One of the core themes in One Love is the Journey of Spirituality. But what exactly does that mean? To us, it is the ongoing effort to learn how to maximize your energy. We define spirituality as the use of energy for health, happiness, and overall well being. Whether you are conscious of it or not, everything you do aims toward this goal. It touches every part of your life—how your body develops, where you work, who your partner is, the food you eat, the exercise you do, and even the quality of your sleep. It influences what you drink and the activities or sports you participate in.

Practices Along the Journey

The Journey of Spirituality includes meditation, ritual, being present, and planning for the future. Different stages of life call for different practices. You meditate to relax and go within. You use ritual because it gives meaning to life and simplifies your experience. You work on being present to observe what is happening around you. You plan for the future using the symbolic formula 11:11, which represents Love, Light, Life, and Living, God’s Love and Light creating life and the ability to live.

Expanding 11:11 Through V-MAP

We have expanded the meaning of 11:11 to include V-MAP: your Vision, which requires a Mission and Implementation or Action to produce a Product. This framework embraces the intentional, mental, emotional, and physical planes of energy. Everything that produces a result follows some form of V-MAP. We are writing a book about this concept with many examples, from running a business to buying groceries for a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or holiday dinner with family and friends.

Exercise as a Spiritual Practice

We also view exercise as a spiritual practice because movement builds your mitochondria, which provide energy to your cells. Modern life creates stress, and our food, city lights, and busy environments add to the strain. Mitochondria are often the first part of the body that need support. Enhancing them is an act of spirituality.

Restoring Your Natural Rhythm

For people struggling with energy, restoring your circadian rhythm is essential. Many of us disrupt our natural rhythms by working late, waking during the night, or not getting enough sunlight because of our jobs or lifestyle. Correcting this can be challenging. Doctors often don’t know what to do beyond prescribing pills, but the real solution comes from understanding how you have used, or misused, your energy over time.

Personal Lessons in Energy Balance

For example, while writing One Love, I often woke up at 2 a.m. to exercise and write. Although I went back to sleep afterward, it threw my system off, and I later had to correct my body’s rhythm. It was not easy, and ultimately became a spiritual act. Working too long or living under constant stress can also disrupt your energy. Addressing these issues is part of discovering your spirituality.

Spirituality at the End of Life

I have a friend who is nearing the end of life, and helping them balance their energy has become another spiritual act. People call this stage many things, mourning, a celebration of life, paying respects, but it helps to understand it as part of the Journey of Spirituality. At its core, it is about using your energy in the proper way, for your own benefit and for your peace.