“When the concept of human spirit is understood as the mode of consciousness in which the individual feels connected to the Cosmos as a whole, it becomes clear that ecological awareness is spiritual in its deepest sense.”

– Fritjof Capra

Inner well-being

Inner well-being comes from the connection and harmony between our inner life and the outer world. In other words:

  • it is having inner peace from an ordered consciousness
  • it is the feeling that we are part of something larger than the issues, stresses, and challenges of our everyday lives
  • it is the feeling of connection and belonging with the outer world
  • it is about realising and experiencing deeper meaning in life

However, modern economies systematically drive individuals away from inner well-being by manipulating their values, beliefs and behaviours.

Inner peace from an ordered consciousness

Inner conflict and disharmony creates unpleasant feelings and stress. Inner conflict happens when one has competing feelings, desires and attitudes. A person’s values, beliefs, principles, and morals are factors that help to define their inner self. Inner well-being stems from taking the time to consider what these factors are and ensuring thoughts and behaviours are in harmony with them. In other words, don’t be your own worst enemy. Inner well-being will stems from self-awareness and self-unification.

Be at one with the outer world

Our ego is the interface between our inner self and the outer world. When the outer world doesn’t conform to our expectations and desires we can become anxious, resentful, jealous and angry. The way to inner well-being involves transcendence of our ego and acceptance of the outer world.

Also, your values, beliefs, principles, and morals help to define and express your inner self. Take time to consider what these are and if your behaviours and actions are in accordance with these factors. By cultivating creative values and principles like compassion, love, forgiveness, acceptance, trust, kindness, empathy, altruism, joy and fulfilment in our lives we help foster our inner health, and the inner health of others, and the world.

Transcend the everydayness of life

The way to inner well-being involves the transcendence of the trivialities of our everyday lives. Being engaged, being creative as well as practices like meditation, rituals, and yoga help develop inner well-being. For many people, simply being in nature offers a level of inner peace that is hard to achieve when the are caught up in their fast, busy, noisy, everyday lives.

Meaning

To rise above the trivial demands of the ego and every day life will involve finding meaning and purpose in life. One of the best ways to find meaning is through the pursuit of inner knowledge and wisdom.

“[Carl Jung] was staunchly opposed to the collectivism and materialism of the modern world, which encourages exploitation of physical resources of the planet but neglects the creative resources of the Self. In his view, we are collectively committing the same fallacy as the alchemists projecting our spiritual aspirations into matter in the belief that we are pursuing the highest values. By denying the soul [our inner self] we treat each other as economic commodities. Instead, [Jung] believed, we must pay due attention to the inner life of the individual if we are to change the soullessness of European culture”
– Anthony Stevens – On Jung