English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) argued the human mind is a “blank slate,” that all knowledge, morality, and creativity arise exclusively from experience and sense perception. There is no built-in knowledge, moral code or universal truth. This idea is alive and well in the 21st century, expressed through a sharply divided debate between two opposing camps.

Scientific naturalism, a modern term used in academic and popular discussion, claims human consciousness, morality, imagination, and creativity can all be explained through biology, chemistry, physics, and neuroscience. No supernatural forces or entities exist. Only through the scientific method we can gain any knowledge about reality or the human condition.

The opposing view, sometimes referred to as the transcendent view, claims human beings are not just five pounds of chemicals driven to reproduce their species. We are alive here on earth with innate capacities to love, know right from wrong, and live in harmony with a deeper, mysterious reality, beyond the five senses.

Does one have to choose between these two seeming opposing views to live a good life or feel happy? Perhaps the ever-direct Chinese-American Taoist and martial artist, Bruce Lee, offers a life line out of these two extremes:

“When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep. When it’s time, die.”—The Tao of Jeet Kune Do

Since launching Spiritual Health Magazine, I’ve shared personal essays exploring how we can nurture inner wellbeing in a world that often draws us away from ourselves. The writing has been honest, searching, and reflective. Many of you have reached out to say it has met you in meaningful ways. I’m grateful.

As with all living things, this project is evolving.

When I speak of spiritual health, I’m pointing to the quiet, grounded sense of connection, meaning, and presence that supports us from within, no matter what life brings.

Imagine everything you’ve hoped for, worked toward, or held dear suddenly falling away. The bottom drops out — and yet, somehow, a quiet current of gratitude, joy, and hope still moves through you. That’s the kind of grounded presence and connection we’re pointing toward when we speak of spiritual health.

The other night, I found myself in an unexpected exchange with a young man named Tom at the front desk of my health club. He’s in his mid-twenties, a former Army serviceman now trying to find his footing in civilian life. He shared how he left the service just four months before completing his contract, and how, five years later, he still regrets that decision. We talked about discipline, about regret, and about how the weight of past choices can linger long after the moment has passed.

He asked me how I’ve managed to stay in shape. I told him with a wink and a smile that I have a great wife. I also shared that I’ve kept many of the habits I built during my years in executive protection work. If I go too long without working out, I start to feel off and a little disoriented. I told him about a time when I lost that rhythm: how I drifted, gained weight, and felt unsure of who I was becoming. Eventually, I found my way back — not to the life I had, but to a rhythm underneath it all.

That conversation with Tom stayed with me. It reminded me how easily we can lose our rhythm and how vital it is to have spaces that help us find our way back. Not to who we were, but to something deeper unfolding within us now.

It’s in that spirit that I’m opening a new chapter with Spiritual Health Magazine and inviting those who feel called to join me. I’ll continue writing essays, but they’ll center more on questions than on definitive answers.

Beyond the Surface: A Shared Exploration

If you feel drawn to take the next step, I’m creating a small group experience called Everyday Spiritual Health.

I’m not coming to this with a long list of credentials or a platform built on years of public teaching. What I do bring is lived experience — the kind that comes from asking hard questions, navigating faith and identity shifts, and learning how to stay grounded when life feels uncertain.

I’ll be holding the space for our group, not as an expert with answers, but more like a fellow traveler who’s spent time on this kind of road. Think of me as someone riding alongside you, noticing the signs, keeping us oriented, and helping make sure we don’t miss the quiet turnoffs where something meaningful might be waiting.

It’s less like building a staircase and more like tending a garden — slow, quiet, and shaped by what’s already alive beneath the surface. This isn’t a course with a curriculum or a program with guaranteed outcomes. It’s not about fixing what’s broken or arriving at tidy conclusions.

It is a small, intentional space, a place to pause, reflect, and be in honest conversation about what matters. There’s no map or method here, just the invitation to slow down and listen to yourself, to others, and to whatever’s quietly unfolding beneath the surface.

The first iteration of Everyday Spiritual Health will be a men’s group. I’ve chosen to begin this way because I believe there’s something uniquely valuable about creating a space where men can speak honestly, listen deeply, and explore their inner lives without performance or pretense.

This is a pilot version that may eventually open to other formats, including groups for women or mixed circles. For now, this first step is focused, intimate, and intentionally male — to allow for a specific kind of depth and resonance.

We’ll meet twice a month on Zoom for 90 minutes of open conversation, reflection, and shared exploration of the inner life and what matters most in our daily lives.

