I write about well-centered fitness—the balance of the Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions of wellness. Often presented more like the slices of a pie, I prefer to think of the as interconnected but also hierarchal. I find Spiritual wellness—the belief in something greater than oneself—and Physical wellness—all that pertains to one’s physical health and performance—to be the very foundation of wellness. Spiritual and Physical well-centeredness go hand-in-hand. I see a connection between the Spiritual and the Physical is quantum physics Rob Bell’s Everything is Spiritual spells this out quite well.
It is perhaps impossible to separate the Physical essence of life from the energy connects us all—i.e., the Spiritual. There is a powerful energy that flows between us. An energy that truly makes us One.
Without a foundation in the Spiritual and Physical, we simply cannot develop our intellectual capability or understand the deeper concepts of our intellect. Thus, the Spiritual and the Physical give meaning to life and to ideas. As well, our relationships are built on the Physical and Spiritual, and, at the same time, the Emotional dimension is affected by and affects the other dimensions—acting as a sort of keystone dimension.
Spiritual wellness is beyond religion. Indeed, religion can actually limit—better: inhibit—one’s Spiritual well-centeredness. I have struggled with the “Christian” label as it has not always represented well its namesake. I have favored the label “Christ-follower”. I have read recently of a “Jesus plus nothing” approach, which I find troublesome. I’d rather prefer a “Jesus plus Christ” approach. (I think this is a point Richard Rohr is trying to make in The Universal Christ.) It is the “plus Christ” that takes the Jesus story to the level of “everything is Spiritual”. Jesus alone is a Physical message. Jesus Christ is a Physical plus Spiritual message. “Love your neighbor” is an easy thing to accept when your neighbor is your friend and looks like you. It becomes Spiritual when love is a truly unifying concept. It is Spiritual because the Christ is a unifying force. It is a concept that I am coming to grasp more easily, but I still struggle to enact. Something at which I really struggle.
When we consider the Spiritual responsibility, it becomes increasingly clear that we, likewise have a Physical responsibility to others—to be healthy; to be well. We have to take care of our personal health and performance capacities for the benefit of others. We live well that we can fulfill our universal Purpose.
Physical and Spiritual well-centeredness, then, are “other-centered”. As you seek to be our best today—in whatever arena that may be—it becomes our purpose to be better tomorrow for that which is greater self. This is to live an (extra)ordinary life.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!