Spirituality & Our Emotions: The World Awaits To Experience You

While religion is often a major part of our spirituality, there are other aspects of our spirit that are also important to point out. As a chaplain, awareness of emotions and how they affect my spirituality is also important. Every situation I walk into stirs up different emotions within me. There have been times when I have been angry upon seeing a person being abused, I am sad when somebody I have known for a very long time dies, and I am always happy when a person finds healing through the help of community.

It is very possible to be in this line of work and find yourself discouraged and depressed. The lack of awareness usually leads to depression. Depression usually results when we do not have an outlet or are afraid to release the emotions inside of us. I have spoken to a number of bereaved individuals who become depressed six and nine months after a death because they never allowed themselves time to grieve. They kept all their emotions bottled up, until there was no more room inside. The result is often the overwhelmed feeling of depression.

I have had my own share of depressed days, and I have dealt with those days in both unhealthy and healthy ways. When I am not managing the grief I experience, I become depressed. Then the work of being a chaplain becomes difficult. Fortunately, I have been working as a chaplain long enough now that I have discovered useful ways to manage my grief. Some of these ways include: talking to trusted friends, exercising (I often run to clear my thoughts), and most importantly, give myself permission to feel what I am feeling. When I am managing my grief and emotions in a healthy manner, a funny thing happens: my spirit begins to reveal itself.

As stated in a previous blog, A New Perspective on Spirituality, I continue on the downward path to peace. Because I am able to cope with my emotions, I am able to move into the vulnerable spaces of the emotions of others and not be afraid. I know that from my experience that confronting your fears and giving yourself permission to feel leads to healing. We trap ourselves with rules and regulations, kidding ourselves into believing that we shouldn’t be feeling what we feel. Countless times I have been told by others, I have no right to be angry. The truth is, yes you do.

It is valid to see the work I do as discouraging and depressing, because this is very much a reality for those doing this work. However, I have done a great deal of work to become aware of my emotions and how they inform my spirituality. I work hard to allow myself to feel. The permission I give myself allows the emotions to be displayed to others constantly to others. They become released from me. I don’t have to suffer alone when I have the whole world available to me.

The end result is that I find myself encouraged, saddened, angered, anxious, and joyful about my work. Everyday is truly an adventure. I never know what is going to happen next.