Practical Spirituality
Moving forward and achieving goals. Words by Julie Kelly, Illustrations by Sam Ridgway-Hill
Do You Feel Stuck? Like You’ve Lost Your Purpose Somehow?
Then the Practical Spirituality Programme is For You!
Here at the Recovery Republic, our aim is to promote togetherness, forgiveness, compassion, equality & inclusion etc. At the same time however, we also give careful recognition to the fact, from birth we are all unique in our hopes, dreams, experiences and even regrets about the path our life has taken.
We may remember a life very different from the one we have now, and wish we could turn back to a time when things were better. It’s hard to look in the mirror and see only hopelessness and helplessness – yet deep down, in each of us lies incredible strength and resilience.
We know this is true, because despite everything we’ve been through, here we are. But moving forward takes effort, and this is where the Practical Spirituality programme is so important. Even it it doesn’t seem possible now, we all have hopes for the future.
In the programme we use what’s known as the ‘Skilled Helper Model’ your ‘Skilled Helper’ will be right there – supporting you along your journey.
Practical Spirituality, will help you reconnect with those parts of your life that drive you on & feel positive.
In a nutshell, Practical Spirituality helps you reconnect and tap in to the ‘real you’ (what makes you tick.)
At the Recovery Republic, much of what we do is focused around the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, and this fits perfectly with the programme.
We all have a story – and yours is so important. However, when we start to tell our stories, we often can’t believe it’s the same person saying it. This is why talking to each other, listening & reflecting is key.
Active listening in storytelling.
By talking and listening, using the ‘Skilled Helper Model’ we can start to think about the journey you need to make in order to get where you want to be! Making the impossible possible.
Here at the Recovery Republic, our aim is to promote togetherness, forgiveness, compassion, equality & inclusion etc. At the same time however, we also give careful recognition to the fact, from birth we are all unique in our hopes, dreams, experiences and even regrets about the path our life has taken.
We may remember a life very different from the one we have now, and wish we could turn back to a time when things were better. It’s hard to look in the mirror and see only hopelessness and helplessness – yet deep down, in each of us lies incredible strength and resilience.
We know this is true, because despite everything we’ve been through, here we are. But moving forward takes effort, and this is where the Practical Spirituality programme is so important. Even it it doesn’t seem possible now, we all have hopes for the future.
In the programme we use what’s known as the ‘Skilled Helper Model’ your ‘Skilled Helper’ will be right there – supporting you along your journey.
Practical Spirituality, will help you reconnect with those parts of your life that drive you on & feel positive.
In a nutshell, Practical Spirituality helps you reconnect and tap in to the ‘real you’ (what makes you tick.)
At the Recovery Republic, much of what we do is focused around the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, and this fits perfectly with the programme.
We all have a story – and yours is so important. However, when we start to tell our stories, we often can’t believe it’s the same person saying it. This is why talking to each other, listening & reflecting is key.
Connecting with the self & others
The practical spirituality program, works at your pace in small achievable steps. It has absolutely nothing to do with religion (unless of course religion is part of your journey) This programme is about connecting with the core of who we are, then exploring ways in which we can move beyond our current situation, to achieve the things we wish for.
When we start moving slowly forward, we know we’ve made the 1st step tapping into our spiritual self. This benefits our mental & physical health a lot, because, when we feel good in our mind, we feel healthier in our body and our confidence grows.
This being said…. it’s hard to think about moving forward, when all you see are black clouds. It doesn’t mean you didn’t try, but much of the time we’ve been struggling alone.
Believe it or not, we humans are social animals. We need each other for encouragement, affection & to feel loved and accepted. Through this connection, we develop a sense of self worth.
Let’s face it! It’s very rare to find someone who wants to live a a miserable life. Deep down, we all want to live a happy and purposeful life. This is why connecting is so important – not only with others, but with the very core of who we are. It’s a little bit like making a new friend, except this time that friend is you.
Once you’ve decided on the goal you want to achieve, you’re pretty much ready to start making the first steps, but there are a couple of things to bear in mind.
- Things are very different now than how you remember them. Time has passed and like a child, we often need to learn to walk before we can run – so slowly does it!
- We always need to check if our goal is realistic or not.
The Practical Spirituality programme, is about you creating your own small manageable steps, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. It’s better to feel nurtured and supported whilst moving slowly towards your goal, than to run ahead and fall halfway. To do so, will only reinforce those feelings of failure.
The Practical Spirituality programme is guided by you (for the benefit of you) but it does come with one condition.
Each step must be completed before moving to the next. Why? Because by spending time completing each step, we begin to develop an awareness of our own strengths, learning, weaknesses & limitations.
For some, the first step may be as basic as getting up at a reasonable time. Or, if you’ve spent long periods struggling alone, you might want to think about getting involved in volunteering for a while, just until you feel confident enough to take the next step forward. The Recovery Republic can help with this.
If you’ve been socially isolated, mixing with people and helping people might be the very first thing, to help you feel good about yourself again.
There is nobody more important on your journey than you, and now the skilled helper (your support worker) will help you plan your journey from A to B in a clear realistic way.
What used to look like something unreachable, can now become reality when you realise you’re not alone, and you have someone walking right alongside you.
Learning from experiences and others
Once you’ve decided on the goal you want to achieve, you’re pretty much ready to start making the first steps, but there are a couple of things to bear in mind.
