The road to significant changes – as one might expect a journey toward Spiritual Wellness and Authenticity to be – could certainly be described as a “trying” journey.
Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” discusses the processing and thinking of its subject, a man traveling along a road, and what he experiences as he tries to decide which branch of a crossroads to take.
Some of the most well-known lines include:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Have you made several, perhaps repeated, unsuccessful efforts to achieve 
spiritual wellness or authenticity? You can probably relate to how difficult it can be to achieve either of those qualities in a perfectly imperfect human life.
Spiritual wellness and authenticity take effort – stepping out of one’s comfort zone, for certain, and introspection – deep thinking and consideration.
There is indeed a road that you can follow that leads to spiritual wellness. The journey may be long, rough, and trying, but it’s achievable.
Review this helpful guide for building a foundation of spiritual wellness and authenticity. While it might seem to make sense to plan to adopt one element at a time, you’ll be better off concentrating your efforts on a full transformation. It’s not as uplifting when you try to achieve spiritual wellness and authenticity from one angle. Many conflicts and challenges may arise, which could land you right back at square one, back at the beginning of another trying journey.
Try the following all-inclusive approach to building spiritual wellness and authenticity:
1. 
Spend time alone in meditation, building a consistent practice. Meditation is the perfect medium for connecting to your spiritually authentic inner self. It is important to maintain that connection so you remain authentic in your spiritual beliefs. It’s also a great way to help focus on the present.
- Spending too much time focusing on what happened in the past can adversely affect your inner peace. Reliving painful occurrences or disappointments can be discouraging – you must train yourself to look at what’s right in front of you.
- Focusing on the present also helps to keep you from worrying too much and expending too much energy fixating on the future. Uncertainty looms every day, everywhere in our lived experience, but dwelling on the “what ifs” could result in you missing out on great opportunities in front of you as you remain preoccupied with what “might have been.”.
2. Make authentic, value-guided decisions. Living a life in tune with your
authentic, deeply-held spiritual values is the best way to be true to yourself. In turn, this trueness – this authenticity – allows your spiritual life to flourish. Having spiritual wellness and authenticity also means you can make yourself available to help others.
- What do you genuinely value? Is it honesty and truth? Is it charity?
- Whatever values are responsible for your current spiritual composition should always be consulted. Make your decisions based on what you know sits well with your spirit and your heart.
3. 
Connect with the deeper meaning of situations. Everything happens for a reason – and yes, it sounds quite cliché to say so, but it’s the most accurate explanation for life. What you do with the information presented is another matter.
- You may not like a situation or even understand it. But instead of reacting, give yourself the gift of the time to connect with the deeper meaning behind the challenging situation – see it clearly before acting.
- It’s important to understand and recognize that not everything is built in your favor. Occupying a world with nearly 8 billion other people should allow you to recognize that balance benefits us all. When you acknowledge that, you can come to terms with situations more easily.
4. Be accepting and open to the viewpoints of others. The inhabitants of
the world are as they are meant to be. In order to achieve true spiritual wellness and authenticity, it’s important to be willing to accept that. This is especially true when it comes to the views of others.
- Practicing tolerance allows you to open your mind to a myriad of other possibilities. It forces you to consider the true meaning of life – one that may by necessity be outside of your normal frame of reference and experience.
- • Instead of forcing your beliefs on others focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the possibilities and wisdom that’s contained within the experiences and knowledge of others. You may be surprised, and enriched by what you find!
The road to spiritual wellness and authenticity can feel long and complicated, but you’ll find it quite fulfilling! There is a deeper level of peace and understanding to be gained when you travel the road to spiritual wellness and authenticity. Experience the journey and see what it feels like to truly accept yourself.
Stay connected with who you are – spiritually and authentically – on the inside. Allow that connection to dictate your thoughts, words, and actions. With that approach, you are sure to gain the joyful peace of spiritual wellness.
