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How much tension is created in your life as you feel you can’t show up 100% you 100% all of the time? In the body-mind-spirit wellness triune, the spirituality is often the most commonly overlooked of the three. Because spirituality represents our values, beliefs, and life philosophies, it impacts our ability to cope with stress, loss, and illness. We need our spirituality to willingly and meaningfully connect with ourselves and others. Without it, we surrender a deep sense of belonging which has been shown to influence healing.
One of my greatest struggles in my career was to bring together my faith and work. As I came to the conclusion of my final thesis to obtain my Master of Organizational Leadership from Colorado Christian University, I was challenged to address this issue from this perspective:
Julian (2014) presents a paradigm of living in the “clash of two worlds” that has “demanded that we operate in two separate worlds: a deeply personal, private, spiritual world and a very public, demanding, competitive business world” (p. 24). I have found myself in this place, caught in the middle of these two worlds that have clashed in values, beliefs, principles, vision, mission, and goals. At the core, meaning and purpose of work provides a sense of fulfillment but “this separation between a true longing for meaning in the workplace and the demand to help our employers (organizations) survive and thrive, creates a tremendous internal dilemma” (Julian, 2014, p. 24). “Followers who come to fully identify with their work (have psychological ownership), see their work as an extension of themselves” (Avolio & Reichard, 2005, as cited in Riggio, et al., 2008, p. 332). From my observations, in the workplace, community, and church, and my family, there are others that have experienced this same dilemma. Do bottom-line demands have to conflict with biblical principles?
In my career, I was conflicted at times. There were times when I felt that I had to leave a part of myself at home…my Christian faith. I don’t know that there was any true pressure to do so or that I allowed that to happen myself. Maybe you have felt alone in your faith. Maybe your occupation overshadowed your vocation and purpose that is uniquely yours, tied to your very spirit. This tug-o-war within, induces stress, leading to dis-ease in the body and mind.
Have you ever had a time when you felt you didn’t belong, you were trying to make sense during a difficult time, make an important decision, or understand and reframe a life circumstance? Creating a space through coaching allows us to tap into the essence of spirituality in a non-secular way, allowing for connection and healing.
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