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Running Header: Final Assignment

Our Path to a Centered Self

Professor Mark Maule

HW420-01 Creating Wellness-Psych & Spirit. Asp. Of Healing

Kaplan University

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There are a lot of different things to take into account when one thinks about their

spiritual wellbeing. When we are deciding what needs to be done to achieve this, it should

certainly be considered to come up with an inventory to make sure all our bases are covered. I

will be using a few questions which in my estimation should help with an inventory and track

were you are on your specific path. The list can be endless, and because of this I will only be

using a few different question I was able to come up with through a little research. It is not

always easy trying to center and calm yourself from within, but maybe the questions put forth

can help make this a little bit easier.

After looking around and trying to figure what kind of questions are needed to help

inventory were one is at, I was able to find somethings set up by Dr. Elliot Ingersoll. There are

quite a few that I believe could be really helpful, but let us look at what I believe are the top ten.

Just so we are all on the same page all the following questions will be rated by the subject from

1-8. The first question would have to be whether or not you have reasons to stop hoping. The

next is do you, or do you not feel safe in the world? Number three, is your life about growth and

change? The fourth would then be, even when a situation seems to be hopeless, I still have the

faith that things will work themselves out. Number five, There is at least one time every day that

I experience a joyous moment. Followed by number six, do you have faith that somehow

someway your life will work out on some level. Number seven, do you see life as being sacred?

The eighth question, is do you ever need to take the time to stop yourself from self-pity? Nine is,

do you believe your spirituality is very meaningful to you? Finally number ten, are you able to

forgive anything another person may do to you (E. Ingersoll, 2015)?

The importance of these questions has their own specific reason for being seen as a

valuable commodity. True, they all add up to a healthy and centered state of being, but the

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reasons why can be specific in and of themselves. The first question has it value in my opinion

because hope is a positive feeling. It can truly turn your mood and your energy around a full 180,

keeping the hope alive can certainly help one stay aligned because of this. Felling safe in the

world comes into play because it gives you the freedom to relax and focus on yourself. If you are

always worried or scared of things you cannot control, you will not have the ability to control

your own Source Energy. The next deals with growth and change. If your life is not open to this I

believe you simply do not have the ability to center yourself spiritually. In my opinion this

should be the main reason to want to harness your Source Energy, and align yourself from

within. If you are not willing to grow, you limit this exponentially. The fourth question ask if you

believe that things will in fact work out. This is an important question in my opinion because if

you give in to that hopelessness, then that is exactly what you will receive in the end. As for the

next question, the word joyous speaks out to me. I think this actually brings a couple of the

previously mentioned questions together. The joyous moment is important because it can lead

into to hope. It is a happy moment where for a split second, all hopelessness fades as happiness

takes over. Number six goes hand in hand with number four, with the question asking if you

believe things will work out on some level in some way. This is important because it keeps that

hope alive, and in my opinion promote that growth from within, it will not always be easy, but

sometimes you just need to dig deep and get things rolling in a better and more productive

direction. Seven simply asks if you see life as being sacred, and maybe this should be moved up

to number one, the importance in this is simply the fact that if it is not sacred and important to

you, then why bother connecting with your Source Energy. Feeling that life is important will

give the motivation to do what is needed on a daily basis to continue to grow and mature both

inside and out. Self-pity is one thing I see as sabotage. Making the importance quite obvious, I

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believe it is impossible to have self-growth with such a depressing and negative thing as self-pity

hanging over head. This is a process of becoming aligned with who you are and who you are

trying to become, self-pity sabotages any chance of success you might have at achieve either of

those goals. This brings us to whether or not one’s spirituality is important to them, I think this is

important simply because a person will not be working on something they do not see as

important or meaningful. This is not a process that just happens, it take a person wanting to do

what is necessary in order to become aligned with what is within. Finally that last question is

important because forgiveness in my opinion frees you from within. You cannot focus on

yourself and your spirituality if you are always holding grudges. It is tiring and quite honestly

building up nothing but negative feelings in your life. You should be focusing on what is good,

and how it will become better in the future. It is not always easy, but it certainly can open one’s

mind helping to gain the clarity needed to focus on their own personal Source Energy. Like the

Mayo Clinic states, you may be the one paying for that grudge or bitterness you may hold so

dear, learn to forgive and reap the peace, hope, gratitude, and joy it leaves behind. This can send

you down a path of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being (mayoclinic.com, 2015).

