Are You Committing Spiritual Suicide?

I first heard the term “spiritual suicide” used by motivational speaker, Les Brown. What is spiritual suicide and how do you know if you’re committing it? It is the killing of that part of oneself that is associated with the feelings and the mind as well as the killing of real meaning or significance in one’s life. So, as Mr. Brown so eloquently put it, if you are not doing work that is meaningful to you or being the person you were truly meant to be, then you are committing spiritual suicide.

What are some of the signs to look for? Ask yourself someof the following questions: Do you hate getting out of bedeveryday? At your job, do you look at the clock every 5 minutes, wishing the workday would hurry up and be overso you can go home? Do you live for the weekend and your 2 (or more) weeks of vacation? Do you engage in any of the following self-destructive behaviors in order toescape or numb yourself?

Excessive TV watching
Overeating (how well I know this one!)
Drug and/or alcohol abuse
Sexual addiction
Excessive spending
Contemplating Suicidev

Why are you committing spiritual suicide? Only you cananswer that. I was committing it because for years Iwanted to be a writer. But I only wanted to write fiction,which is my passion. But it’s hard to make a living just writing fiction (unless you make it big). I guess that’s why my parents weren’t supportive of the idea. So, for morethan 30 years, I used food to numb my disappointed feelings for not doing the work I felt I was meant to do.

If you are committing spiritual suicide, what can you do tostop? First, admit that you are not happy. Second, startplanning a strategy to help you become the person youwere meant to be. And then, it is my hope that you arefinally able to do the work that is truly meaningful to you.

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