships with other people, like:
family and friends
groups (religious, sports, musical, etc.)
tight-knit neighborhoods
the entire human species
Environment
We experience Connectedness with our environment by:
living in harmony with our surroundings
remembering we are part of nature
treating our homes, cities, and the Earth with dignity
Transcendent
We experience Connectedness with the transcendent by:
acknowledging there is more to life than our physical experiences
being open to the power of mystery
believing in the abstract, ineffable, and what we can’t see, like:
God
Love
Karma
The mind-boggling idea that we are, as Carl Sagan suggests, made of “star stuff” because the atoms in our bodies come from deceased stars