Questions: (1 strongly disagree, 4 disagree, 5 agree, 8 strongly agree)

Questions were answered by Stefan Haydu.

1. I believe there are reasons for me to give up hope.

A: 1

2. I feel safe in the world.

A: 6

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3. I believe my life is open to growth and change.

A: 8

4. Even if felling hopeless, I have the faith to truly believe that things will get better.

A: 8

5. I find a joyous moment within every day.

A: 8

6. I believe that there is always a way for things to work out on some level somehow.

A: 8

7. I truly see life as being sacred.

A: 8

8. I really find it hard to take a moment and stop feeling self-pity.

A: 4

9. I think that my spirituality is very meaningful.

A: 8

10. I can forgive others for anything they might do to me.

A: 5

After looking over the results of Mr. Haydu’s questionnaire I personally believe he is on

solid ground spiritually for the most part. There are a few areas that could use tweaking, which I

believe would only help to align himself up that much more. For one, I would want to work on

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his ability to stop any self-pity he might be feeling for whatever the reason. I know he disagrees

which is why he is on solid ground, but I would like that number even lower. Like I stated

earlier, this really is a great way to sabotage one’s personal success when it comes to spirituality.

I would certainly hate to see this grow in the wrong manner. I would also like to work on his

forgiveness rating. Again, I know that he agreed he would be able to forgive, but I think the

number might indicate that grudges are held for at least a small amount of time. This time no

matter how short is still able to stunt whatever personal growth he may be trying to achieve. It is

not that one must act as though nothing happened, but forgiving and moving on is key to finding

that alignment he may be looking to achieve. Now I know that feeling safe in the world was not

off the chart. However, I did speak with Stefan, and he assured me it was not anything other than

global politics. He was fine in his town or his community, and even his country for that matter,

but with recent events globally, he could not rate that question as high as he would have wanted.

By tracking these ratings, and using future questionnaires I could ensure he remains on the right

path when it concerns his spirituality. Making sure numbers either remain, or stay as far to the

left or right as need be will help me to make sure he has the proper mind set, willingness, and

freedom to devote to himself. All of these things I believe would be considered mental clutter

according to Kim Wolinski who is not only an author and life coach, but also a professional

organizer. This clutter is something that can be somewhat of a dam which is blocking us from

our spirituality. Clearing this clutter can then give us the chance to enjoy the peace of mind,

clarity, and inner wisdom that is needed to become and stay connected with our Source Energy

(K. Wolinski, 2015).

After looking over Stefan’s responses and giving myself some time to reflect I do not

think I would change a thing about my inventory. There are certainly a million more questions I

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could have added or used, but I feel as though my questions were relevant and also important to

answer when it concerns ones spirituality. I feel the reasoning I gave earlier for the importance of

each question shows the inventory to be on target, this in no way means others other things are

not important, but I think it can certainly do the job of aligning the person with their spirituality

while helping them to stay on course.

Of all the things that I have learned, it has become quite apparent that finding and

keeping ones spirituality aligned within is not as easy as it sounds. It takes time, discipline,

desire, and clarity. It is something that in my opinion is always a work in progress, and there is a

plethora of things that can inhibit this process. Whether your spirituality involves religion, the

universe, or just an inner peace that calms everything about you, it is important to remember the

process is a marathon and not a sprint. It takes time, energy and dedication to truly align mind,

body, and spirit.

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Works Cited

Ingersoll, E. (2015). The Spiritual Wellness Inventory. Retrieved on July 10, 2015, from

http://www.elliottingersoll.com/Spiritual_Wellness_Test.html

Forgiveness: Letting go of Grudges and Bitterness. (2015). Retrieved on July 11, 2015, from

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy- lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/forgiveness/art-

20047692

Wolinski, K. (2015). Is Clutter Sabotaging You Spiritual Life? Retrieved on July 11, 2015, from

http://bellaspark.com/articles/entry/is-clutter-sabotaging-your-spiritual- life/