Five Roads to Self Discovery . . . How to Find Your Road

Webster defines Self Discovery as the act or process of achieving self-knowledge. Further, he defines Self Help as the action or process of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problems.
Both are all about changing oneself. It’s all about finding ways to change your life.

I love this quote by George Carlin:

“I went to the bookstore and asked the salesperson, ‘Where’s the self-help section?’ She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.”

It’s true we do have to find our road to self-discovery, and it happens in several ways. It happens when we experience nagging thoughts in our mind that life could be different.

Finding your road is usually preceded by a period of unease. This meddlesome discomfort often proceeds the discovery of your road to change.

We’ll take a look here at five roads that lead to self-discovery. They all begin when you experience a turning point. This is a point where you realize you can change your life; the point at which you choose a new road.

You want to change where you are so you look at a road map and you find there are several roads that lead to your destination. Now you have to choose the best route; what road will you choose?

Most likely you will choose your road based on how you arrived at the moment of knowing you wanted to change your life, to go in another direction. 

The event might be:

1. A dramatic moment when you experience absolute clarity and direction.

A pivotal point, an epiphany or an "AHA" moment. This is when realization impacts your consciousness. You know your life must change. It’s crystal clear, and from that point on you see the road to a new life and your life is never, ever the same. 

2. It might be a point, reached by many addicts and alcoholics, when you feel you can no longer handle life.

This is often referred to as bottoming out. You simply give up and reach out for help. You choose the road to recovery asking for help from others.

You find a group of peers where there is a coming together for common mutual assistance.

3. Perhaps you are experiencing un-rest or dis-ease and you’re seeking the help of a therapeutic or spiritual help group.

You choose a road to travel with other souls who share your concerns and are of a like mind. If you open up to the nudging of your subconscious mind you’ll discover the right road.

4. Because of a gnawing need to learn and discover, you might choose the road of research and education.

 

You may take classes, get a degree, read books, view videos and take seminars, learn meditation.

All of the roads you may choose are chosen in the name of self-discovery. 

5. You may unexpectedly find the road to a higher power.

Perhaps you find a place, a person, a thing or a group that you can believe in. In other words, you come to believe. The important point is knowing you can find help and change your life.

As you begin to apply all you’ve learned from your journey, you can live the life you have always dreamed of living.

We really can live extraordinary lives. You just have to find your own road, travel it and see where it leads. Once the road opens you must take action. You must move yourself to travel the road.

Albert Einstein said: “Nothing happens until something moves.”

A healthy spirit of self-discovery raises people from despair. It advances you in intelligence, virtue, and spiritual growth.

Four things you need to do as you set out on the road to self-discovery:

1. Forgive yourself
2. Forgive others
3. Accept yourself
4. Accept others

Samuel Smiles:

“The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual."

Whichever road you choose, consider what it will do for you.

Your journey should:

1. Not harm you, but rather benefit you
2. Improve your attitude
3. Positively change your behavior
4. Improve your environment
5. Re-educate your subconscious
6. Enlighten your consciousness
7. Include self forgiveness and forgiveness of others
8. Bring about self-acceptance
9. Improve your self esteem

John Wooden:

“Remember this, the choices you make in life, make you.”

Travel your road with enthusiasm and apply what you learn. Make the trip about discovering the life you’ve always dreamed of living. Too often we look at the road but do not start the journey. Too often we limit ourselves. How sad, when we could learn to live extraordinary lives.

You can be happier, healthier, and more prosperous. Find your road(s) to discovery of self. THEN GO FOR IT.

C.R. Law:

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have mastered, you will never grow.”

Author : Wee Dilts

 

Navratras - Magic of Nine Days

Nine days of fasting and prosperity throughout the year. That's what the magic of Navratri is. Luck, money, business, and education; this is a favourable time for all aspects of your life.

Gujarat: The festival of Navratri is celebrated with great zeal in the western & northern part of India. Gujarat, in particular, is well known for its grand Celebrations and dances during this festive occasion. The most popular and well known among these folk dances are the Rasa and the Garba. The Rasa is said to have its origin in the legends of Lord Krishna. These are enactments of stories in dance form from tales of Krishna. These colorful yet elegant dances are performed as part of the Navratra celebrations. People gather from all over to enjoy and be a part of these festivities. These are also known to be associated with the agricultural rites that are performed. The designs made on the dance floor remind one of the vibrant paintings made on the walls of huts. The Dandiya Rasa performed by men is at par with the Garba of the women folk. The dancers gather around with sticks on their hands all geared up to entertained. The sticks have tiny bells attached at their end that enhances the sound which is created when the sticks are struck.

