April 30th, 2007
Taking Care of Me, Part 5
I read a book a few years ago that continues to inform my spiritual life. It’s aptly titled, “Too Busy Not Too Pray.” As busy women, we know that we can’t do it all…or at least we can’t do it all without suffering the consequences of stress, exhaustion, and feeling overwhelmed. That’s why we need to pay attention to our physical, mental, and emotional lives. But we cannot neglect our spiritual lives either.
While spirituality can often be a controversial topic, I believe that it is an area of our lives and our selves that cannot be ignored. Our spirit is an integral part of who we are and we cannot function at our best by ignoring any part of ourselves.
So in addressing this issue, I’d like to share what works for me personally in hopes that it will encourage and inspire you to explore your own need for a spiritual compass in your life.
For me, spirituality begins with prayer. Some mornings those prayers are accompanied by reading and writing. Other times, they are quick prayers spoken in the short time I have before moving into the busy day. Always they are from a place of gratitude for the life I’ve been blessed to live and that I hope to continue.
Too many people equate prayer with kneeling before a priest or in a pew with folded hands. Prayer to me and in the daily reality of business meetings, agendas, meals to cook, and laundry to wash is simply communication with my Creator. It reminds me that there is a bigger world, a grander vision, and a beautiful design that I cannot always see clearly. Nurturing my spiritual self through prayer reminds me that I don’t have to have all the answers, or even some of them, and that release is a great feeling.
As we conclude this month’s focus on “Taking Care of Me,” I invite you to explore which areas of your life could use a fresh perspective and renewed commitment to change. Small steps consistently reap huge rewards.
Take care of you,
Tasra Dawson
