1

Kristin Rowland
HSP 301
January 24, 2015
Why Should I Help Essay

Spiritualization: Birthright to All

Everyones holistic health is influenced by their spiritual sense of
purpose. Spirituality is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the
quality of being concerned with the human spirit. I personally choose to
define it as a positive individual expression that prevents us from living in a
broken state of mind. Or the unlimited path of actualization where our
innate drive collides with our higher purpose. It is a state if happiness
without boundaries. Every individual equally carries the birthright to reach
their peak potential. What better way to empower the next individual onto
their path of unlimited positive energy than working in the field of Human
Services.
A summation of my personal story goes something like this: I was an
oops baby subjected into a family dynamic of dysfunction and gender
inequality. To put it bluntly, I grew up surrounded by chauvinism and
alcoholism. My fathers quote exactly was my life was erroneous. Needless
to say, all the shame-based messages lead me to feelings of brokenness and
internal isolation. For years, I lived in a land of spiritual deprivation. My
starving soul was exiled into a home of dark shadows. The shadows of my
mistaken life followed me into my adulthood. I experienced only fleeting
moments of temporary release, but each time I did, I felt this instinctive
desire to look in and then look up. I began to feel overwhelmed with a
sense of higher purpose.

After a long series of bad choices and extreme hardships, it was time
for me to go on a journey. I reached that pivotal point in my life, a fork in my
road, I had to choose to either succumb or overcome. I made the choice to
step onto the healing path of serenity. I wandered out of the land of spiritual
darkness and finally unlocked the key to my new home that was awaiting
me. If you were to ask me the locale, I would tell you its located right at that
point where heaven meets earth.
My newfound enlightenment left me to question, what is my personal
truth? Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life? and is human
justice attainable? My eyes began to open and I became overwhelmed with
answers not just about myself, but about human behavior. In my truth
seeking I became extremely excited to learn everything about myself and
how I fit into Gods placement in the human system. After years on my
spiritual path, part of my personal revelation transitioned into a drive that
part of my purpose was now to empower the next person to open their door
of personal actualization.
My motivation in life shifted. All the hardship I had went through now
became the raw material for self-development. The outcome was I learned to
love myself, and now that became the catalyst I needed to love others. Part
of my selfless gratitude now meant taking action in fulfillment of service
work. I now wanted to help people, to delve into the complexities of human
challenges to live out my role advocating in living for the greater good. I no
longer wanted to change my experience, I now wanted to become my
experience. I can only do that by empowering the next person to seek
spiritualization in their life.
If I could sum up my virtues, the highest one with most the core value
is integrity. Integrity breeds success. Integrity is defined in many ways, but I
just sum it up as the quality of being consistent with my core belief system.
Integrity is the polar opposite of hypocrisy. It is the integral connection

between my values framework and my actions. Integrity prevents me from

falling prey to external influences and remaining firm in my adherence to
source. Choices that reflect a principled schema lead me to altruistic actions
promoting peace. When I make choices that result from my self-integrity
being intact, I then experience a sense of a complete state of mind. I strive
to represent the philosophy of holism; my state of mind can only be living at
its peak potential when acting in a state of congruency with my inherent
virtuous code. Wholeness is determined by my goodness; and it is all a result
of upright acts of morality.
The secondary core virtue I strive to work on daily is equanimity.
Equanimity can be defined as "evenness of mind, calmness." Attaining
balance is an art for me, and something that will never be perfected. At a
meditation retreat, I learned the analogy of a willow tree to deepen my
understanding of the importance of equanimity. The willow tree is known for
its flexibility. It can bend in outrageous positions without snapping. During
rough conditions, the tree thrives and its roots only grow deeper and deeper.
The value of equanimity teaches me a powerful spiritual lesson to become
flexible in my life path and stop fighting life, rather accept and adapt. Not to
be swept away from my emotional reactions that is rooted in my own
hardships.
Through truthfulness in my professionalism I intend to influence a
degree of actualization. My personality has always been a strong truth
seeker. The most important element in my growth is truth. Real truth begins
with self-honesty. I believe that all truth can be found in the resources of our
own souls. Connection with my own inner-presence leads to acceptance of
my experience and will hopefully attract the right motive within others to
seek a desire of accomplishment within them.
As a Human Services Professional, I also intend to operate with
empathy. It is an important quality because it encourages me to become a

