How to Obtain and Maintain Spiritual Fitness in a Topsy Turvy World.

Many of us are very aware of physical fitness to keep our bodies in good health, but what about Spiritual Fitness to keep our inner spirit or our soul in good health? In today’s hectic paced world, this can be more challenging than ever. But there is hope. Here are 9 simple concepts you can incorporate into your life to help increase your Spiritual Fitness.

1. Tap into a Higher Power. People that are spiritually fit recognize that they are not the “be-all-end-all. They have a Higher Power in their lives that provides infinite strength and wisdom. They work daily to establish and maintain contact with their Higher Power through things such as prayer and meditation.
2. Cultivate Positive Daily Habits. People that are spiritually fit do things daily to help them maintain balance in their lives. Practice yoga, get outdoors in nature, and spend less time in front of the computer and television.
3. Surround Yourself with Positive People. Happy, soulful people prefer to spend time with other happy, soulful people. Despite our situation (work or family) we can still actively chose who we want to spend the most time with. The more uplifting and positive people around you, the better things will seem and it will begin to rub off on you.  
4. Self-Pity Needs to Go. We all feel down on occasion, but Spiritually Fit people, do not stay down for long. Self-pity is selfish and self-absorbed behavior and it needs to go. By helping others, being a good friend, practicing random acts of kindness, we not only lift our own spirits, we help the world become a better place.
5. Live in Gratitude. When you are grateful for what you have, you are happier and more positive about your life, and this will continue to feed on itself. Start by keeping a gratitude journal. By writing down things we are grateful for daily, it begins to become second nature to see the good in our life.
6. Self Care is Not Selfish. Carve out time each day for you, even if it is just some alone time to read, meditate, or soak in a tub.   Schedule massages, or pedicures. Go to a yoga class, or a weekend retreat. By taking care of yourself you make yourself more available for others.
7. Stay present, practice mindfulness. If you spend a lot of time dwelling in the past, or planning out the future, happiness will always elude you. Work to re-train your mind to stay present and focused on what is going on right around you. Yoga and meditation are wonderful ways to practice mindfulness and staying present.
8. Live “As If”.  This one involves our self-talk and believing that we are what we aspire to be. Begin to send out positive messages to the universe so positive comes back to you. Begin to tell yourself you ARE wealthy, you ARE healthy, you ARE successful and watch what happens.
9. Guard your Serenity. It’s hard to maintain spiritual fitness if you are bombarded by negative messages. Start by turning off the television and instead pick up a good book or get outside. Find quiet time, nourish your surrounds, by taking care of your sacred space (your home).

These are just a few ideas to help you get started on your journey to Spiritual Fitness, as you continue to grow, more will be revealed!  If you have other suggestions for us, please feel free to leave a comment below. We learn and grow from each other!