We’ll keep the group intentionally small, between three and five people, to create a space where real connection and presence can unfold. You’ll be joining a small, trusted circle where it’s safe to bring your questions, your doubts, and your hopes — just as you are.

If that speaks to something stirring in you, I’d love to hear from you. Click here to join the early interest list, or simply reply to this email and let me know. After you express interest, I’ll personally follow up with details about how we’ll begin. (Note: If you don’t see my reply in your inbox, check your spam folder.)

Many of us are in some kind of transition: spiritually, emotionally, or vocationally. Everyday Spiritual Health is designed to support that journey.

It’s for those asking: What’s next? Where am I being called, and how do I trust that path? It’s for those who feel, I’m kind of okay with my situation, but something seems to be missing, and I’m not sure what it is.

To those already subscribed, thank you. Whether you’re an old friend, a fellow seeker, or someone who simply stumbled across this space and stayed, your presence here matters. If you’re reading and haven’t yet subscribed, consider this an open door. Just click the purple Subscribe now button below, and we’ll be connected.

In the spirit of inquiry and curiosity,

Jack

Subscribe now

Introduction

In our previous essay we explored the letter M in the MPA acronym, meaning making. MPA is an acronym I’ve coined that stands for meaning, purpose, and awareness. Spiritual health means different things to different people. Creating this acronym is one way to help bring focus and clarity to this topic. Today we discuss the letter A in the MPA acronym.

The A in the MPA acronym stands for “awareness of well-being.” Awareness of well-being encompasses various domains of health—physical, emotional, psychological, mental—and our abiding sense of happiness. Developing a heartfelt awareness of our well-being is an essential facet to our spiritual health.

A Finely Tuned Ear Is Needed

Whether you drive a gasoline-powered or EV engine car, both consist of integrated parts designed to produce a fully functional machine. The ear of an untrained car mechanic might hear something is off with an engine but have no clue what is causing the problem. A trained mechanic can sometimes detect an engine problem without lifting the hood of the car, or if necessary, be able to determine the source of the problem and any corrective action needed. Just like an expert auto technician, we need to train our ears to detect if our overall well-being is functioning properly or not and take corrective action when it’s needed.

The Awareness of Overall Wellbeing Checklist

When I take my car in for service, the technician uses a 22-point checklist to evaluate the condition of the car. Using a similar approach, here’s a possible check list to assess the awareness of your overall wellbeing:

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1. Inspiration: The feeling of being motivated, energized, and enthusiastic to do something.

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2. Joy: Feelings of great delight or happiness.

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3. Creativity: Using my imagination to come up with new ideas or solutions.

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4. Gratitude: The feeling of thankfulness for all things in life.

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5. Humility: Being free from puffed up pride and holding a modest view of one’s abilities, achievements, and self-importance.

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6. Empathy: The capacity to share and understand the feelings or thoughts of another person.

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7. Love: Patience, kindness, forbearance, compassion.

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Self-reflective Activity

Using the above checklist, take a few minutes upon waking in the morning and before retiring at the end of your day to repeat calmly and slowly each word three times. The first time, speak each word at your normal talking volume. The second time, repeat in a whisper, and the third time, repeat each word silently in your mind. Then, read the brief description for each word out loud once.

Simply sit in the calmness of the energy field these words embody, feeling into each one, without expectation or any effort to “make something happen.” You are not trying to get some kind of result or seeking after something you think you are lacking.

Note: If you are not familiar with a technique to bring your mind and body into a condition of calm and equanimity, use the following activity to help you:

Step 1:

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· Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted and where you feel comfortable. Give yourself at least fifteen minutes or more to engage in this activity. Note: If you are a seasoned meditator, go ahead and use your practice to bring yourself into a state of calm and equanimity.

Step 2:

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· Take a few slow, gentle breaths in and out through your nose or through your mouth if you prefer. If through your nose, keep your mouth closed, with your lips gently touching, and your jaw and neck relaxed.

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· Focus on your breathing. As you inhale and exhale in a relaxed and gentle manner, try to feel and hear the air you take in and breathe out. Slowly. Gently. Without effort. Relaxed. If your mind starts to wander, distracted by thoughts, mental chatter, or outside noise, gently bring your attention back to your breath. That’s all.

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· Keep focusing on your breathing. If you find it difficult to stay focused because your mind keeps wandering, that’s okay. Gently focus your attention on your breathing. No judgement or evaluation on “how you are doing.” Just breathe.

