Lessons from the Gita, Stoics, and Tao: The Spiritual Battery
I don’t belong to one faith, but wisdom has a way of finding you. The Bhagavad Gita, the Stoics, and the Tao Te Ching all speak in different voices, yet their messages echo the same truths: live with purpose, act without ego, and find strength in humility and flow.
These lessons shape how I think about resilience, especially when it comes to the most elusive of my four batteries: the Spiritual Battery.
This is the one that powers meaning. It’s the battery that asks not what we’re doing, but why.
When it runs low, life can look successful on the outside but feel strangely hollow within. When it’s charged, there’s a congruence — a sense that your actions and your values are in sync, that you’re living life rather than just passing through it.
Living with Congruence
I have written about this in more detail previously and I’ve come to realise that resilience isn’t just about having more energy — it’s about having the right energy. For me, that means checking whether my calendar reflects my values as much as my obligations.
Am I showing up in a way that matches the principles I say matter most? Am I giving my best time to the people and projects that deserve it? When the answer is yes, my Spiritual Battery feels topped up. When it’s no, no amount of gym sessions or clever problem-solving makes up for the drain.
Religion Without Labels
I’ve never fitted neatly into one religious tradition, but I’ve found wisdom scattered across many of them. The Bhagavad Gita reminds me to act with purpose and without ego. Stoicism, through thinkers like Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus, offers the quiet strength of focusing only on what we can control. The Tao Te Ching teaches flow — the idea that sometimes the most powerful act is to stop forcing and simply allow.
None of these are about dogma. They’re about tuning into universal truths that echo across traditions: humility, compassion, courage, and the reminder that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.
For me, that’s what spiritual recharge is — not labels, but lessons.
Ganesha - Remover of obstacles….
The Quiet I Keep Trying to Find
I’ll admit this: stillness doesn’t come easily to me. I can climb hills, hit the gym, read widely, and debate with mentors — but ask me to sit in silence for ten minutes and my mind whirs like a washing machine.
And yet, when I do manage it, something shifts. The noise settles, space opens, perspective creeps in. My Spiritual Battery ticks up a notch. I may never be a natural at quiet, but I’ve learned that the trying is as important as the achievement.
Connection and Perspective
Some of the richest recharges come not from solitude but from people. My non-executive work, time with older friends, and conversations with mentors all add a spiritual dimension too. It’s not just advice they share — it’s perspective.
They remind me that legacy is built slowly, that wisdom often wears wrinkles, and that life is best lived with others in mind. These moments don’t just fill the Social Battery — they nourish the Spiritual one too.
Perspective…..
The Pay-Off
Since giving this battery more attention, I’ve noticed a different kind of resilience. Not louder, not faster — but steadier. The days feel less like a race to achieve and more like an opportunity to align.
Because here’s the truth: when the Spiritual Battery is empty, even success can feel hollow. But when it’s charged, even struggle can feel meaningful.
Next time, I’ll turn to the final part of this series: the Social Battery — how the energy we share with others can drain us or lift us, and why connection is as vital as any gym session or good book.
