What is Spiritual Readiness?

Spiritual readiness is the ability to endure and overcome times of stress, hardship, and tragedy by making meaning of life experiences.

Spiritual readiness is inclusive and universally vital to all personnel no matter their background, philosophy, or religion. It applies to both religious and non-religious persons and concepts.

Individuals find meaning as they exercise beliefs, principles, ethics, and morals arising from religious, philosophical, and human values. These elements, which define the essence of a person, enable one to build inner strength, make meaning of experiences, behave ethically, persevere through challenges, and be resilient when faced with adversity.

Leaders who understand spiritual readiness can encourage personal spiritual readiness by creating a climate of mutual respect and dignity that promotes dialogue, fosters team cohesion, and enables healthy free exercise of religion or no religion. This approach enables and supports collective and individual readiness as Soldiers endure challenging and stressful conditions in training or operational environments.

Spiritual readiness strengthens as individuals identify their spiritual dimension—their purpose, core values, beliefs, identity, and life vision. The spiritual dimension draws on an individual’s core religious, philosophical, or human values to develop an individual’s sense of motivation, character, and integrity. The spiritual dimension defines the essence of a person by enabling one to build inner strength, make meaning of meaning of experiences, behave ethically, persevere through challenges, and be resilient when faced with adversity.

People enhance their spiritual readiness through reflection and practice of a lifestyle based on the personal qualities they need during times of stress, hardship, and tragedy. When their actions deviate from their stated values, then they may experience inner conflict. Those struggling for integrity and congruity often only find inner peace after overcoming the struggle. They develop spiritual readiness by studying, connecting with, and understanding the value systems that mold their personal qualities. As their spiritual readiness grows, they become a leader of character and build the resilience necessary to navigate crises.