Conclusion

To be aware of our overall wellbeing cannot be emphasized enough. Our normal human condition is one of health and vitality. Sometimes we don’t feel well or lack sufficient energy to function at our optimal level. However, just as a well-balanced car engine runs smoothly with no need for outside tinkering, we are created to be full of life and vital energy to do what we are designed to do in life; to love, be inspired, creative, grateful, empathetic (to self and others), and humble.

Next time we will explore P in the MPA acronym, purpose.

Here’s to your spiritual health!

If you feel unhappy, dissatisfied, frustrated, or confused—whether it’s work-life balance, career track, social life, or relationships—and want to better cope with life’s challenges, starting a spiritual health program can be to your advantage. To experience an effective spiritual health program, you need to make it a priority and know how to measure your progress.

The FIT Principle

In my early forties, I hired a personal trainer to help me with strength training and losing weight. At our first session, he asked if I knew about the FIT principle. I’d never heard of it. He explained the acronym FIT stands for frequency, intensity, and time. I learned the key to a successful strength training program requires an integrated balance of the FIT principle: the number of repetitions for each exercise, the intensity devoted to each repetition, and the length of time given to each workout.

After four months of faithfully applying the FIT principle and closely following my trainer’s guidance, I suddenly noticed muscles I never saw before. The ones I’d been working on over the years grew bigger and stronger. My waist size got smaller, and to my surprise and delight, for first time in my life, I successfully lifted over two-hundred pounds on the bench press. The same kind of focus, intensity, and time investment is required if you want to see progress in improving your spiritual health.

The MPA Principle and Spiritual Health

MPA is an acronym I’ve coined that stands for meaning, purpose of life, and awareness. Just as I effectively applied the FIT principle into my physical exercise program, I’ve applied the MPA principle into my decades-long spiritual health program to achieve a desired level of success. Today we will explore the letter M in the MPA.

M is about “Meaning-Making”

All of us want to understand what life is about and where we fit in the world, right? In my early twenties, I took the time to reflect on what my life is about and how I wanted to move forward in the world. The answers I came up with profoundly shaped the trajectory of my life for the better.

If you feel you’ve dealt with these questions before and come up with satisfactory answers, maybe you don’t need to go any further. However, I encourage you to engage with the following self-reflective exercise, because life circumstance can shift over time, and you might gain new insight and direction this time around.

Regardless of where you are at right now, taking quality time to reflect on how you interpret your life experiences and give meaning to them can be a valuable practice to adopt into your daily life.

Self-reflective Exercise

This exercise is analogous with the “warm up” idea my trainer incorporated into every workout we did. Before vigorously lifting any weights, he had me properly raise my heart rate, body temperature, and increase the blood flow to my muscles, to reduce possible injury and enhance performance to drive better results.

Similarly, before jumping into the nuts and bolts of a spiritual health program, it’s important to understand how you process your life experiences and finding meaning to them. This will help you understand and appreciate the value of every life experience you have, and bring deeper satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment to all your activities.

Step 1: Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted and where you feel comfortable. Give yourself at least fifteen minutes or more to engage in this activity. Note: If you are a seasoned meditator, go ahead and use your practice to bring yourself into a state of calm and equanimity.

Step 2: If you are new to the intentional practice of experiencing a calm, quiet, and undisturbed mind, do the following:

• Take a few slow, gentle breaths in and out through your nose or through your mouth, if you prefer. If through your nose, keep your mouth closed, with your lips gently touching, and your jaw and neck relaxed.

• Focus on your breathing. As you inhale and exhale in a relaxed and gentle manner, try to feel and hear the air you take in and breathe out. Slowly. Gently. Without effort. Relaxed. If your mind starts to wander, distracted by thoughts, mental chatter, or outside noise, gently bring your attention back to your breath. That’s all.

• Keep focusing on your breathing. If you find it difficult to stay focused because your mind keeps wandering, that’s okay. Gently focus your attention on your breathing. No judgement or evaluation on “how you are doing.” Just breathe.

Step 3: When you feel the time is right, calmly take out your journal, computer, or recording device, and without lingering too long on any given question, answer the following:

1. Where does my sense of right and wrong come from?

2. What do I most admire about the people I love or respect?

3. On what basis do I discern whether I’d like to be friends with someone?

4. What beliefs have I formed about my identity, such as, “I’m a good person,” “I’m a bad person,” “I’m an unclear and confused person,” or “I’m confident in my ability to succeed in life.”

5. What individuals, books, or institutions have shaped my view about the meaning of life?

6. What is the meaning of my life?

7. How do I view my life in relationship to the larger world?

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You need not be overly serious about this exercise. Maybe some of the questions are easier or more difficult to answer than others. That’s okay. Have fun with the exercise. Remember, this is a warmup exercise, preparing you to get ready to engage in more rigorous work.

