At both school and at home, I lost myself in books.

Fiction was a way for me to escape into another world. I would lose myself and all my shame, insecurity, and fear in those books. I would let time slip away in the pages of other worlds. Reading was a life long gift I grew to cherish.

But prayer and meditation aren't only in the realm of religion. I'd say neither is God, for that matter, brother Matt. What it's about is finding a peaceful center, even when we think that life is totally whack!

Get it out. The pain doesn't have as much power when you share it.

Spiritual assets allow us to see more clearly, love more deeply, and act more courageously.

Spiritual assets make us more resilient to the trauma and difficult experiences life inevitably throws at us.Since spiritual assets bring us closer to our Higher Power, we do not face the difficulties alone, and we may find a greater purpose and meaning within the stress & trauma. When we lean on our spiritual assets to get us through, the traumatic event becomes less destructive. Instead, it becomes transformative; we see the difficulties in a new light.