- Things are very different now than how you remember them. Time has passed and like a child, we often need to learn to walk before we can run – so slowly does it!
- We always need to check if our goal is realistic or not.
The Practical Spirituality programme, is about you creating your own small manageable steps, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. It’s better to feel nurtured and supported whilst moving slowly towards your goal, than to run ahead and fall halfway. To do so, will only reinforce those feelings of failure.
The Practical Spirituality programme is guided by you (for the benefit of you) but it does come with one condition.
Each step must be completed before moving to the next. Why? Because by spending time completing each step, we begin to develop an awareness of our own strengths, learning, weaknesses & limitations.
For some, the first step may be as basic as getting up at a reasonable time. Or, if you’ve spent long periods struggling alone, you might want to think about getting involved in volunteering for a while, just until you feel confident enough to take the next step forward. The Recovery Republic can help with this.
If you’ve been socially isolated, mixing with people and helping people might be the very first thing, to help you feel good about yourself again.
There is nobody more important on your journey than you, and now the skilled helper (your support worker) will help you plan your journey from A to B in a clear realistic way.
What used to look like something unreachable, can now become reality when you realise you’re not alone, and you have someone walking right alongside you.
Noticing & finding balance
Many people who come to the Recovery Republic, are broken in spirit. They want to feel happy and worthwhile, but life just hasn’t gone that way. It often seems like ‘everyone else is ok but not me’ – Does this sound like you?
This usually happens because we haven’t yet understood, that change comes from within & not from outside us.
We spend so much time looking for happiness externally, we forget our own strength & resilience.
We get involved in bad relationships, drug/alcohol use, overusing prescribed medicines or even being a workaholic – just to escape what we’re feeling inside.
It’s so easy to feel like we’ve lost our identity and don’t know where we fit in anymore.
The Practical Spirituality programme will help you figure it out, in a warm, honest & open way.
Moving forward isn’t always as easy and can feel stressful at times. This is perfectly natural when you’re moving into something new. Together with a skilled helper (Support Worker) you can explore techniques to help you calm down and feel grounded again. These may include things like mindfulness or meditation practice, relaxation sessions etc.
Again, this is your journey and nobody understands your mind & body better than you. This is why, it’s so important for you to complete each step of the journey before moving to the next – so you can reflect on how it’s going, noticing each change.
It has been a long time since you walked a journey like this, so nobody is going to judge you if you feel uncertain.
Evidence has shown when we feel loved, respected & accepted etc, our sense of belonging increases. We often want to share that feeling with others, so that they can experience the same fulfilment and feelings of happiness. Giving back to our community, whether it’s through volunteering, listening, a kind word or even just a smile, increases our sense of self worth.
When we begin to feel worthwhile it increases our motivation to achieve our own goals.
After saying this – Whilst dishing out love, compassion & most importantly, forgiveness – it is so important to save some for ourselves too. Like an elephant in the room, many of us carry guilt and shame from the past, about the things we did wrong, and when we allow these things to grow & manifest in our mind, they often appear as big obstacles we can’t move past.
The past has gone & can never be changed no matter how much we try. In order to move freely towards our goals, we must also learn to forgive ourselves.
As you move along the Practical Spirituality Programme and closer to your ultimate goal, you will learn to move past the doubts in your mind with the support of your Skilled Helper (Support Worker) and rise above the way you feel right now – but it doesn’t come without effort. This is why the Practical Spirituality programme works on a step-by-step basis, with you completing each one in your own time.
Giving to ourselves and to others
Evidence has shown when we feel loved, respected & accepted etc, our sense of belonging increases. We often want to share that feeling with others, so that they can experience the same fulfilment and feelings of happiness. Giving back to our community, whether it’s through volunteering, listening, a kind word or even just a smile, increases our sense of self worth.
When we begin to feel worthwhile it increases our motivation to achieve our own goals.
After saying this – Whilst dishing out love, compassion & most importantly, forgiveness – it is so important to save some for ourselves too. Like an elephant in the room, many of us carry guilt and shame from the past, about the things we did wrong, and when we allow these things to grow & manifest in our mind, they often appear as big obstacles we can’t move past.
The past has gone & can never be changed no matter how much we try. In order to move freely towards our goals, we must also learn to forgive ourselves.
As you move along the Practical Spirituality Programme and closer to your ultimate goal, you will learn to move past the doubts in your mind with the support of your Skilled Helper (Support Worker) and rise above the way you feel right now – but it doesn’t come without effort. This is why the Practical Spirituality programme works on a step-by-step basis, with you completing each one in your own time.
Transcendence – Rising above doubt
With every step you take on your journey, the higher your self esteem, confidence & self belief will become. The more you believe in yourself and your achievements, the likelihood you’ll achieve your goal increases.
Because the Practical Spirituality programme is tailored to your individual journey, it can have as many or as few steps as you need, to get you from A to B.
A member of the team will be there to encourage and support you all the way.
This is your journey, so you create the path and take responsibility for following it.
The more commitment and effort you put in, the more likely it is you will achieve your ultimate goal.
At the Recovery Republic we believe in you! There’s absolutely no question about that.
So now the big question is this… Are you ready to take the first steps?
Please speak with any support worker for more details.
