I like to remind myself that I am a person with a body, mind and spirit. I need to feed all three to be healthy. Taking care of the mind and body is important, but sometimes we neglect the spirit. My mom was a spiritual person. Even when her mind and body were failing, her spirit was strong. There was a Police song where they sang “We are spirits in a material world”. The lyrics comment on the nature of man’s existence and the failure of his earthly institutions. Some say, “What is happening to our moral fabric today?” Also, people like to talk about their worldview and how they interpret reality based on their knowledge, culture and experience. Many inherit their worldview from their parents but then go off to find themselves. Finding yourself is the process of discovering your true core values, passions and identity, rather than living by others’ expectations. What about you?
For me, church has influenced my morality as a baby boomer. I left the church for a while in college trying to “find myself” but eventually was drawn back there. Church was always a safe and encouraging place. However, our culture is changing. Generation Z, sometimes called the cell phone generation, is the least religious generation in American history. The global youth culture is not trusting of institutions and is more influenced by the entertainment industry, social media, video games, sports gambling, etc. Should we lose hope? I don’t think so. A common sentiment for Gen. Z is that spirituality is a feeling, like when you hold a newborn baby; there is energy, a force that lives.
In a book I’m reading, the writer visits a coffee shop and the barista had a pin on her shirt that said, “Be human-centered”. The writer then asked, “What does that mean?” Her response was, “Well, it means you treat other people like you want to be treated and consider other people’s needs above your own”. Then he asked, “Where does that come from?” She looked confused and just pointed to the pin.
Wow, if everyone was human-centered, the world would certainly be a more pleasant place, and our energy or life force would be more positive and contagious. So, if this recapture of the Golden Rule resonates with you, let’s try to be more human-centered today.