I’m going to touch on a subject that’s Taboo in most business circles of conversation today. Are you brave enough to read it? It’s the topic of being “Spiritual”. (BOO – scared ya!)

Often when the word Spirituality comes up I hear…

“Oh no, I’m not a spiritual person.”
“I don’t believe in all that stuff.”
“I get by without that rubbish just fine.”

This always makes me giggle.
Why?
Well it’s kind of like saying…

“I don’t have a liver. All the experts tell me I have a liver and I wouldn’t be here if it stopped working but I just don’t believe it. I mean I can’t see it, can’t feel it. I don’t notice it working. I don’t need to know about it. I’m still alive so if it’s there, it must be working fine.”

The truth is, when you dig into a bit of study on the subject of Spirituality, it’s a fundamental part of you just like your liver and yes, it can work fine on it’s own, but if you make an effort to know Spirituality better, you can really fly in your career and life in general.

What’s the first thing people think of when they see that word?

1) Religion
2) Woo woo people with a very active imagination playing with tarot cards and crystals
3) Bald guys sitting cross legged on the ground humming to themselves

These groups are not Spirituality. They are just connecting to it in their own way using their own tools and techniques. You don’t need to be a part of any of these groups to get it, use it, feel it, work it to it’s best advantage. So if these groups don’t turn you on, no big deal, you can still find it and improve it without them.

So what the hell is it anyway?

Well, it’s a big subject but let’s look at one basic idea you can start using in your everyday life right now.

Listening inside

When I was younger (and thinner) as a single young chick I filled my schedule to the brim. I ran from one place to the next exhausting myself and then would collapse into bed for a few days having to cancel everything. Once recovered I’d be up and running madly again. I had little care for myself and pushed every facet of life to the limits.

Once I got married and fell pregnant a very different approach came about. Unconsciously I must have realised that now I was responsible for that new life inside me and my wellbeing became the highest priority. So I would hear exactly what I needed to eat (which explains pregnancy cravings for odd foods at odd times of the day – it’s an innate sense of knowing what food contains what nutritional or chemical elements our body is needing), when I needed to rest, sleep, exercise etc.

It really surprised me how intuitive I became. I was never wrong. And because I followed my instincts on what I heard I was extremely healthy, happy, alert, focussed and stress free. More than I’d ever remembered being before.

I thought, what if we all could “hear” this way all the time? How differently we would live if we rested or exercised when we needed it and ate exactly what our body required – no more, no less. If the result was being fully healthy, happy, focussed and stress free, life would be so easy! We could achieve amazing things at work. We’d get on with everyone. Everything would be easier.

Since then, although I have plenty of times when I forget, I aim to always fall back into the habit of listening inside so I can be my best, can cope with challenges and potentially stressful situations in an easy fashion.

Want to try doing it yourself?

This exercise takes just a few minutes and the more you do it the better you get. Find your own way to remind yourself. You might just do mealtimes, once an hour using the alarm on your mobile … you choose. You need to remove all distractions from your focus. (Once you’re good at this you can do it with distractions around you and you’ll ignore them.) Relax, do a few slow deep breaths, a little smile always helps, close your eyes if you can and imagine you’re looking deep into your centre. Ask “What do I need right now to be fully healthy and happy?”

Then wait. Keep the question on your mind.
If other topics drop into your mind, don’t beat yourself up, just turn your focus back to the question.

You can also write the question down and gently stare at it.

If no answer comes, again, don’t beat yourself up. Just leave the question open. I’ve often found I can focus extensively on a question, nothing comes, then the answer comes as soon as I head out to do the next activity, maybe a few hours later, sometimes even a few days later. So avoid saying “Stuff it, the answer isn’t there” and closing off your chance to hear the answer.

Patience and practice is all you need.

Another good tip is to avoid looking for patterns. (eg – At 4pm you always need a coffee and candy bar.) Always leave the question open without expectation of what the answer is.

It’s time we stopped needing an excuse like a pregnancy to make our wellbeing the highest priority. (Thank goodness, because that would mean you blokes would never have a chance!) Listen inside always with the aim of being happier and healthier, act on what you hear and soon you’ll be more productive, alert and happy with less stress.

Give it a try and let me know how you go or if you have any questions about it.

Annabelle

PS – I am not a medical expert and give no medical advice. If you find yourself constantly craving things you know are not good for you, it’s a signal to seek some suitable professional advice. Common sense prevails.