Exploring the Power and Impact of Spirituality, Faith and Belief

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I urge you to approach this conversation with openness and respect, appreciating the diversity of religious backgrounds and perspectives.

Join me  in a conversation embarking on a spiritual exploration - let's meander paths of faith, traversing the vastness of beliefs and their profound impact on our lives.  No matter if you are devout to a specific religion or a free spirited spiritualist, my hope is that you will find "a place at the table" in this conversation.

There is a discussion around the strength that faith and spirituality can offer in personal development, especially in overcoming habits that don't serve you. I also invite in teh perspective of the science mind that may not connect to faith or spirituality.

As always, thank you for listening to We All Have Something.  If you wish to connect with Rick beyond the podcast:
Website: www.CoachRickSchwartz.com
YouTube: @RickSchwartz
Threads: @Coach_Rick_Schwartz
Instagram: @Coach_Rick_Schwartz
Facebook Page:  @CoachRickSchwartz
Threads: @Coach_Rick_Schwartz

***If you are having any thoughts of self harm and need someone to reach out to please call: 1-800-273- TALK (8255)
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Episode Music "Inspiration Corporate" by Sandra Inspiration Music
Music rights purchased through AudioJungle.

Nothing in this podcast should be taken as therapy, medical or mental health care. Topics discussed on this podcast reflect the personal experiences of the host and guests of We All Have Something and are not intended to, nor should they, replace the services of medical care, mental health care or therapy.

If you are having thoughts of self harm or ending your life, please call or text 988 - Help is available 24/7.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:22

Welcome to another episode of we All have Something, and this is not going to be your typical introduction. Yes, if you want to be someone who sponsors and supports this podcast, there's going to be a link there for it, but that's as far as I'm going to mention it. The reason being is I really think this topic is very important and if you've read the title you know it's about spirituality and it can be a delicate topic. I think that delicateness, or the need for being sensitive to that, comes from many things that have happened in our culture and society over time. For one, some people have weaponized spirituality and religion. Other people who have decided that everything about it has to be argumentative and sometimes will only have discourse about it if it is heightened and aggressive and baiting people into arguing. I believe that group of people is a minority in the overall society. However, they're so loud, they're so loud and aggressive we see and hear it a lot more than the other side. Before we go any further into this also, I really want you to come at this episode with an open mind, an open heart. There's nothing about it that's going to dictate or tell you that you should or should not believe a certain thing. So much as I want to discuss the thought processes, the openness and the need for belief, for faith, for spirituality in our lives and I'm going to be citing some interesting studies as well it's not just my opinion, but it is also in my experience as a coach, a coach who has worked with clients from all walks of life. A coach who's worked with clients that are deeply religious, clients that have been burnt by a religion to the point where they cannot even think about it. Others who have found their own path, found their way back from tragedy and everything in between. So let's just take a moment. We'll do the intro and we're going to come back and talk a little bit about faith and spirituality, what it means to me and how I approach it and why I believe it's an important part to really truly experience the human experience. I'm Rick Schwartz, life coach, public speaker and all around curious guy. My curiosity, my life and the lives of the many people I have worked with have taught me time and time again that there are challenges to overcome and successes to celebrate. You're listening to. We All have Something a podcast about the human experience, a podcast about celebrating our authentic self. So let's get started. I appreciate the fact you're still here after the opening. I appreciate the fact that you are willing to listen to this with an open heart and open mind and as we basically dive into something that some people believe is controversial.

Speaker 1: 3:01

But I believe that controversy sometimes might be in existence because people choose to have singular focus on certain outcomes. And I'm not saying that some of the bad that has happened from spirituality and religions and beliefs and faiths. I'm not saying those things didn't exist, don't exist. I'm not saying bad things don't happen. I am so much as diving into the fact that, as an individual, who you are, what makes you work, your whole piece of existence. Let's talk about that and I want to preface it too. If you're more the person like, look, rick, I'm science based, I get it. I. My whole background and everything in existence is biology and physics and science. The spiritual side of it is a part of me as well. But I want to acknowledge that there are people who are just. They feel they don't see the proof that they don't have enough there to say I believe in the spiritual side of things. If you're still listening and you're one of those folks, I thank you for being here. I hope you're approaching this with an open mind and open heart. I have something to say about that, about what we know about energy and what we know about physics and how, even if you're only science based, there is some proof there that there's more to life than just being a cluster of cells on a big rock that circles a big nuclear explosion that happens in the sky that we call the sun. But let's get into that eventually.

