Living the Spiritual Life When It's Hard

No matter what living a spiritual life looks like for you, there is one thing that is common across all paths. Eventually, we all reach a point where we can’t help but think, “Wow! This is hard!”

Just like there are different paths, there are different “hards.” Sometimes, hard looks like feeling stuck, like I’m doing everything I can to grow spiritually and am not seeing any results. Sometimes, hard looks like doubting that I can do what Spirit is calling me to do. Other times, hard looks like feeling bored or discontent without knowing why.

No matter what the “hard” looks like, it blocks me from feeling the peace, gratitude, and joy that are so often the fruits of my spiritual life.

Because it’s a place I’ve been many times, though, I do have some ideas on how to move through the hard parts.

Check the Basics

There are a few basic practices that shore up my ability to live the spiritual life that works for me. When I’m struggling, my first step is to do a self-check on how well I’m covering these basics:

• Am I meditating?

• Who am I spending time with? Are they adding to my life energy or subtracting from it?

• What am I saying? How much negativity am I contributing to my life?

• Am I caring for myself physically? Am I getting the right balance of sleep, food, rest, and play?

• What is my physical space like? Is it supporting my practices or getting in the way of them?

Your basics will probably look different than mine, and that’s okay. Making sure we’re covering our basic needs and attending to our foundational practices is what builds up our ability to grow, become, and create the life we’d like to live.

Unfinished Business

If I’m taking care of my basics and still struggling, then I consider what kind of unfinished business I have hanging over me.

Moving on to the new when I haven’t quite finished with the old is nearly impossible. It’s like putting a beautiful sculpture on top of a dusty shelf. That dust is going to take away from my enjoyment of the sculpture until I do something about it.

In my life, at least, there is a never-ending list of to-dos that may never be checked off, and I’m okay with letting some things go. But if I’m struggling spiritually or feeling stuck in my life, then I pay attention to how much energy I’m giving to thinking about my unfinished business instead of doing it. Often, thinking about what I need to do takes up so much more energy than actually doing it.

Sometimes, taking care of just one of my unfinished business items is enough to clear up my energy and my headspace. Often, I literally feel the weight of the unfinished business lift off my shoulders, and I begin to breathe a little deeper and feel a little lighter.

Whether it’s making that phone call, bringing that bag of stuff to Goodwill, or dusting that shelf, doing instead of thinking frees me from whatever funk or angst I feel stuck in, and can once again enjoy living the spiritual life that works for me.

Relax and Trust

If I’m still struggling after I cover my basics and take care of some unfinished business, then I do what might be the absolute hardest part for me about living a spiritual life. I relax and trust.

I know that the hard won’t last forever, and I trust that the Divine is moving behind the scenes to support me. That support might look like a perfectly timed call from a friend, a song on the radio, a memory from the past, or a vision for the future. Whatever form it takes, I know that I am not alone in my struggles, and sometimes that is enough to see me through to the other side.

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What helps you when you are struggling in living the spiritual life that works for you? What resources or tips would you suggest to others? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!