Rajasthan: Jaipur is the hub of enjoyment and garba is probably one of the most entertaining dance forms performed here. Women dressed in beautiful costumes bearing pots on their heads go from one home to the other and perform the Garba. There is always a leader who begins the song and the others repeat in unison which forms the chorus. The dance is rhythmic and the singing, a reminder of how rich and colourful India really is. Getting all tied up with Navratri celebrations will not come as a surprise, especially if you happen to be in Rajasthan.

Kashmir: In Kashmir, there are many devotees of Sherawali Ma Durga and Lord Shiva. The Kashmiri pundits especially celebrate navratras with much enthusiasm. Each hindu house-hold performs the pooja at home. The adult members of the household fast and they only consume water followed by fruit in the evening. Also, they grow barley in the earthen pots to attain prosperity. Most of these kashmiri pundits visit the temple of goddess Kheer Bhawani on all nine days; this is one of the important rituals in Kashmir.

Punjab: Punjabi people perform navratri puja in their farming fields for a good cultivation. They devotionally celebrate Navratri. They only drink milk for seven days before breaking the fast on Ashtami or Navami. They worship Durga Ma, Lakshmi and offer prayers at home. Some of them have fruit or a complete meal once a day. Alcohol and meat are strictly avoided during this time.

Navratri Celebrations in South India

Navratri celebrations in the southern part of India are celebrated in a manner much different from the rest of India. There's nothing in common except for the devotion and enthusiasm with which the people in this region celebrate this occasion. Read on till the end to find out all about what makes Navratri special in the South.

Bommai Kolu: During the nine nights of the Navratri festival, women in the south, especially Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh decorate their houses with traditional wooden dolls. These wooden dolls, popularly known as Kolu Bommai by locals in this region are a symbol of pride for those who display it for others to see. These handcrafted idols are beautiful and reminds one of how rich India is, in terms of tradition and culture. Mostly, scenes from the village or Gods are depicted through these dolls.

Rangolis: This is yet another traditional art South India is well known for. Patterns are made on the floor and women gather to design these rangolis using various coloured powder and flowers. This is a tradition mostly followed by the women in the house. Rangoli is referred to as Rangavallie in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Sundal: Sundal is what instantly comes to mind when one mentions the Navratri festival in South India. This delicious sweet dish with its mouthwatering taste is an instant hit with the locals. It is also available in different varieties and forms. Lentil and brown sugar are used in the preparation of this special sweet dish. Navratri celebrations in the South are not complete without preparing Sundal in the evening.

Traditional gifts exchanged between family and friends during this festive occasion include coconuts, clothes and sweets.

In India isn’t the crisis period over?

[Presently, there is an abrupt change in Indian Politics. Although I am a Spiritualist, I can never keep me away from the views that make the economic reform possible under the auspices of Dr. Manmohan Singh, our Prime Minister.
Everybody in a democratic country has the right to react and remark. Political understanding takes its own course and surprisingly we are elevated. Let truth come to light.]

Dear Dr. Singh, keep up the spirit to enable economic reform at any cost. We know well indeed that thinking even of worst situation--expecting early election, the obstruction should not be given indulgence. With due respect to others viewpoint, we are one with you. We are aware of your economic sagacity. It is not politics that we should be compassionate about your lack of boldness. An honest and sincere person has all along been denounced for his goodness. Let your stern attitude find for the entire citizen a solution. 

When you are respected by Barak Obama, US President, this is real time for the Congress to allow Obama’s Guru to prove his sagacity. Let us hope for the best. And the ‘best’ is little ahead. We must face the reality and struggle hard to touch the finishing line. We should sacrifice for the better days to come. If we don’t, we will be just slaves to other countries away and abroad.

