Daily Affirmations (Spiritual Tool #9)

It turns out, doing a masters degree at Harvard is a lot of work! Not only has it been difficult to write regular blog posts, but it has also been difficult to prioritize practicing what I “preach.” As I study for days on end, I am constantly reminded that we now live in a society where Connectedness is optional and requires constant effort—and that constant effort is not always feasible.

In order to add a small reminder of Connectedness into my everyday routine, this past year I taped the following quote by Thích Nhất Hạnh on the wall next to my bed:

One Earth, Many Stories – Class Project

This semester, I had the pleasure of taking the Harvard Divinity School course, Bridges to JustPeace: Understanding Fragmentation, Inspiring Empathy, and Building Coalitions for a Just and Peaceful Future. The professor, Diane Moore—head of the Religious Literacy Project—created the course in response to the recent contentious election in the United States. Each week we read and wrote a paper on at least one book (often over 500 pages long!) examining a contemporary issue related to the growing economic disparity and social fragmentation in the United States. The main case studies included climate change, white poverty, and Black Lives Matter. At the end of the semester, one option for the final project was to create an artistic expression to be publicly displayed. I jumped at this chance. After addressing such intensely emotional topics all semester, it was cathartic to artistically express my experience. I decided to do an artistic collage and use my blog as the public space for display.

Titled “One Earth, Many Stories,” the collage incorporates a variety of themes and concepts from the class readings, with the hope of reminding viewers that every issue can be understood through a variety of perspectives. The collage’s intricate details and hidden messages are difficult to see on the computer screen, so I invite you to click on the photo, zoom in, and scroll through scene by scene 🙂

Happy viewing!

Sarah

P.S., Here is a list of my favorite books from this course:

Giving Love (Spiritual Tool #8)

Happy belated Valentine’s Day! I thought I would write a quick note about an activity I shared with the Harvard Divinity School community today that centers on…LOVE!

Connectedness Evaluation (Spiritual Tool #7)

A Ripple Effect of Love (Love, Love, Love, Love) – Spiritual Tool #6

I don’t know about you, but I am feeling exhausted from the recent onslaught of human-caused tragedy. On Friday I learned that flags in the United States had been half-mast for 16 of the last 40 days, starting with the Orlando shooting, and more specifically 12 of the last 14 days between the attack in Nice, France and the shootings of the police officers in Dallas, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Plus, there have also been countless other tragic events that did not lower the flag. When the news is reporting on events caused by fear (like the events I just mentioned), it can feel as though a part of that fear is transferred through the newspaper and into our lives. Yet, it is one thing to read the news, and another to carry it fearfully throughout the day, allowing it to affect our mental state and the way we interact with other people. The last thing our world needs right now is a ripple effect of fear.

Religious and Spiritual Communities (Spiritual Tool #5)

This summer I am thrilled to be working as a student researcher at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, one of the hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Last week, my supervisor told me about a recently published study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which found that over the course of a 16-year period, participants who regularly attended religious services had a 33 percent lower mortality rate than those who never attended religious services.[i][ii] In other words, while all the participants would have died eventually if the study had continued, in general those who regularly attended religious services lived significantly longer. What?!

Gratitude (Spiritual Tool #4)

Life can be busy, and from my experience, this busyness can sometimes lead us off track, especially with regard to spirituality. Perhaps we stop meditating regularly, forget the daily spiritual text we normally read, or neglect to take conscious breaths. Suddenly we find ourselves being reactive instead of proactive, jumping to judgment or defensiveness more quickly, and generally feeling a sense of disconnect—from ourselves, our friends and family, our environment, and our sense of something greater. Getting off track is normal, so there’s no need to be upset with ourselves when it happens (relinquish perfectionism, remember?). However, it’s also not a comfortable place to be, so it’s helpful to have tools that let us jumpstart that return to Connectedness, spirituality, and love.

Relinquishing Perfectionism (Spiritual Tool #3)

I am a recovering perfectionist. I quit “cold turkey” a few years ago, and it was one of the best choices I have ever made! As a general rule, I feel much lighter and more peaceful now. However, I still slip up occasionally. Some of my relapse indicators include obsessing over outcomes, living for the future, negative self-talk, focusing on minute details, and worrying about what other people think. Do any of those symptoms sound familiar? If so, you, my friend, may also be experiencing a bad case of perfectionism!

Spring Flowers (Spiritual Tool #2)

I have been noticing this year just how “plugged in” I am all the time. It takes me five minutes to walk from my apartment to Harvard Divinity School. Too often I have spent that walk with my head gazing at my phone, reading emails, answering texts, or creating to-do lists. Yet, through my research on spirituality, I know how important it is both to be present and to feel a connection with nature, so recently I have started to look around!

I look at the beautiful old brick homes lining the street, and then look past the manmade to the natural. I notice the tree roots that buckle the brick sidewalks and the grass poking through. When it’s sunny I notice the blue sky; rainy, the reflective puddles. This winter, I noticed the way the fresh snow lined the barren tree branches, and now that it is spring, I am noticing the flowers!

Conscious Breathing (Spiritual Tool #1)

My goal for this blog is to share spiritual tools that I have discovered and am continuing to discover through my research and personal seeking. To begin, I am writing about the tool I see as foundational for all other spiritual tools: conscious breathing. (Interestingly, something I did not realize before researching for this blog post, is that the term spirituality is actually derived from the Latin word spiritus, which means breath![i])

Breathing is directly tied to our existence (we need to breathe to stay alive), it is a simple tool (inhale, exhale, repeat), and it can be used anywhere (except underwater or in space without the right equipment 😉 ). Feeling nervous at the dentist? Breathe. Getting tired while exercising? Breathe. Feeling annoyed with your partner? Breathe. Wanting to savor a precious moment? Breathe.