Speaker 1: 4:19

Right off the bat, I want to share with you something I posted a little while ago Over on threads. It's. It's something that came to me after I was listening to someone talk about her experience with God. She grew up in a very strict Catholic upbringing. She learned more about the other side, if you will, from a near-death experience, and it changed her perspective in the sense of it opened up to more belief that that God doesn't fit into one religion, that her Catholicism that she was brought up in isn't the only way to see that spirit, that energy, that force. And through her talk, what she was explaining was that she sees the bigger picture that certain religions are just way certain cultures can see and experience the spirituality of the higher power. And I want to read to you. What came to me was I wish you the power of compassion, the universal ability of understanding, the capacity of empathy, for yourself as much as for others. Having gratitude for your life means having gratitude for all parts of the human experience. It's not easy. You won't always be able to tap into it, but it is worth coming back to.

Speaker 1: 5:43

I have worked, like I mentioned in the opening. I've worked with so many people from all walks of life. I have had clients who are devout Christians, clients that were Catholics and then something bad happened to them in the church and they have turned their back to them because the pain is too much and there's no judgment there at all, knowing that people will view religion as something that's hurtful and painful to them, that people in their lives have weaponized it or used it as a tool to control and manipulate. I also know people who see religion as a home when all else failed them. It is the space for them to go to, the space for them to be and feel complete and safe and comfortable.

Speaker 1: 6:25

My own background. It's interesting in the sense that my parents each came from families with different religious beliefs. I grew up with the feeling and knowledge from my family that there is a higher power, that no particular religion has the absolute answers to everything, and I was given the freedom to explore and educate myself on other religions around the world. I had a natural curiosity for that. It led me to so many different things, to try and understand Taoism, buddhism, islam, christianity, the many different branches of Christianity and everything else. I've always been able to approach it with curiosity, because I suppose I'm not prescribed to one particular religion only, that this is right and I'll go look at the other one, so much as I'm looking at them openly.

Speaker 1: 7:18

The one thing I have noticed personally across the board is, if you look at the base foundation of the teachings, there are lessons there on how to live a good life, how to be a good person, how to be a good person in your community and your family, and love is probably one of the biggest ones, the biggest expressions it comes through, even if it's in a sort of underlying sort of way. And yes, you can cite all sorts of different stories and different writings and you can look at that and go, oh, that's not right, that's wrong. I would offer this, I would offer this. A lot of the writings that we have today are translations, of translations, of translations, and it is at the hand of those who are in a certain time period, in a certain culture that are making those translations that made sense to them at that time. So again, open your mind, open your heart, see the bigger picture. Pull back, don't look at it word for word. Look at what it means.

Speaker 1: 8:08

And, yes, there are people out there that leverage their religion or a religion to justify treating other people poorly or making judgments. I don't believe. That is why the higher power, spirit, god, whatever you want to call it, exists. I've had my own experiences, I've had my own insights and I continue to grow in my spirituality. And the reason I bring this up, the reason I'm doing this whole episode, is because I am Comfortable talking with someone who is deeply, deeply, deeply connected to Jesus and God in the Christian Bible. I can connect with him and understand them and meet them where they are. As much as I can meet someone who is Really connected, deeply more, to the older, say, nordic pagan, like religions that are of the earth with multiple gods. I can connect with someone who has felt a connection with God but never had the direction of an immediate religion but feels there's a higher power in spirituality. If you come at me with the words of the universe, the power that is the spirit, the light, the way, god, muhammad, jesus, buddha, I can meet you there.

Speaker 1: 9:17

I understand the universal truths of the love that is there in spirituality and I bring this up in this podcast because this podcast is titled. We all have something and I see often online and unfortunately in the news cycle, which I've dialed down quite a bit of my consumption of the divisiveness that occurs and people claim it is because of a certain belief or a certain religion or a certain way of. This is how I get away with treating you because you're not like me and again, like I mentioned, I truly believe that is an incredibly loud minority of people who are banging their drum loudly and frequently, while those that believe in the higher, more universal love that really honestly love my neighbor, give grace to myself and to others. I believe that's the majority. I just think it's kind of quiet and I want to bring this up in this podcast Because I think it's important.