What a crisis, indeed! After long three years of sweet and sour relation unpredictably TMC breaks the friendship with the UPA. Congress led by Dr. Manmohan Singh this time looks like a great warrior. He is not at all in a mood to retreat. Naturally, the battle will end in bitterness if no compromise is possible and it is likely. However, if Congress has to be extinguished, it should face the situation valiantly in the battleground.

Without economic reform our country’s position is at stake. It has to be realized by all the parties. None knows how the things will change rapidly. Let us think of the worst; blessed are those who has strong political sagacity, based on strong economic structure. Finally, it seems to be a case between Mamata and Manmohan—fundamental and essential which mean, none can be ignored. Let us hope for the best. There is no room for ego and emotion.

Things easy understandable often seem to be never possible to understand and communicate. The public sentiment is being utilized; the leaders catch fish in troubled water. Of course, the rank and file of every country should not be blamed for such activities. In the face of repercussion the government may have to retreat but the result as a whole will evidently be not at all good. Unfortunately, making so delay our PM is likely to be misunderstood. 

In fact public in general can never realize the reason behind such economic reforms. They are deprived in every way, before or after--whoever comes in power. Most striking thing is this that seldom we will hear any voice from the elite group. Either good or bad, let there be anything, they are prepared to adjust themselves with the situation. In any way they remain never unfed. Most of them know how to swim across the river.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not pleading for UPA. There might be wrong—why ’might be’, definitely there is corruption in the administration. The ministers and the leaders took advantage over the honesty and goodness of our Prime Minister. Sorry, this can never be the excuse. As an administrator PM could react when the corruptions were brought to light. However, despite any reason whatsoever it may be, reform is estimated and that should be realized by the leaders of all the parties. 

“Trinamool ministers quit, govt. breathes easy with SP of UP support.”—published in Times of India on 21 September 2012 is very much disappointing. It is sad indeed; was ever unwanted. How next to kin UPA and TMC among themselves during the last eight years split up! Sometime I think what is truly the relation between Center and State? Is it like a father and his son or brotherly? It may be like big boss and his subordinates. Whatever be the case a good relation needs to be developed with every state independently to maintain a healthy atmosphere at the Center. Unfortunately, we find it has just been broken and we are set to think of unwanted adversities likely to prevail now and onwards.

Sorrowfully, the importance of TMC is in jeopardy with the UPA and any financial help, which is earnestly expected from the UPA government, will not be considered so sympathetically from right now. Strangely, the concept and contrast between both of them will simply be out of breath. 

However, the leaders are enough grown up and they are not at all ignorant about their role in our democracy. Now what is most desired is this. Congress led by Manmohanji and UPA by Soniaji will sit together take some drastic steps to ensure economic reforms and the rest that couldn’t but oppose should and must let in the bitter pill. 

Yes Dr. Singh, go ahead with your full energy and momentum. Since you are one of the wisest economists living at present in the world, we do believe, you along with your colleagues will soon come out successful. The fruits of hard earned reforms will evidently go down to the level of the villagers living in remote corners of our motherland. Of course next time you are supposed to look after the administration at that level. 

Finally, take it as a boon for the actuality that you have the hold up of SP and BSP of UP. Let them be true to their support. We are, indeed, little worried about their mentality and vested interest. Leave it; let what comes on the way, you look quite young at this old age. The blessings of Great Ma-Mahajnan, the spiritual genius, will be showered on you and your supporters.

  By Ma_Mahajnan Prosad

 

Author's Bio: 

Ma-Mahajnan, a matchless spiritual genius, expressed her entire creation in a state of "Conscious Trance” which has all been stuffed with matters of highly philosophical values and related with strong literary sense. She could not attend even Primary School due to extreme poverty. Strangely, she was taught all by herself in the School of Nature. The weird and wonderful life is possibly the souse of her vast experience and profound realization. She was born on 17 July, 1928 and passed away on 22 January, 2011.
 

You Inspire Me

No matter how near or how far; you inspire me. No matter how rich or how poor you are; you inspire me. No matter what language you speak; you inspire me. No matter the color of your skin; you inspire me.

No matter if you have new clothes or if they’re worn thin; you inspire me. No matter if your days are full of laughter or full of tears; you inspire me. No matter if you run to the finish line or you can’t walk at all; you inspire me. 

You can be broke and feel no hope; you still inspire me! No matter if you do good or do wrong; you still inspire me. No matter if you have faith or not; you still inspire me. No matter if you are weak or strong; you still inspire me.

