Spiritual Selves:

Our existence in this world is so valuable. Our individual auras, personalities, and dispositions define us and shape how others engage with us. They make us uniquely identifiable and contribute to our spiritual wellness. Shaping and protecting our spirit, or our essence, should be a priority, as we are grounded in our inner selves. Below, we offer a definition of spiritual wellness and discuss how we’ve reconciled our initial and current purposes in life. 

Definition: Spiritual wellness describes the extent to which we conceptualize our being, belonging, and fit in the world. It refers to one’s ability to think about purposing and re-purposing their talents and contributions to the world. It focuses on expansion and utilizes a growth mindset to rethink one’s purpose. 

LaTecia:
iRise was something born out of conversations I had (and didn’t have) with people around me. At first, I conceived it as a standalone retreat where people could convene and discuss wellness. Now, it is more massive and expansive than I dreamed it would be. 

When we feel inclined to “scratch an itch” or follow a hunch, we need to oblige. LaTecia noticed a need in her circle, which led her to do something about it. As she continued to refine her initial idea, she transformed it into a business with bi-coastal reach. She nurtured her spiritual wellness by feeding into her “gut” and following her purpose.

Kamia:
For a while, I was hyper-attached to the occupation of being an education. Being a second grade teacher was one of my most salient identities. When I transitioned from elementary to higher education, the nature and place of my work changed, and at times, I wasn’t explicitly teaching. I had to force a discursive pivot in how I conceptualized the term. Now, I view being an educator as a skill and identity that is not context-based. 

Reframing our perspective is key to maintaining spiritual wellness. Kamia experienced a bit of a professional identity crisis as she traversed the broad field of education. To cope, she changed how she viewed being an educator. She recognized that her skills were so vast, valuable, and transferable that they were not bound by school walls. She was an educator because she was trained as such and had garnered the sensibilities to be one, not because a set of school walls said so. Places don’t define you. 

Jordan:
I recognize that my purpose is to create. Whether that is visual art, space, community, experiences, knowledge… whatever. It took some time to realize that the complex ways I show up is to simply create.

Sometimes, our spiritual wellness is best captured via verbs. Instead of focusing on nouns, like where we work, where we live, or even where we are from, we need to focus on what we do broadly.

Jordan’s verb was “to create.” No matter his functional area or task at hand, he knew his true purpose. Think about what your verbs are and how they reflect your spiritual wellness. 

Devore:
The most beneficial ah-ha moment for me was examining what I am doing now, and then moving with purpose and full comfort to let go of the past and past learnings.  

Iteratively purposing and re-purposing our being is essential to growth. Devore realized that, in order to move forward, he needed to shed some spiritual weight from his past. We all need to do that. Every tidbit of information we consume, challenge we encounter, or experience we navigate  is not meant for us to internalize and take to heart. Some of it is just part of our season of growth, and we need to leave it behind as we advance. 

Our spiritual wellness journeys are some of the most rewarding and fulfilling voyages we’ll ever be a part of. Reflecting on who we once were, who we are now, and who we are destined to be is a ride worth the bumps, roadblocks, and detours. Stick to your route, and have fun getting to know yourself.