Speaker 1: 10:13

A big part of taking care of ourselves, the big part of taking care of others, is understanding. We're all a little bit different, but deep down inside there's a lot that's the same, that sometimes we don't get to see or hear or feel Because there's these other noisy things happening. Again what I wrote over on threads I wish you the power of compassion, the universal ability of understanding, the capacity of empathy, for yourself as much as for others. Having gratitude for your life means having gratitude for all parts of the human experience. It's not easy, you won't always be able to tap into it, but it's worth coming back to. That is not a religious statement, it's not a spiritual statement, but it is rooted in my beliefs of who we are, what we are, where we've come from and where we're going Now. If you're more the type of person like well, this is all great. Rick, I appreciate you giving us all a big warm hug, no matter what we believe and do you feel, you can talk to us, no matter what. I also want to offer this. I Want to offer this being spiritual, being religious, believing in a higher power of some sort, can help you through the really difficult times, even if in that moment the difficult times do not make sense, even if in that time you believe look, why should I be tested like this? Why should this be happening to me? Why do I have to deal with this? You know there was a.

Speaker 1: 11:37

There was an interview with Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert talking about some of the tragedies that they each have experienced in life, to the point that Anderson Cooper got choked up and Stephen Colbert said that because Anderson was questioning why do you have gratitude for the the horrible things that have happened in your life, the bad things you've experienced? And Stephen Colbert quite Calmly said if I'm going to be thankful for my life, I have to be thankful for all parts of it. I have to be thankful for all experiences I've gone through, because even the low ones, the bad ones and I'm paraphrasing here the low ones and bad ones Get me to a point where I can identify and connect with people, other people who've gone through that as well, and it gives me a new level of Love and compassion. So he says he's got gratitude for even the bad stuff that's happened, because he sees that it's part of the human experience of being here and he has. He has cited he's Catholic, but he also studies a lot of Buddhism and he's like I don't know which side I fall on, honestly. But just that perspective there, that understanding that we we have to see the whole package, is so important. But I want to go back to what else I was talking about it.

Speaker 1: 12:42

There's a book called the power of habit. It is a very thick, long book several hundred pages that talks about, breaks down and analyzes habit loops and our behaviors and how we need to restructure things. And there's a portion in here when the author, charles do Higgs, sites some things. I'm gonna read right from the book full credit Charles do Higgs, the power of habit. I'll even put a link down below if you want to buy a copy. It's an awesome book. I learned a lot from it and I I teach from it. I have for many, many years the decades maybe, anyhow this one portion here. He's talking about how people that go through alcoholics anonymous have success, and he goes on here.

Speaker 1: 13:21

One group of researchers at the alcohol research group in California, for instance, noticed a pattern in interviews Over and over again, alcoholics said the same thing. Identifying cues and choosing new routines is important, but without another ingredient the new habits never fully took hold. The secret, the alcoholics said, was God. Researchers hated that explanation God and it's not because they hate God, is because it's hard to measure that, and it goes on here. It says God and spirituality are not testable and measurable. Hypothesis Churches are filled with drunks who continued drinking despite a pious path. In conversations with addicts, though, spirituality kept coming up again and again.

Speaker 1: 14:04

So in 2005, a group of scientists, this time Affiliated with UC Berkeley, brown University and National Institute of Health, began asking Alcoholics about all kinds of religious and spiritual topics. Then they looked at the data to see if there was any correlation between religious belief and how long people stayed sober. A pattern emerged Alcoholics who practice the technique of habit replacement that, and that's part of what we're talking about in habit loops here and everything else, but about habit replacement, the data indicated could often stay sober until there was a stressful event in their life At which point a certain number started drinking again, no matter how many new routines they had embraced. However, those alcoholics who believed some higher power entered their lives through their practices were more likely to make it through the stressful periods with their sobriety intact. The researchers found out that it wasn't God per se or the particular belief that mattered. It was the belief itself that made a difference. Once people learned how to believe in something. The skill started spilling over in other parts of their lives until they started believing they could change. Belief was the ingredient that made a reworked habit loop into a permanent behavior.

