Sociology Assignment: Reflection on Foster's Spiritual Disciplines

This assignment is a reflection on Richard Foster's eight spiritual disciplines: meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. The author explores each discipline, providing personal experiences and insights gained from practicing them. The reflection discusses the impact of meditation on clarity and peace, the role of prayer in personal transformation, the benefits of fasting for self-purification, the value of study for knowledge and creativity, the importance of simplicity for reducing anxiety, the power of solitude for self-awareness, the significance of submission for handling life's challenges, and the fulfillment derived from service to others. The author supports their reflections with references to Foster's book and other relevant sources.

RUNNING HEAD: SOCIOLOGY 0
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FOSTER’S 8 SPRITUAL DICISIPLINES : REFLECTION

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Reflection on eight spiritual Disciplines by Richard Foster
Meditation-
According to foster, Meditation is not a psychological trick but rather a strong connection with
god which is characterized by loving and praising god and asking for continuous forgiveness. It is about
being conscious of God presence. My experience in practicing mediation has been great as I could feel
the good amount of clarity and peace in all the areas of life. It had brought all the materialistic desires
under my control where I was able to navigate worries and negativity of my life in the best possible
manner (Afsar & Masood, 2018) (Foster, 2017, pp. 10-15).
Prayer-
According to foster, Prayer is all about change, anybody who is willing to change will pray to do
so. The prayer brings an individual closer to god thus easing out his way towards positive transformation
in all areas life. As a student, I practiced the discipline of player for about a week and noticed a positive
change in my personality as I was able to cope with my emotions very well and things seem under
controlled. There was the sense of peace and composure in all the undertakings of life (Foster, 2017, pp.
16-20).
Fasting-
According to foster, Fasting is about abstaining oneself from all types of food including liquid for
the purpose of self-purification (Bonsón, 59-77). He believes fasting opens the door for spirituality thus
enhancing the connection with the god. In my experience, I did one day fast, consecutively for two days
and that made me feel quite lighter psychologically and physically. I could also feel the sense of relief
and peace in all the undertakings of life. Moreover, my gratitude for life increased three folds, as I was
able to understand the importance of food and was grateful for every morsel (Foster, 2017, pp. 21-26).
Study-
According to foster, Study is the type of concentration on a specified object or thing with the
genuine purpose to gain knowledge from it (Saikia, 2015). It is about focusing on a certain direction so
that knowledge from it could be gained. As a student, I genuinely practiced the habit of studying where
I started reading one of my favorite fiction books that gave me a sense of direction and infused my brain
with high level of creativity. The reading of the book permitted the formation of new thoughts and
helped me in understanding the ways of tackling it. it has also permitted the good level of peace and
understanding in me (Foster, 2017, pp. 29-32).
Simplicity-
According to foster, simplicity is freedom while duplicity is bondage, he believes that simplicity
brings balance and joy in one’s life while duplicity brings fear and anxiety. It is the way of life, for those
who want to live a happy and fulfilling life. As a student, I tried stripping off with excessive things for a
week. For example, I deactivated my social media account, stopped going for a shopping, and got rid of

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my accessories by donating it. I realized that I was more fulfilled and happy with this simple lifestyle as it
took away from my mind excessive burden of negativity and anxiety (Foster, 2017, pp. 33-37).
Solitude-
According to Foster, solitude is all about making peace with oneself where an individual is happy
on his own. It is about connecting with the inner part of oneself where a person is able to get the things
done (Afsar & Masood, 2018). In my experience, I practiced solitude for a week’s time where I was able
to connect myself with my though process. The power of solitude gave me immense understanding
about my thought process where I was able to direct my negativity to positivity after analyzing the utility
of the thought. It helped me in cheering myself up during tough times (Foster, 2017, pp. 43-39).
Submission-
According to foster, the act of submission is about considering the God’s decision in every
aspect of life without forgetting to take action (Arasaratnam, 2014). It is about considering the fact that
everything happens for good or seeing the positive aspect of the situation. In my experience, the act of
submission had been quite good in reliving me for the anxieties of the day. In past, I failed in one of my
papers miserably in which I worked really hard. The failure got stuck in my head but due to the act of
submission, I was able to turn that failure into success by good action (Foster, 2017, pp. 49-44).
Service-
According to foster, the true aspect of service is doing good for the humanity with pure
intention. I tried practicing the concept of service where I worked with the NGOs who work for
homeless people of the society. The act of serving gave me true happiness and joy in life I never felt
much fulfilled than ever before (Foster, 2017, pp. 50-54).

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Bibliography
Afsar, B., & Masood, M. (2018). Transformational leadership, creative self-efficacy, trust in supervisor,
uncertainty avoidance, and innovative work behavior of nurses. The Journal of Applied
Behavioral Science , 36-61.
Arasaratnam, L. A. (2014). A discussion of multiculturalism in Australia from educators’ perspective.
SpringerPlus , 36.
Bonsón, E. R. (59-77). Facebook use in Western European local governments: An overall view. Springer ,
2016.
Foster, R. J. (2017). Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. New York: Hovel audio.
Saikia, B. (2015). Prediction of extubation failure in newborns, infants and children: brief report of a
prospective (blinded) cohort study at a tertiary care paediatric centre in India. Springerplus ,
757-858.