This building block to wellness – a little explored, little understood, little attention paid to area as regards to being healthy – provides all of the following to your quest for a well life:

• Motivation
• Empowerment
• Belief
• Hope

The building block? Spirituality. Whether your spirituality is based primarily in traditional religion, simple faith or some other practice, it does the same for you from a wellness standpoint. If someone prays and feels renewed and returned to the belief that things will work out for the best, that makes a big difference in how you go about your life. If someone meditates – or walks in nature or participates in anything else that, for her, is that connection to something bigger than herself – that works wonders as well. What you believe and do can even be a combo of all of these, and that is still your spiritual support.

This is a very personal matter. We are unique individuals; it makes sense that we find spirituality in different ways. What makes our world so fascinating is our individuality along with our shared experiences. As you read this, I imagine you already have a pretty good idea what spirituality means to you. If you’re not sure, that could be your first exploration. Be quiet and see what speaks to you. Look around. Talk to others. Trust your gut. Explore; try out.

Once you know how spirituality translates into your life, then the next element is to find out how you practice that and integrate it into your life. Then … practice it. Because in the practicing comes your fuel to be well.

When you’re healthy, spiritually, that translates into hope, a positive outlook, forgiveness and commitment along with a life filled with meaning and purpose, strong personal values and peace. Can you see how having all of that also helps you be as well as is possible for you? It’s not all of the wellness puzzle, but it’s a good piece of it. A building block that gives you a strong wellness foundation to last a lifetime.

Without this, you might endure more of a “Why bother?” life. If you feel discontented and disconnected, you are far less likely to pursue and nurture the other elements of wellness. With spirituality – with hope and purpose – you will want to continue to strengthen your life so you’re vital and energized to do what means so much to you.