People want to feel whole. It’s the precursor to being happy, healthy, and satisfied with life.

One of the core reasons people don’t feel whole is because they’ve split their spirituality from their sense of self.

Spirituality can be associated with a faith tradition or independent from religion. It emphasizes:

• transcendence of self
• supports holism and harmony, and
• has a growth orientation.

Spiritual wholeness is central to authentic self-expression, embodied engagement with others, and a valuing of place.

People split off their spirituality when they are in a context that doesn’t recognize it. When spirituality isn’t valued, people diminish it’s importance for them and limit the amount of attention they pay to their spiritual needs.

There are seven universal spiritual needs. Every human person needs to:

• experience transcendence, meaning, love/belonging, and beauty,
• be allowed to hold to and live in alignment with their values and moral standards, and
• find resolution in their life and relationships.

With fewer people getting these needs met through organized religion, they turn to their workplace in hope that these needs will be valued and met there. One of the reasons why so many people are changing jobs is to find greater wholeness through fulfillment of their spiritual needs.

People believe that their workplace supports their spirituality when:

• their inner life is recognized,
• they have meaningful work that nourishes their inner life and the lives of others, and
• they feel they belong to a community that values them.

Workplace spirituality is cultivated through the actions and messages of leaders, connection with supervisors and peers, organizational alignment with higher purposes, and a compassionate culture.

Everyone has a part to play.

• Do you experience a sense of wholeness?
• Which spiritual needs do you need to attend to?
• How can you foster spirituality in your workplace?