By Shazad Ahmad
Many people workout their physical bodies. Some are also practicing mental fitness and resilience. A few people are regular in spiritual practice and achieving higher stages of enlightenment. But what is all this for? Why bother trying to develop mind, body and soul?
I believe we do this because we know that through such struggle, hardship and focus, we become better versions of ourselves.
By training the body for strength and endurance, we obviously look good and feel better. We are also ready to bear the stress of life with more courage and stamina.
The practice of mental training to calm and focus the mind is a requirement for effective decision making, problem solving and creativity. We become more productive as well as more empathic though exercises of the mind.
The soul or spirit is the third aspect of our being that needs to be trained to be a complete human beings. When we ponder on the divine and what it means to be a good human being in context of other living things, we find purpose, fulfillment and peace.
There are many people who train one or two aspects of their being but I challenge every one of you to be the Awesome ones who train all three - your mind, body and soul. In my personal experience, this is the only way to become a truly happy and effective human being.
Action Steps:
When you train your body, think of your loved ones and how you will be able to help them by becoming stronger. Imagine the kinds of strength you need to possess to carry the physical burden of your role including security of your family in times of danger. Develop the physical fitness you need with these things in mind.
When developing better mental fitness, think of all of your important roles in life. How can you perform them with excellence and the best decision making. Create a plan to figure out what your mental fitness needs to be so you can lead your family and community.
When you consider your spiritual state, review how you feel today and what your perspective is for all living beings. How do you fit into this world and what kind of relationship do you want to have with every other living things starting with the most important people in your life. Demonstrate the kinds of habits, words and actions you would like to see more of in the world as part of training for the soul. This will give you more self-awareness and also respect for life.