religion

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Starting Over In Life: Here Are Your 5 Steps To Create The Life You Want

Photo by Anna Tarazevich

Are you exhausted from being held back by your limitations? It is time to break free from them and start living out your best days.

Life comes in seasons. And life changes. Everyone goes through transitions. People go through life changes, whether emotional maturing, aging, spiritual alignment, retirement, parenthood, or entering or leaving a relationship. However, some people embrace change better than others. When change happens, some may wonder how to begin over and make the best of the new circumstances they find themselves in.

Change is inevitable. It often causes people to examine their values or re-evaluate their priorities. And sometimes, it leads them to this question: What should I do with my life? Should I start over in life? Where do I go from here? You are not alone. It is okay not to know where you are going next. It is okay if you still need to have a perfectly outlined roadmap to your final destination. 

This article walks you through what it means to start over in life and the queries you should ask yourself. After all, everyone gets one life to live. Humans are all on an expedition to find their best version — but you do not have to do it alone. 

5 Steps To Starting Over With Life

You might be ready to dive in and start over. But starting over in life does not mean you have lost everything you have learned, gained, and experienced—quite the contrary. Your experiences have waxed you into where you are now. And today, you are lucky to be wiser than you were just a month ago. 

Use what you know best: yourself. 

Step 1. Start With Reflection. Before making any changes, you must first understand where you are starting. It can be challenging to sit with your thoughts, but it is easy to let your mind wander. This is because human brains are good at putting up defenses. And so, make sure you carve out the space and time for reflection. Sit down and assess yourself and your life. What do you notice? Consider doing some writing to help capture your thoughts, or you can read a good book on uncovering the meaning of life that asks a person to consider the physical, spiritual, psychological, and transcendent development to encompass what life is. The Abba Tradition’s book, on its theory of everything, focuses on seeing the parts and the whole of who one is. It offers a new way of seeing the reality of who people are and the truth that lies in the worlds they live, hinting that people’s perceptions are different from each other. Hence, how one sees himself may differ from how others see him. There is no surefire way of telling whose perception is correct because there is no “locally real” reality, including how one sees himself.

Step 2. Examine Your Value System. This is a big one. Your values have likely shifted over time. If you are evolving and changing as a human and your circumstances or responsibilities have changed, your values often do, too. It is not that you have an extensive change in all of your values. Still, the relative importance usually varies, and some get left behind in favor of various values that reflect your current circumstance, age, and stage. 

Step 3. Revisit And Rewrite Your Goals. Even if you have written a goal, you can continue to commit to it if it no longer sets the path you want to go. It is natural that goals shift and change. You might have yet to think about the personal goals you would like to set for yourself. Take a minute to revisit your goals. They can be lofty goals, too. 

Step 4. Have The Courage To Commit To Change. Committing to change is no easy stunt. It takes bravery, courage, and self-awareness. It also takes a level of intentionality. Once you know your values, goals, and where you are starting, it is time to map out your next move. In many ways, this step is more about a perspective shift and mindset than anything. Think of starting fresh. You get to restructure your new life. Encouragement and positive self-talk can be good tools here. 

Step 5. Get A Coach. Any amount of change can be adamant. You will need a support system if you plan on starting over in life. Aside from family members, loved ones, and friends, it is advantageous to have counseling from an objective outsider who can aid you reflect on yourself. Someone to help provide impartial advice, confide in, challenge you and help push your growth.  

Final Thoughts

It is possible to learn how to start over and make life changes. If you are ready for a new start, there is no better time than now. You can carve a path to a better life and begin to make changes for the better.

 

 

Crowd of people gathering near Jama Masjid Delhi.

The Greater Good: Why Religion & Society Partnership Matters

The world is a melting pot of diversity in all aspects, and one outstanding aspect is religion. Religion comes in different forms and stems from other traditions. But these should not hinder a beneficial partnership between religion and society. 

