Why Growth Is a Spiritual Practice
Future Rise Newsletter #56 | March 17th (2026)
One of the biggest misunderstandings about spirituality is the
belief that it requires less of us: less ambition, less desire, less pursuit.
When in reality, the most spiritual thing you can ever do is
become the fittest, most loving, and most resourced version of yourself - not only for the outcomes themselves, but for who you
become along the way.
Being physically strong and healthy is not only about aesthetics or
achievement. It is about who you must be on the days you don't feel
like working out, the moments where discomfort shows up, and when
you choose discipline over emotion, plan over mood, and long-
term results over short-term relief.
This capacity to stay steady when things are hard, to follow through
when resistance is loud, is the same capacity that makes exceptional
leaders. These are people, like you and me, who don't crumble under
pressure, and who can make difficult decisions because they
understand what is at stake.
The same is true for love. Deep, meaningful relationships begin with
the willingness to love yourself fully, and this requires facing every
story, belief, and inherited narrative that tells you why you should
withhold that love. When you are closed-off to yourself, you are closed-
off to others. When you soften towards yourself, you expand your
capacity to meet others with presence, care, and honesty.
And then there is money, the point where resistance often speaks the
loudest. Money in the hands of good people does not corrupt, it
amplifies. Resources allow you to support others, provide scholarships,
help neighbors, and create stronger, more loving communities. Wanting
more does not make you less humble or less kind. Wanting less does
not make you more virtuous. It simply limits the reach of your impact.
Growth is spiritual because it expands who you are under
pressure and possibility.
Three Actionable Insights
1. Choose one moment of resistance each day and act in alignment
with your future self, not your current mood.
2. More discipline, self-love, and resources expand your capacity to
lead.
3. Your world improves through the version of you that you practice
daily.
Until next week...keep future rising