| When you wonder whether anything even matters? | | | | made a difference for them (and my dad made a |
| If your attitude has become, "Whatever" (said with | | | | difference in countless people's lives) he kept it in the |
| attitude). If you question why you are doing what | | | | file. Then on 'cold and prickly days' he called them, he |
| you are doing in life - either generally or on a daily | | | | would get out some of the letters to remind himself |
| basis - your engagement in life is ebbing. Your stress | | | | that he was helping people. He gave me a lot of |
| level is increasing. You have lost (or are losing) those | | | | good advice over the years, but this one really |
| protected spaces (pockets) of spiritual energy that | | | | stands out. I have needed that file many times and |
| human beings need. | | | | was glad to have it. And, someone special even took |
| How do you know if you have no spiritual energy | | | | my warm fuzzy file once and created a magnificent |
| pockets? | | | | scrapbook for me. It was one of the most |
| It's different for all of us but here are some | | | | thoughtful gifts I have ever received and it is a |
| commonalities among human beings: | | | | treasure. When you need a reminder about whether |
| - We feel empty. | | | | you are making a difference, you'll be glad to have |
| - We feel disconnected. | | | | physical reminders to help put some pockets back in. |
| - We have no sense of purpose. | | | | 4. Get a massage. Seriously, a great massage |
| - We wonder why we do what we do. | | | | therapist somehow releases not just your |
| - We are highly cynical about nearly everything. | | | | muscles...but lots of the other energy you have. I said |
| - We....you add your own here. | | | | a great one...not just any old massage therapist... |
| What do you need to do to create some spiritual | | | | 5. Get connected (even in a small way) to something |
| energy pockets? You will have to answer for | | | | that really does matter, e.g., Haiti relief, feeding |
| yourself, but if I may I make some suggestions... | | | | children in the U.S. who are malnourished, tutoring an |
| | | | adult who never learned to read, knitting scarves for |
| 1. Go outside - preferably not in the middle of a city | | | | people who are homeless. Norman Vincent Peale: |
| but out somewhere. There is something about being | | | | "The more you lose yourself in something bigger than |
| outside that helps connect you to the bigger place. | | | | yourself, the more energy you will have. |
| 2. Go talk to someone who seems connected | | | | You do matter and your contribution to the world |
| spiritually somehow. You don't even have to know | | | | matters. But if you have lost the pockets - the safe |
| the questions you want to ask. Just go. | | | | and protected spaces - in your soul that give you |
| 3. Start a "warm fuzzy file." My dad, who was an | | | | room to consider this, then use the ideas in this |
| Episcopal priest, read the first letter I ever got from | | | | article to begin to put them back in so that you can |
| a student's parent when I was student teaching. He | | | | make the difference you want to. Human beings' |
| told me to start a warm fuzzy file. He said he had | | | | stress level is decreased when they have the spiritual |
| had one for years and when people sent him notes | | | | energy pockets necessary. |
| or letters about how something he had done had | | | | |