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Conclusion

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When it comes to nurturing your spiritual health program, you are not wasting any time by reflecting on the meaning of life and the value of your life experiences. Consider this self-reflective activity a sacred undertaking and take pride in successfully grappling with these questions. 

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Please let me know what you think and feel about my approach to nurturing spiritual health. Leave a comment on Substack or reach me at: jacklavalley@gmail.com

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Next time we will explore the A of MPA: Awareness.

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Until next time-here’s to your spiritual health!

We are already three weeks into the new year, 2025. You’ve probably dedicated quality time to identifying some major goals and life priorities you want to work on. Perhaps it’s a new physical health routine or a strategic plan to advance a new career path. Whatever your goals and priorities look like for 2025, you know it is going to take concerted effort and focus to obtain the outcomes you want. But have you considered how important it is to nurture your spiritual health this year?

Why it’s important to focus on your spiritual health

In a previous essay published in 2024, I tried to highlight why it’s necessary to focus on spiritual health and its importance to our overall well-being:

Spiritual health is the most important dimension of human health. Yes, mental health, physical health, emotional health, social health, and psychological health are important and need to be properly nurtured. However, without spiritual health, improvements in the other domains of health might feel empty or lack sufficient depth…

If spiritual health is the key dimension of health that integrates and supports all other areas of our health, bringing our intentional focus to it is a good idea.

Let 2025 be the year to promote your spiritual health

Just as a physical health program is designed to achieve specific outcomes, such as weight loss, muscle gain, or heart health, a spiritual health program can be implemented to strengthen your overall well-being, positively influencing every area of your life.

Don’t wait. Get started today.

Until next time—here’s to your spiritual health!!

To experience positive spiritual health, it’s important to adopt a meaningful worldview. A worldview acts as a lens through which we observe and understand ourselves and the world around us. Our worldview is comprised of our personal values, outlook on life, our morality, and our basic beliefs about how reality works.

Your Worldview and Spiritual Health

As we prepare to usher in the new year of 2025, let’s take a moment to examine how our own worldview influences our attitudes and actions. Engaging in this reflection may uncover new insights into why we behave the way we do and help us better reflect the values we claim to aspire to and want to live by.

A FREE online test is available to help you gain insight into your current worldview. The test uses a series of 17 questions designed to help you explore your values, attitudes, and perspectives. Each question requires you to select the option you “most agree with” and “least agree with.” The test takes 10-12 minutes to complete, and results are emailed back to you.

I recently completed the test and found it both challenging and informative. The questions require a moderate level of concentration and reflection, which made the experience meaningful and well worth my time.. Why not give the test a try? You can share the results with friends or colleagues and see if you learn something new about yourself to put to good use in 2025.

A New Year’s Hope

As we look forward to the new year, let’s examine the principles and values that shape and guide our lives. Always being on the lookout for ways to strengthen our spiritual health helps us be better equipped to meet and process the life challenges we are sure to face in 2025.

Until next week—here’s to your spiritual health!

Introduction

We all want to be better people. Whether it’s having more patience, honesty, compassion, or taking better care of our physical and emotional health, we want to be “the best version of myself.” But where can we turn to for guidance on how to craft a true authentic self?

Adopt a Holistic Attitude

If you are a spiritual seeker not tied to a religion, you might be inclined to dismiss the three monotheistic faith traditions of Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, as sources of guidance or insight for crafting a true self. This is the case for around sixty million American adults who consider themselves spiritual but not religious. Instead of limiting the scope of our exploration, let’s be open minded and willing to consider unfamiliar points of view in our search for learning how to craft an ideal self.

The Christian View of Self—Something is Lacking

Outside the framework of our American Declaration of Independence which emphasizes each individual’s inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the Protestant Christian worldview dominated America’s moral and social landscape for much of its history, up until the 1970s.

Protestant Christianity assumes human beings are inherently flawed and prone to self-centeredness. Our inclination to be selfish manifests as a willingness to hurt others to avoid being hurt. This inherited tendency afflicts everyone, and we cannot eliminate it on our own. We need help from a power beyond ourselves, from an “outside agency.” To be a better person is not merely about being true to one’s inner desires or finding one’s true calling in life, but rather, it’s about finding a way to overcome this inherited tendency to be self-centered and rebellious toward God.