I learn by mistakes, both my own and by yours. You are an example to me. Your attitude will either inspire me to be like you or not to be like you. If I see bad, you inspire me to do good. If I see injustice, you inspire me to bring forth justice. If I see a loss of hope, you inspire me to bring forth hope. If you lack trust, faith or love; you inspire me to show you. 

You have truly taught me what success means; it is much more than a dollar sign. You inspire me to move mountains. You have taught me that all beings are blessings. You have taught me that with each struggle is an underlying lesson to be learned. You have inspired me with all you say and with all that you do; we have just this one moment in time to inspire another.

Whether you breathe easy or struggle with your last breath, you inspire me. You inspire me with you loving acts of kindness, your generosity and your love for your fellow man. You inspire greatness in others, so thank you. Your kind soul inspires me.

You have taught me how to give when you have nothing left to give. You have helped others when you have needed help yourself. You have shown me strength by standing up, while others would have remained knocked down. With your burdens strapped on your back your smile carried you on. Your tireless strength has taught so many others. You have taught others that a kind word and a hug can go further than any amount of money can go in this lifetime. Thank you for inspiring me.

People Are the Most Important Resource

       Increasing numbers of business people find that the key area for applying spirituality is in how employees are treated.  Simple things can be very powerful, says Marc Lesser, founder of Brush Dance, as he learned to take a few minutes each day to appreciate someone, to thank them for a job well done, or just to listen to their concerns.  Generosity with your time can be as important as generosity with money. 

      Southwest Airlines, one of the only airlines staying profitable after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Their secret?   They say that people are their most important resource, and they mean it.  Company policy is to treat employees like family, knowing that if they are treated well, they in turn will treat customers well.  They have a “University for People” and their policy is to hire people based on their attitude and then train them for skills, rather than the reverse. Unlike other airlines, negotiations between management and employees for pay raises and benefits are much shorter and easier as both sides come to the table wanting to hand write a win/win contract.  They have been named many times as one of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

     Aaron Feurenstein, CEO of Malden Mills in Lawrence, MA, which produces popular Polartec fabrics, believes labor is the best asset a company has.  He says a company has an equal responsibility to its community and to itself, and since his town has high unemployment, he kept all 3,000 employees on his payroll after a major fire destroyed three out of its four factory buildings.  Workers repaid his generosity with a 25% increase in productivity and 66% drop in quality defects.

    Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, with stores all over the world, purposely built a soap factory near Glasgow, Scotland because it was an area of high unemployment, urban decay, and demoralization. She made a moral decision to employ the unemployable and put 25 per cent of the net profits back into the community because she said this is what “keeps the soul of the company alive.” 

    10,000 Marriott International employees worldwide dedicate a day of service to their local communities each year in their “Spirit to Serve” program. Timberland, the popular New Hampshire based shoe company, pays employees for 40 hours of volunteer work annually.  Ohio-based Zero Casualties Inc., an urban apparel maker, donates seven per cent of its profits to inner city charities.  The company has crated a marketing campaign based on its values of “no drugs, no violence, no racism.”

     Medtronic regularly invites happy customers to attend meetings with employees to tell them how their medical equipment helped improve their health or saved their life.  This inspires the Medtronic workers and gives their work a deeper sense of meaning and purpose because they can see how it really helps people.

     IBM funds childcare centers at 60 of its locations.  Intel offers 22 weeks of maternity leave. The Men’s Wearhouse, one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to work for, supports homeless men in re-entering the job market.

    Tom Chappell, CEO of Tom’s of Maine, which produces soaps and toothpastes, stays mindful of profit and the common good by giving away 10% of its pretax profits to charities. Tom’s gives employees four paid hours a month to volunteer for community service, and uses all natural ingredients that are good for the environment.  After studying at Harvard Divinity School, Chappell re-engineered his business into a sort of ministry, saying, “I am ministering--and I am doing it in the marketplace, not in the church, because I understand the marketplace better than the church.”

     Saturn auto manufacturing says the key to their success is their experiment in corporate democracy and participatory governance.  Empowered teams make most company decisions.  