Individuals stand a lot to gain from their religion. Having a belief, a faith to believe in provides structure and direction to their lives. If this is what an individual can benefit from their religion, think of what this can do to a whole society. 

Michael Hattwick’s The ABBA Tradition explores the spiritual and mystical traditions of western religions and modern cultures. It points out the significance of identifying spiritual realities and recognizing the meaning and importance of God’s word and its impact on a person’s true nature. 

Society is made up of men. Once religion steps in, a domino effect begins that spreads among all corners of the community, and not one person is spared from its influence. Love it or hate it, religion has a tremendous impact on a society’s social stability. 

How Religion Affects Society

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact day when religion began in civilization, but most historians believe that religious movements started coexisting when writing was invented around 3200 BC. The act of writing became an outlet for recording beliefs, superstitions, and spirituality which spun religious movements.

From then on, it became a matter of whose and what religion was the biggest and the most dominant. 

Conquerors and colonizers alike occupy lands under the guise of spreading the faith. In the Western world, there was a time when Christianity became the dominating religion. The Asian continent saw the rise of Buddhism and Islam. And from the most prominent religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism came offshoots of other forms of religions such as Protestants, Buddhism, Sunnism, etc. 

Religion’s powerful impact on society cannot be downplayed. Or rather, faith’s influence on society cannot be underestimated. One person’s strong belief can move mountains, topple leaders from their position, and even can hold sway over other peoples’ beliefs. If one person can do this, think of what a collective group, such as a society, can achieve. 

Religion can change the way people think. Faith can change how people live, which can change a whole nation.

The Importance of a Religion-Society Partnership

Religion is essential to a democracy.

This is the first thing that people should understand why religion should even be incorporated into any community. Faith is more than just a simple belief; it is the foundation of all the characters, values, and principles that makes up a person. The way a democracy works is that it represents and gives way for people to freely express their beliefs, principles, thoughts, and ideas. 

But why should religion be incorporated into a society in the first place?

Contribution to the Economy

Religion has a profound impact on a country’s economy, especially when it comes to infrastructure. In the U.S., religion contributes approximately $1.2 trillion in socioeconomic value to the economy. This contribution is categorized into the following: religious congregations, religious institutions and academia, health systems, and faith-based or faith-related businesses. 

Faith-based services also cater to those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, marriage counseling, domestic violence, youth welfare, mental disabilities, homeless, senior citizens, immigrants, and fund disaster efforts.

Impact on Education

Religion is all about teaching and learning. Before formal education was even thought of and heard of, the primary educators were usually the head of the family. The instructions passed down back then were almost always linked with the family-based faith and belief. Children were first taught how to read and write religious texts, forming their principles and opinions from religious leaders.

Over the years, education has taken a significant turn. Despite the existence of non-faith-based academic institutions, religion remains a strong influence over the academe, intentionally or not. This is evident in a person’s strong principles when they argue in school papers and debates or advocacy-led programs. 

There is also the existence of faith-led academic institutions, which incidentally are also significant contributors to the economy. 

Mental Health Well-Being

One of the good things religion brings to a person or a society is that it gives people a structure, a sense of security, or something to believe in. This idea is essential if a person or a community wants to aim for a healthier state of mental health. 

Religion helps a community come together. Religious institutions usually provide an avenue where members can socially connect with others. Social engagement inspires trust and motivation, encouraging others to work and cooperate towards the goal of the community as a whole. 

As religion encourage a person to grow and become self-empowered, think of what it can do for the whole community. Ultimately, a religion’s presence in a society stimulates mindfulness and unity with the surroundings. 

For the Greater Good

Traditions are closely linked with religion. Learning is closely associated with faith. Yes, religion plays a significant role in any society. How they deal with and relate with their community’s existing diverse beliefs will determine their society’s success. In the end, both religious and non-religious, the believers and the non-believers, should and must always work together towards a common goal – a goal created for the greater good.