Core value · Grace family
Spirituality
Attending to the inner and transcendent life
What does spirituality mean as a core value?
Spirituality as a core value means making regular space for your inner life and for connection with something larger than yourself, whether through faith, nature, music, meditation or quiet reflection.
Spirituality means different things to different people. For some it lives within a faith tradition; for others it’s found in nature, music, meditation or a sense of connection to something larger than themselves. What they share is a conviction that the inner life matters. If spirituality is a core value, you pay attention to questions of meaning, awe and what lies beyond the everyday, and you make space for them. A life focused only on tasks and schedules would feel thin to you, however successful it looked.
What does spirituality look like in practice?
- You set aside regular time for reflection, prayer, meditation or quiet.
- You look for meaning in hard experiences, not just a way to move on from them.
- You notice moments of awe, like a landscape, a birth or a piece of music, and let them affect you.
- You weigh big decisions against something beyond your own short-term interest.
- You seek out people and places that nourish your inner life.
When is spirituality overplayed?
Spirituality can be used to bypass real challenges. You may reach for acceptance or the bigger picture when something practical needs fixing, or when anger and grief need to be felt. It can also distance you from people who don’t share your outlook, or make you impatient with everyday concerns that matter to them. At its best, your inner life helps you meet the world more fully. It might help to think back to the last time you reached for the bigger picture, and ask whether a practical step was waiting underneath it.
Often confused with
Spirituality vs Faith
Faith is trust and belief, often within a particular tradition. Spirituality is attention to the inner and transcendent life, which may or may not involve a religion.
Spirituality vs Purpose
Purpose is a sense of what you’re here to do. Spirituality is more about connection with something larger than yourself, which can inform purpose and also goes beyond it.
Spirituality vs Mindfulness
Mindfulness is being present to this moment. Spirituality can include that, and also reaches towards meaning and what lies beyond the self.
Questions to sit with
- Where do you feel most connected to something larger than yourself, and how often do you go there?
- What has a difficult experience taught you that success never could?
- How much of your inner life do the people closest to you actually know about?
More values in Grace
Calm, composure and a quiet, balanced life.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
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