     60 Minutes did a television show on SAS, a billion dollar computer software company that has low absenteeism and only 3% turnover, which saves them $80 million each year in training and recruitment.  Their secret?  A no-lay-off policy, 35 hour workweeks, flex time, and on-site amenities such as a gym, a medical clinic, and massage therapists.

    Spiritually oriented materials on personal change have been used in employee training for several years at the Bank of Montreal, and Boatman’s First National Bank in Kansas City regularly provides spiritually oriented trainings for its top executive group. 

    Consulting firms using spiritual approaches are doing a booming business. The Enlightened Leadership International in Colorado has been teaching top executives at major companies such as GTE, Georgia-Pacific, and Lockheed Martin how to focus on what’s positive, instead of  the problems, because our beliefs create what we experience. Other major firms such as The Covey Leadership Center and The Centre for Generative Leadership teach Fortune 500 executives how to align their company’s mission with their deeper values.  

     Managers and union workers of Southern California Con Edison attend sessions called “The Heart Shop” with pianist Michael Jones to cultivate compassion for each other, creativity and a new intelligence of the heart. Boeing set up a series of weeklong trainings with poet David Whyte for 600 of its top executives to unleash feelings, take risks, and be excited by change--instead of terrified of it.

     NYNEX established an Office of Ethics and Business Conduct to encourage employees to live by a set of core values: quality, ethics and caring for the individual. This new focus led to increases in profits, productivity and product and service quality, as this affected how the company is perceived by customers and stakeholders.  

    Judy Wicks, founder of the highly successful White Dog Café in Philadelphia, uses her restaurant as “a tool for the common good”, raising money for the hungry and sponsoring seminars on racism, the environment and social change. Thanksgiving Coffee Company invests a share of its revenues in community development among the Central American villages that grow its coffee beans.  It pays Fair Trade prices for coffee from small farmers cooperatives, which is often three to six times as much as regular prices.

   

Prayer and Meditation in the Workplace

Many people use prayer at work for several reasons:  for guidance in decision-making, to prepare for difficult situations, when they are going through a tough time, or to give thanks for something good.  Timberland Shoes CEO Jeffrey B. Swartz uses his prayer book and religious beliefs to guide business decisions and company policy, often consulting his rabbi.  Kris Kalra, CEO of BioGenex uses the Hindu holy text, The Bhagavad Gita, to steer his business out of trouble. 

The ABC Evening News reported that The American Stock Exchange has a Torah study group; Boeing has Christian, Jewish and Muslim prayer groups; Microsoft has an on-line prayer service. There is a “Lunch and Learn” Torah class in the banking firm of Sutro and Company inWoodland Hills, CA. New York law firm Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays and Haroller features Tallmud studies.  Koran classes, as well as other religious classes, are featured at defense giant Northrop Gumnan. Wheat International Communications in Reston, Virginia has morning prayers open to all employees, but not required.  Spiritual study groups at noon are sometimes called “Higher Power Lunches”—instead of the usual “power lunches.”

In addition to prayer and study groups, other spiritual practices at companies include meditation; centering exercises such as deep breathing to reduce stress; visioning exercises; building shared values; active, deep listening; making action and intention congruent; and using intuition and inner guidance in decision-making. According to a study at Harvard Business School published in The Harvard Business Review, business owners credit 80% of their success to acting on their intuition.

Meditation classes are now held at many major corporations, such as Medtronic, Apple, Google, Yahoo, McKinsey, Hughes Aircraft, IBM, Hughes Aircraft, Cisco, Raytheon.

Medtronic, which sells medical equipment, pioneered a meditation center at headquarters 20 years ago, and it remains open to all employees today.  Medtronic founder Bill George says the purpose of business is “to contribute to a just, open and sustainable society.”  He describes a “virtuous circle” whereby motivated, satisfied employees produce satisfied customer, which produce good financial results, which benefit the shareholders.  Each year, six customers share their personal stories with employees, sharing how the company’s products have saved their life or that of loved ones, and this inspiration fuels the passion and commitment of employees.

Apple Computer’s offices in California have a meditation room and employees are actually given a half hour a day on company time to meditate or pray, as they find it improves productivity and creativity.  A former manager who is now a Buddhist monk leads regular meditations there.  Aetna International Chairman Michael A. Stephen praises the benefits of meditation and talks with Aetna employees about using spirituality in their careers. Avaya, a global communications firm that is a spin-off of Lucent/AT& T, has a room set aside for prayer and meditation that is especially appreciated by Muslims, as they must pray five times a day.

