Everyday Spirituality

So, I have shared with many of you that I'm on a six-week writing sabbatical. (I'm a big believer in claiming "chunks" of time for creative endeavors--truly the only way you're really able to play with an idea on a deeper level!).

After a lot of juggling and planning, I was successful in carving out six weeks of my summer to focus on a project that has been tapping on my shoulder for about a year now.

In a nutshell, I am very curious about how, when and where people "feel" God (or whatever you call this: source, the Divine, the sacred, etc.) in everyday ways.

Having supported and coached thousands of professionals in their 20s-60s in the last 20 years, I have observed that many, many people share that they feel something is missing in their lives.

While they may achieve outer success--what most of them are craving: a sense of meaning, a sense of being connected to something bigger than themselves, a sense of inner peace--seems to elude them.

Or, they simply don't know how to identify their portal for getting there through ordinary day-to-day life experiences. (My summer newsletter which comes out Wed., July 23rd, goes into more detail on this topic and shares some of the answers to the questions below: http://www.reneetrudeau.com/ to subscribe.)

I am intrigued by this theme and sent the following questions to a select sampling of about 25 profesionals, asking them for their honest, direct, feedback. My only intention for this material right now is to help me gain insight into where people are around the topic of Everyday Spirituality.

My instructions and the questions are below if you'd like to take a stab at answering these yourself. (Many of the respondents shared that the exercise itself ended up sparking very interesting conversations with friends and significant others.)

Have fun, go with your gut and don’t overanalyze your answers. This should take you about 15-20 min.:

1. What gives your life meaning, where do you find meaning?
2. One thing I do to renew my spirit is ....... When I do this, I feel ........
3. To me, God* is ..... (*God for you might be the sacred, Spirit, Source, a higher power, Buddha, Yahweh, Allah, your highest self, your intuitive self, the Divine, Universal energy, etc.)
4. I feel God when I am ..... I feel most peaceful when I ....
5. I connect or tune into God (or the sacred) through ......

Your name (only your first name will be used):
Your age:
Religious upbringing and current religious practice (if any, optional to share):

And, if you'd like, post 1-2 of your answers here and let the dialogue begin!