Community
is the human environment in which spiritual development occurs. One's
spiritual community can include, but is not limited to, one's family, friends,
church or other religious organization, coworkers, or classmates.
The community dimension, like the other three dimensions of spirituality,
is, by its nature, highly personal and individualized.
Meaning
fosters spiritual development through its exploration. Spirituality
develops within the context of a search for answers about and meaning in
life, death, pain, nature, love, or any number of other seemingly inexplicable
concepts or experiences. Often, through the spirituality developed
in the search for meaning, one may achieve a certain peace with existence
that lessens the importance of intellectual answers to the aforementioned
difficult concepts.
Religious
needs are what shapes one's search for meaning. Subscription
to or rejection of different religious philosophies alters one's approach
to the search for meaning and can shape the resulting conclusions.
Also, certain religious rites and rituals can be used as means of expressing
spirituality.
Inner
resources are the senses, emotions, and personal abilities that
one must access and strengthen in order to enhance one's chances of transcending
difficulties through spirituality in order to fully participate in the
spiritual act of living. Inner resources may be evoked out through
such activities as prayer, yoga, meditation, reflection, lovemaking, exercise,
singing, and laughter.