A Story of a Personal Quest

Here’s a little warning: Our next five topics will be pretty intense. Under the theme of Spirituality, our subject this week is finding your Higher Power. This will be followed by the topics of mindfulness, meditation and yoga, answering the question of what your purpose in life is, and rounding it out with forgiveness. These are all important topics to me, and I hope that exploring them together as caregivers will help us all grow stronger.
 
Higher Power is a term originally used by Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step self-help groups to refer to a power greater than ourselves. This can be based on your connection to an organized religion, or it can be a personal, spiritual belief (such as karma) that supports your views about the world and each individual’s ability to impact and control destiny. 
 
And since this topic is so personal and complicated, I wanted to share with you my own life’s quest for a Higher Power.
 
It started when I was little. As the oldest of four kids, I craved my alone time. I got that time when my beloved grandparents took me to church on Easter and Christmas. I have beautiful memories of being in church and curling up against my grandmother’s coat (it was fur, but it WAS warm and cozy).  
 
Years later, while I was in high school, I gained my first experience with a 12-step program through Al-Anon. Then, in college, I broadened my spiritual understanding with my first realization that there just had to be something MORE out there – something bigger than me – at work in my life. That’s where my personal faith journey really began.
 
That journey helped me let go of what I thought I was “supposed” to be – based on outside expectations of perfection, trying to live according to others’ definitions of success, and the notion that I’m “not good enough” in any role I play (as caregiver, support person, mother, sister, daughter, or nonprofit founder).
 
When I actually “let go” of all that, I am able to recognize that I DO MATTER … and my God loves me just as I am. I believe that my God is there by my side, even when I don’t realize it – lighting my path toward healing and wholeness.
 
And … my God wants me to ask for help when I need it, to bolster my own inner wisdom and strength. Asking for help can be the bravest thing we can do for ourselves. It can be difficult, but it can bring many benefits, and it’s NOT a sign of weakness.
 
So, be brave! Ask for help, and accept it – from other people, as well as your Higher Power.