Speaker 1: 15:20

The point being there is it's not about the actual religion or spiritual belief, it's about having the belief. It's about getting in touch with that part of you and your soul and your body, and I'm going to wrap it up with this. If you are like many of my colleagues, it's all science-based. Look, it's a matter of chance that all these cells have come together. It's evolution-based. When I die, I'm done, I get it, I totally get it, and I support you as well. I don't challenge you. I don't say you're wrong. I do want to point this out, though what an awesome group of cells to finally come together and decide to fire off neurons and make you who you are and the personality that you are, with the individualism that you have, the ability to think and do what you do.

Speaker 1: 16:01

How awesome is it that we know energy doesn't ever expire, it just changes, similar to the water cycle, where it goes from ocean to evaporation, to rain, to rivers, to groundwater, to lakes, back to the ocean again, no matter what animals drink it, even ourselves. Our body still uses it and pushes it out. However, we need it through sweat, through our breath, through our urine, whatever it might be, it still is never gone. It's just changed. Same with energy From the sun it goes to the plants, feeds the animals. We eat the plants and animals. We use that energy and then we also expire that out in heat and other ways, through our system as well, and it goes back into the system. The energy never expires, it just changes your group of cells, constantly changing and doing all the things they are doing, your thoughts, your imaginations, your dreams, the things that never existed in the real life, that your mind can see.

Speaker 1: 16:48

What an amazing group of cells to have come together and be you. And I ask that, if that is really where you are, and that is fine, I love you. No matter what, that is completely fine. I ask that you honor how unique, how amazing and how wonderful your group of cells are that have come together to make you. And I'll go right back to what I said before. This goes for my science-based people, for my religion people, my spiritual people, my woo-woo people.

Speaker 1: 17:17

Wherever you are, whatever you believe or whatever you once believed, which maybe you've found it just hurt too much. Wherever you are and what you believe, I want you to consider making your spirituality and faith a part of your existence. I connected with Ula as a coach, as a client. Seven key areas fitness, finance, family field. Faith is right there in the middle friends and fun. It's your faith, dr Troy and Dr Dave even say in the book and in their talks everywhere they have their faith. They have their belief, they have their religion and they speak to that. But they recognize that yours is yours.

Speaker 1: 18:00

Whatever that may be, all I ask is you consider bringing it more to the forefront of your life, bringing it into the fold of the other key areas of your life. It's important and when you hear other people talk about theirs and what it means to them, hold off on judgment, hold off on being reactive to how it doesn't quite sound right to you and see if you can understand the bigger message. What are they getting from it? Love, compassion, understanding. And if you're not seeing it but they're still claiming it, then maybe have that conversation with them. Ask them about those components of their beliefs, see where that discussion goes. I'm going to wrap it up with what I said before. I wish you the power of compassion, the universal ability of understanding, the capacity of empathy, for yourself as much for others. Having gratitude for your life means having gratitude for all parts of the human experience. It is not easy, you won't always be able to tap into it, and that's okay, but it is worth coming back to. As always.

Speaker 1: 19:10

If you want to get in touch with me, you can find me on my website, coachrigschwarzcom. You can find me on a wide variety of social media. All the links are below. I appreciate you being here. More than you know, people are sharing this podcast. They're reaching out to me. I do not take lightly the community we have created. I do not take lightly the responsibility of showing up for you in this format, and I love it. I am glad to interview the people we get to interview. In fact, coming up next, we've got a couple of great interviews from other coaches that are not part of the Ulu community, but they're other really great voices and I can't wait for you to hear them.

Speaker 1: 19:45

If this episode or any other episode ever feels powerful enough to you to share with others, please do. It's a great way to have that ripple effect. I was just talking to a client today, in fact, about the ripple effect and she was thanking me. We were wrapping up our main work together and she was thanking me for the changes she's experienced, the changes her husband experienced as she changed through coaching. She says you know, it's not just about me, rick, it's the ripple effect People at work have noticed. My family's noticed, definitely. My husband's noticed that changes how I interact with them and that changes their day too. I thank you so much for that.

Speaker 1: 20:17

That's what this is about. It's about that ripple effect. How can we improve our lives, take care of ourselves a little better? When we do that, we improve the lives of those around us. We take care of those around us a little more, even if it's an indirect interaction of just a nice smile and saying thank you and holding the door for a stranger, or maybe something as big as showing kindness and compassion to a coworker having a bad day, who knows? Right, all right. Like I said before, I appreciate you being here. I really do have a good one everybody.