1. Final Project
As someone who intends to spend my life trying to help others find spiritual,
psychological, and physical health, it’s very important for me to take regular inventory of my
own condition. Here is a list of ten questions that I can use to determine my own spiritual state at
any given time, and I can also put these questions to clients in order for them to gain some
insight into themselves. I asked my sister these questions as well.
1. What has brought you joy recently?
This question is so good because a healthy spirit is a joyful spirit. So many people expect their
environment, experiences, or other people to bring them joy, but if we are at peace and healthy in
our own spirit then joy is within us, not something caused by an outside force.
2. What have you been struggling with or suffering because of recently?
Struggles and suffering are an inescapable part of being human. I have gained so much
encouragement during this course from a quote from Aeschylus, “We only learn wisdom through
suffering.” This sentiment has been echoed so many times in our readings here and also in my
own readings outside class. Every historical person who has ever been known to be wise has
become so not because that wisdom was taught to them, but because they struggled in their own
lives and the knowledge became real to them. That is wisdom, and it is not gained through
success, but through struggle and even failure. I find this question meaningful because suffering
isn’t fun, but if I can think about my suffering from outside myself, I can begin to see what
wisdom I’m gaining from that experience. Another reason to think about this is the suffering
could be caused by my own desires for things that are unhealthy for my spirit, and this question
can bring that to light so that change can begin.
2. 3. How are you handling the suffering?
Once the struggle is identified, the next step is having a plan for dealing with it, rather than
marinating in self-pity and learned helplessness. There are many situations that cause pain that
are the direct result of my own actions, desires, and even thoughts. According to Swami
Vivekananda, “The cause of all misery from which we suffer is desire.” (Vivekananda 1970)
This seems harsh since there are some situations that we find ourselves in through no fault of our
own that bring misery, but if we are honest, we can even maintain a healthy spirit throughout
those experiences by releasing our desire to be praised, to be comfortable, or whatever else is
needed. “We don’t need to give up ordinary pleasures and pastimes. What we do need to give up
is our attachment to them.” (Walsh 1999)
4. What was the original motivation for you to begin on your own spiritual path?
This is an important point to consider because when things get tough, which they always will,
it’s so easy to forget why we even began. Spending some time getting back into the mindset in
which we were excited and curious to begin our spiritual journey can help us continue.
5. Have there been other people or books that have helped you in your spiritual
development?
Acknowledging help from outside sources can be a good grounding tool. Growth is important as
we continue on our spiritual journey, but equally important is to understand that we are not doing
everything on our own. That attitude will set us back.
6. What are you grateful for?
3. Along the same lines as the last question, if we acknowledge the help we receive in life, it will
keep us positive and humble. If for some reason a person cannot come up with anything to be
thankful for at a particular time, that’s a certain indication of dark times for their spirituality.
7. Are there things that you need to actively do in order to have peace?
This could be something like forgiving someone, or acknowledging a past incident that you have
tried to bury or ignore. It’s not enough to just take an inventory, though this is a good start. This
question can help get into the state of mind to make active strides forward. Sometimes peace can
come to us in a situation no matter how difficult it may be, but there is a certain amount of
cultivation of spirit that needs to be done first.
8. What gives your life meaning?
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is a wonderful book that really opened my eyes to
the importance of having an active reason for living. Giving up because of feeling pointless
doesn’t just happen in concentration camps. It happens all the time, it’s just that when people
give up during their life when they’re not in a concentration camp, they don’t automatically die.
A depressed person who refuses to get out of bed is no different than what Frankl described.
Meaning is so important for us all, and it’s different for everyone, so it’s something very critical
to consider for ourselves on a regular basis in order to keep strong and motivated through life.
9. Have you learned anything on your spiritual journey that you can use to help others?
I believe that true wisdom will be shared, not horded. That doesn’t mean that you have to write a
book, in fact Jesus and Buddha never wrote down their wisdom, but they did spend their lives
sharing it. This question is about how you can help others, not about how you can promote
yourself or seem wise. It’s not even necessarily about sharing wisdom. If a person is not in the
4. right spirit, they will not accept any wisdom anyway. What we can always do is serve others
expecting nothing in return. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Every person can be great, because
everyone can serve.” (Seaward 2013)
10. What do you do that helps you open your heart and empty your mind to experience your
own spirituality in a real way?
This is another very individual question to get you thinking about progress. Are you making an
effort to grow? If not, this question can get you started in that direction.
When I asked my sister to think about these ten questions, she did not particularly want to
share every answer with me, but I did feel like she appreciated thinking about them on her own.
As a person who is very sensitive about her own perceived shortcomings in life, spirituality is
usually far from her mind, as is honesty with herself. I didn’t press her for details, but we did
discuss the broader points of the inventory.
She acknowledged that she hasn’t spent much time really trying to cultivate her
spirituality. She cited the fact that she’s always so stressed and has a hard enough time just
making it through the day until time to go to sleep, so the question about the meaning for your
life was one she admitted not having a concrete answer to. I feel really positive about it though;
it seems like a seed has been planted, and I hope that she will spend a little time considering that
in the future. Spending time getting to know herself on a spiritual level, which is what she avoids
because of too little time and too much stress, is the very thing that could help her put both of
those things into perspective.
Overall I was pleased with the outcome of my inventory for both myself and what I heard
from my sister. She even mentioned that the order of the questions was very encouraging. It was
5. good for her to consider the positive before reminding herself about the suffering. I hope that the
emphasis on thankfulness and using our own growth to encourage others and will both encourage
those who are going through dark experiences, and nurture humility in those who are doing well.
6. References
Vivekananda, S. (1970). The complete works of Swami Vivekananda. Calcutta: Advaita
Ashrama.). The complete works of Swami Vivekananda. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama.
Frankl, V. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.
Seaward, B., (2013) Health of the Human Spirit, Second Edition, Spiritual Dimensions
for Personal Health, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington, MA
Walsh, R., M.D., PH.D. (1999) Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices to
Awaken Heart and Mind, Turner Publishing, Nashville, TN