Prentice-Hall publishing company created a meditation room at their headquarters which they call the “Quiet Room, where employees can sit quietly and take a mental retreat when they feel too much stress on the job. Sounds True in Colorado, which produces audio and video tapes, has a meditation room, meditation classes and begins meetings with a moment of silence. Employees can take Personal Days to attend retreats or pursue other spiritual interests. Greystone Bakery in upstate New York has a period of meditative silence before meetings begin so people can get in touch with their inner state and focus on the issues to be discussed.

Lotus founder and CEO Mitch Kapor practices Transcendental Meditation and named his company after a word for enlightenment. A research project by Prof. Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin at Pomega, a biotechnology company that had a very high-stress workplace, found a mindfulness meditation training produced astonishing results in reducing stress and generating positive feelings.

Paula Madison at WNBC TV in New York City prays before each show and says she became the number one news show in the area when she increased coverage of spiritual stories. 

Apparel manufacturer Patagonia provides yoga classes for employees on their breaks, as does Avaya telecommunications.  A Spiritual Unfoldment Society has been meeting regularly at The World Bank for years, with lectures on topics such as meditation and reincarnation.

Executives of Xerox have gone on week-long retreats led by Marlowe Hotchkiss of the Ojai Foundation to learn a Native American model of council meetings and experience vision quests. The vision quests inspired one manager with the idea to create Xerox’s hottest seller, a 97% recyclable machine.

The CEO of Rockport Shoes, Angel Martinez, talks openly of the spiritual mission of his company and encourages employees to spend work time envisioning ways to express their deepest selves in their work.  Companies such as Evian spring water have successfully used spirituality in their advertising, as for example: “Your body is the temple of your spirit.”

The Service-Master Company, with six million customers world-wide, provides cleaning, maintenance, lawncare and food services, and puts its spiritual values upfront in its annual report.  It begins with a biblical quote, “Each of us should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Corporations are increasingly hiring chaplains to support their employees, as they are good listeners and quick responders in crises, and can serve people of any (or no) faith. Tyson’s Foods, for example, has 127- part-time chaplains in 76 sites, and Coca-Cola Bottling has 25 chaplains serving employees at 58 sites. Fast food companies such as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut hire chaplains from many faiths to minister to employees with problems, and credit them with reducing turnover rates by one half.

Marketplace Ministries, based in Dallas, TX serves 268 firms in 35 states. Fellowship of Companies for Christ International based in Atlanta has 1500 member companies around the world. They promote “The importance and practice of prayer in company decisions; a commitment to excellence; following Jesus’ example of focusing on people, not things. “Do unto others in the workplace as you would have them do unto you,” is what they strive for. 

 

Why Spirituality Is Popular

SPIRITUALITY AND ETHICS IN BUSINESS - Why Spirituality is Popular

Why all the sudden interest in spirituality at work?  Researchers point to several key factors. Corporate downsizing and greater demands on remaining workers has left them too tired and stressed to be creative--at the same time that globalization of markets requires more creativity from employees. To survive into the 21st Century, organizations must offer a greater sense of meaning and purpose for their workforce. In today’s highly competitive environment, the best talent seeks out organizations that reflect their inner values and provide opportunities for personal development and community service, not just bigger salaries. Unlike the marketplace economy of 20 years ago, today’s information and services-dominated economy requires instantaneous decision-making and building better relationships with customers and employees.

Also, spending more time at work means there is less time available for religious activities. The New York Times recently reported that a growing number of companies are allowing employees to hold religion classes at work. This accommodates busy professionals who are pressed for time and afraid they have abandoned their faith. Many people are feeling more comfortable in the public expression of their faith.  

Another factor in the popularity of spirituality at work is the fact that there are more women in the workplace today, and women tend to focus on spiritual values more often than men. The aging of the large baby boom generation is also a contributor, as boomers find materialism no longer satisfies them and they begin to fear their own mortality.

95% of Americans say they believe in God or a universal spirit, and 48% say they talked about their religious faith at work that day, according to a 1999 Gallup poll published in Business Week.