Prepared in Spirit: The Overlooked Layer of Peak Performance

I started this series in April with an overview of General Life Preparedness (GLP), inspired by the concept of General Physical Preparedness (GPP). The idea is simple but powerful: build capacity and resilience across all domains of life to increase performance, adaptability, and well-being. A discussion about life preparedness would be incomplete without consideration of the spiritual dimension. This month, we turn our focus to General Spiritual Preparedness (GSP). 

Spirituality can be a sensitive and even polarizing topic. Many prefer to “live and let live” rather than make any kind of declaration of belief. And that’s okay. Remember, this series is about general life preparedness, not a rigid adherence to a specific prescription. It’s about building a strong base from which to grow, whatever form that takes for you. Because to truly be resilient and high-performing, you need to have the durability to navigate uncertainty and face what life throws at you.

Let’s explore the three core practices of General Spiritual Preparedness:

1. Contemplate during the good times

2. Be in “Receive Mode”

3. Prepare to die

   
   

1. Find Your Center: Contemplate During the Good Times

There is a saying, commonly attributed to WWI, that “there are no atheists in foxholes.” What it means is that people will instinctively find a belief in a higher power in times of fear or when their lives are in danger. I recently had a conversation with a client who admitted that he tends to pray only when he needs something. This is not unusual! We find ourselves reaching out to a higher power when we are desperate or in pain. Crisis reveals how little control we have. Finding faith in a crisis can be a lifesaver in those moments. Consider the second of the 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, where many people turn when they have reached “rock bottom”: Step Two - Belief in a Higher Power: Recognize that a power greater than yourself can restore sanity. 

While turning to faith in times of need is a good thing, it’s not sufficient to build a strong spiritual base as a component of a well-rounded, high-performance life. To build preparedness, which is the focus of this series, requires consideration ahead of time. Take some time to examine your beliefs when times are good, when you aren’t desperate or in pain, and you’ll have something to fall back on when you need it. Much like building muscles or having an emergency fund, spiritual resilience requires steady investment over time. Remember, it’s about creating capacity – a reserve you can draw from in times of need to keep you grounded.

In physical training, people often refer to “core strength”, which generally means building strength in the abdominals and other musculature in the middle of the body. We often hear about “moving from the center” or finding strength “from core to extremity” – both of which require having a strong core and awareness about how to use it. There’s a powerful parallel between core strength and GSP. To draw strength from the center (core) you must first have a center from which to draw. This generally requires intentional quiet —what author Matthew Kelly describes as “going into the classroom of silence”. Whether it’s prayer, meditation, journaling, or time in nature, the aim is the same: quieting the chatter of the mind so you can start contemplating your beliefs and begin developing a spiritual relationship with something greater than yourself. Take some time to zoom out from your life and think about what you believe so that you can start building a spiritual base that will be there when you need it.

2. Pay Attention: Be in “Receive Mode”

The second component of GSP also requires getting quiet so you can be in “Receive Mode”. Anyone who has used a walkie talkie or handheld radio knows that you cannot be talking and listening at the same time. You are either in “Send Mode” (talking) OR in “Receive Mode” (listening). You can’t transmit and receive at the same time. To build GSP, you must practice being in Receive Mode. This means not only quieting your mind (and often your mouth), but also paying attention to the answers to your questions, or signs that might already be unfolding. 

It's easy to miss signs or answers when you have a preconceived notion about what they should be. There’s a simple parable that illustrates this point beautifully: A man was trapped on top of his house during a flood. He prayed diligently for help. Some people came by in a boat and offered to ferry the man to safety, but he declined saying, “no, I don’t need your help. I have prayed and I know God is going to save me.” Next, a helicopter came, and the same interaction repeated – the crew tried to rescue the man, and he again declined – he had faith and confidence that his prayer would be answered and that God would save him. Sadly, the man drowned, and when he got to heaven, he approached God with frustration, saying “I prayed to you for help. I had faith! Why did you not save me?”, to which God replied, “I sent you a boat AND a helicopter. Why did you not accept the help I offered?” 

This concept can apply to manifesting as well as prayer. Because sometimes, the help we seek arrives in unexpected forms. Podcast host, Lewis Howes, tells a powerful story about how he was manifesting money. He saw a penny on the sidewalk and nearly walked past it because he thought it was too insignificant and could therefore not possibly be the thing he was trying to attract. Fortunately for Lewis, he picked up the penny anyway and discovered later that it was a rare special edition penny that could be worth over $4000 to a collector. His openness to the small signs put him in Receive Mode and unlocked something big, something different than what he thought the answer would be.  

A simple way to start building this mindset is to practice gratitude. By cultivating a sense of appreciation for the good things in your life, you start to widen your aperture and see even more good things coming your way. You become more open to possibilities and answers to prayer that might look different than what you had in mind. And yes, it also supports high performance  – helping you stay present, engaged and resilient. It might sound trite, but it works. Well-rounded high performers have an attitude of gratitude.

3. Contemplate Your Mortality: Prepare to Die

The Stoics got it right with memento mori —“remember you must die” in Latin. The inevitability of human morality can be found in the works of Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and others. They remind us that contemplating your morality isn’t morbid, it’s clarifying. After all, one of the only guarantees in life is death. Developing GSP includes acknowledging that you will die and asking the deeper questions that follow: What is the purpose of my life? What do I believe comes next? What legacy am I leaving behind? 

We will all face it, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, creed, or belief system. Since it’s coming for sure, why not spend some time thinking about it? Remember the saying about foxholes at the beginning of this article? People tend to find God when they are faced with the possibility of death. Thinking about your demise is an excellent prompt to get you to face some of the bigger, philosophical questions that arise. Remembering your impermanence can motivate you to take chances, express yourself more freely, and act with purpose. 

Viewing your life through the lens of finitude can prompt a spiritual quest and it can also provoke action. It might be just the reminder you need that you don’t have unlimited time, so you might as well take some chances or get started on that thing you’ve been putting off. It might also remind you to take yourself less seriously – since you’re going to die anyway (and so is everyone else), you start to realize you aren’t as important as you sometimes believe you are. Life will go on without you just as it does without every other person who dies. Let this perspective ground you in both humility and urgency. The result is a greater ability to exist in the present moment and to be more engaged with life while you still have it.

The spiritual component of reflecting on death is that it helps you gain perspective. When life starts to feel overwhelming or out of control, your awareness of mortality can actually bring peace. It invites you to zoom out and see what truly matters. That clarity about who you are, what you believe and why you’re here is one of the most powerful tools in your spiritual toolkit. High performance is not about being at your best all the time. A critical component of high performance is having tools at your disposal that you can use when things are difficult or when you aren’t at 100%. It’s about being able to pivot and adapt, having the ability to buffer some challenges and rise to the occasion because you are prepared. 

Layer by Layer: Building Spiritual Strength with a Coach

Just like physical training, spiritual preparedness builds in layers:

• Contemplation gives you a grounded center.

• Receiving keeps you open to guidance.

• Mortality awareness anchors you in purpose.

Together, they form your GSP base; one that strengthens your performance not just in your work or relationships, but in how you show in your life.

At Luminology, we believe high performance is holistic. That includes the physical, financial, emotional, intellectual, and yes, even spiritual realms. As your coach, I help you build these layers so you become more resilient, more aware, and more connected to what truly drives you.

Want to start seeing more clearly? 

Let’s begin.

Book a clarity session with Melissa today.