leader during a storm of problems. Affective empathy empowers my clients

to help themselves. I stand on the side of reasoning that we are all born with
an internal coding system or empathetic response, proven by our mirror
neuron; the ability to feel with the other person. Our biological stimuli
provides us with the physiological mechanism of empathetic concern or the
art of being in another persons shoes.
As to my hopes for the future Ive tried predicting my path in the past.
Part of my spiritual framework is to live by the nonlinear form of time called
kairos. Kairos can be described as that instant when Gods timing collides
with your purpose. It is used in Greek terminology for Gods timing, or living
in the eternal moment. Every moment has an appointed time in the grand
scheme of things, so letting go and letting God is what ultimately
determines our future.
For the past two years, I have worked in the field of Chemical
Dependency as a counselor. I also specialize in working with the population
of those faced with co-occurring disorders. My focus with all my Intensive
Outpatient and Continuing Care groups is spiritual development. My method
of teaching with my clients is to let your Higher Power predict your
placement. So I too will apply my own philosophy in predicting my long
term placement in the Human Services field. It will be determined by
wherever my purpose leads me.
After working in the Human Services Field for two years, I know a large
concern is burnout. Psychological weariness is often the result of
indifference; detachment from not dealing with your own distressing
emotions. My self-care plan involves avenues of raising my interpersonal
skills through social intelligence. This includes multi-dimensional holistic
health measures such as; self-awareness, management of emotional triggers
(emotional intelligence), meditation (body competence), learning to adapt to

social change, communication, boundary placement, conceptual reasoning,

and critical thinking.
A part of the rationale of my motives was inspired by my mentor
therapist in the field. He told me to think of my part in context with the
theory of The Butterfly Effect. The small flutter of the wings of a butterfly
may seem like such a small move, but can lead to a large difference in our
weather; a dynamic non-linear system. Just like the little butterfly, as a
Human Services Professional my focus is on fulfillment of my individual role
in working towards the good that leads to an effective change even amongst
a non-effective system. My adaption amongst the immediate chaos can
result in a broad transformation. There are multiple parts to the Human
Services System and all positive change is interrelated. A small butterfly-like
flutter of good, can lead to making a large impact all over the world. This
non-linear mode of thinking has worked for a good psychological burnout
preventative measure. I was also taught the philosophy to never take credit
for the clients movement forward unless you are going to take responsibility
for their backslides. In other words, have no personal involvement with you
motives. Every positive non-linear change is for the greater good, I cant
carry any selfish motives. Application of the mode of reasoning that I am
simply living in fulfillment of my purpose, allows me to draw the necessary
boundaries to prevent taking other peoples problems on myself and living in
a broken mode of thinking.
In a position of leadership, I choose to define help as living out my role
in advocating the change of injustices to justices, inequalities to equalities,
and social exclusions to social inclusions. This all begins with living out my
own individual purpose found through spiritual integration into my holistic
health plan of disciplined sobriety. In the field of social work advocacy and
public policy I know the journey will not be an easy one, but it will be good.

In summation, the Divine Plan is unfolding exactly as it should, when it

should. Challenges are often thrown before us as a tool to create the
necessary strength needed to reach the next level of understanding. My plan
is to turn these challenges into resources that become the catalyst of growth
for the next person. The reward experienced is through the powerful
transformation of watching a client reclaim what is already theirs; their
spiritual birthright of internal freedom. It is simply my purpose to provide the
boost they needed all along in order to reach their highest potential and
function at their highest level of capability.