Spirituality is a universal human experience involving knowledge of one’s place within the larger scheme of things. It can include but is not limited to religious belief and practice. Spirituality affords us an awareness of the sacred in everyday life, a sense of comfort in the face of adversity and the experience of transcending the ordinary to reach something fundamental.

How to demonstrate this Character Strength:

Movies: Contact (1997), The Apostle (1997), Priest (1994)

Suggested strategies that correlate with this strength:

  1. Spend some time daily in at least one activity that connects you with a higher power or reminds you where you fit in the large scheme of things.
  2. Spend at least time minutes daily breathing deeply, relaxing, and meditating (emptying the mind of thoughts by focusing on breathing)
  3. Mindfully  worship and/ or pray for 5-10 minutes for half an hour
  4. Read a spiritual or religious book every day for half an hour
  5. Explore different religions – take a class, research over the internet, meet a person of different religion, or attend a congregation of a different religion.
  6. Note whether your everyday actions have any spiritual significance.  If not, think of ways of connecting the two.
  7. Explore a fundamental purpose of your life and link actions to that purpose.
  8. Reflect on how your spiritual beliefs and practices connect you with others authentically.
  9. Make a weekly list of experiences that forge strong connections in your life.
  10. Write your eulogy or ask your loved ones how they want to remember you.
  11. Build relationships with people who appreciate your ability to help them identify and solve problems.
  12. Connect with people and organisations that enhance your signature strengths.

By monitoring the above, you can catch when there is an incongruence in this personal strength. An incongruence will compromise you and cause inner conflict, so the above will help you keep on the right track.

 

References:

Niemiec, R. M, 2017, Character Strengths Interventions, Hogrefe, Boston

Tayyab, R., Anjum, A., 2005, 340 Ways to Use VIA Character Strengths, University of Pennsylvania