I first heard the term “spiritual suicide” used by
motivational speaker, Les Brown. What is spiritual
suicide and how do you know if you’re committing
it? It is the killing of that part of oneself that
is associated with the feelings and the mind as
well as the killing of real meaning or significance
in one’s life. So, as Mr. Brown so eloquently put
it, if you are not doing work that is meaningful to
you or being the person you were truly meant to be,
then you are committing spiritual suicide.
What are some of the signs to look for? Ask
yourself some of the following questions: Do you
hate getting out of bed everyday? At your job, do
you look at the clock every 5 minutes, wishing the
workday would hurry up and be over so you can go
home? Do you live for the weekend and your 2 (or
more) weeks of vacation? Do you engage in any of
the following self-destructive behaviors in order
to escape or numb yourself?
Excessive TV watching
Overeating (how well I know this one!)
Drug and/or alcohol abuse
Sexual addiction
Excessive spending
Contemplating Suicide
Why are you committing spiritual suicide? Only you
can answer that. I was committing it because for
years I wanted to be a writer. But I only wanted
to write fiction, which is my passion. But it’s
hard to make a living just writing fiction (unless
you make it big). I guess that’s why my parents
weren’t supportive of the idea. So, for more than
30 years, I used food to numb my disappointed
feelings for not doing the work I felt I was meant
to do.
If you are committing spiritual suicide, what can
you do to stop? First, admit that you are not
happy. Second, start planning a strategy to help
you become the person you were meant to be. And
then, it is my hope that you are finally able to
do the work that is truly meaningful to you.
Copyright 2002 Dolores G. Wix