A Supernatural Force

Christianity claims the help we need to rid ourselves of undesirable and destructive tendencies is supernatural. Becoming a better person involves reorienting one’s priorities, values, and behaviors toward spiritual renewal and growth. This transformation is possible when the individual is willing to surrender to the divine will, to a force greater than oneself. This “something greater” cannot be fully explained or understood by the human constructs of biology, physics, or chemistry. It’s a supernatural force that operates within and beyond our natural world. What is it that one surrenders to, and what is being surrendered?

What does one surrender to?

The novel In His Steps by Charles Sheldon, highlights the importance of this surrender. According to Sheldon, to craft and ideal self, the individual must experience spiritual renewal and growth by aligning one’s actions and identity with the teachings and behaviors modeled by Jesus in the Bible.

The characters in Sheldon’s book face a variety of moral dilemmas and must decide whether or not to choose the path of service and selfless giving, in spite of any personal sacrifices. To become a transformed individual, someone who moves from a preoccupation with oneself and personal ambitions, the individual must submerge such tendencies into a higher dimension by aligning with the biblical injunction uttered by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark:  

^“ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (NIV.)

The key to this transformed way of thinking and acting is to admit one’s human shortcomings, turn away from self-centered preoccupations, and acknowledge one’s utter dependence on God’s grace and forgiveness as the mechanism to live with a renewed mind:

“ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom. 12:2, NIV)

Christianity’s approach on how to experience your authentic true self might seem out of step with the view that prioritizes self-discovery and autonomy, independent of a divine framework, as the key to crafting a true self. Though this view is less popular today, it still offers valuable insights for those wanting to become better people.

Here’s a short list of some key elements the Christian faith offers in crafting an authentic self:

Christianity’s contribution to crafting an ideal self

1. Inherent Flaws: Humans are inherently flawed and need divine intervention to understand themselves and live true, beyond societal expectations or personal insecurities.

2. Transformation: No matter how disappointed you may feel about your behavior or attitude, with the right kind of faith, using Christ as your example, you can form a new identity rooted in humility, courage, love, service, and a desire to live in alignment with the divine will.

3. A Higher Calling: Life’s ultimate purpose extends beyond personal achievements or desires. Living to honor the divine will, as demonstrated through the life of Jesus, leads to a deeper sense of purpose and understanding of how to be a better person.

4. Your Unique Calling: The divine will calls you to live out your life in a way no one else can. By doing so, you live out your true purpose and find deep meaning to your life.

5. Morality and Ethics: The Bible provides a moral and ethical framework to guide your life to help you become a better person.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Proverbs. Here’s a passage from Chapter 17 that I often return to for solace and reflection:

            “If he covers an offense, he promotes love; but if he repeats a matter, he separates best friends. A rebuke is more effective with him who has understanding than a hundred lashes for a fool. An evil person seeks only rebellion; therefore, a cruel messenger shall be sent against them. It would be better for him to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in their folly. If he rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam; therefore, he should stop contention before quarreling breaks out." (Proverbs 17:9-14)

Conclusion

Christianity offers a comprehensive framework for creating an authentic true self, rooted in the example of Christ, and guided by the moral and ethical teachings of the Bible. Through seeking to emulate Jesus’ example of how to live in the world, spiritual growth, community support, and living out one’s calling, individuals can experience inner transformation and become the best version of themselves.

Just because this perspective isn’t as dominant in American culture as it once was, doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from it. Millions around the world have, and it’s worth exploring further. I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone—go visit a church or talk to a Christian.

You might just find something valuable to help you become the kind of person you know you want to be.

Until next week, here’s to your spiritual health!

Last week, while on a Zoom call with our weekly men’s group, one of the participants suggested that, based on our life experiences and lessons, we each write down a list of points we believe contribute to positive spiritual health. I thought this was a great idea, so I sat down and created a list.

The list I came up with is not a chronological, step-by-step process for experiencing positive spiritual health. Instead, it’s intended as a prompt for self-reflection on one’s thoughts, feelings, actions, and behaviors, as they relate to spiritual health.

1.      Have something in life you are willing to risk your life for.

2.      Find someone who is willing to risk their life for your welfare.

3.      Be open to surprise.

4.      Be prepared to do the opposite of what conventional norms dictate.

5.      In a spirit of humility, learn from those who are greater than you.

6.      Do the things you feel reluctant to do with courage and enthusiasm.

7.      Grow in understanding of the unique contribution only you can make in the world.

8.      Be capable of changing your mind and attitude when it’s necessary to do so.

9.      Cultivate meaningful relationships.

10. As fast as you can, get clear on what your highest aim in life is.

Until next week-here’s to your spiritual health!