Soul

Tending to the intangibles....

What lights you up? What feeds your soul? Okay, so maybe no one else gets your passion for your version of a re-charge, but who cares? Or maybe they do. For some it might be wind-surfing. For some it’s gardening. For some it’s spending time in silent retreat. For some it’s hanging out with animals. For someone else it might be home DIY projects… or a spate of bread-baking, or prepping a huge pot of gumbo! For others it’s music— or attending services at their church, temple or mosque. There are as many versions of “feeding the soul” as there are folks— and every single one of them is as valid and important. You might say that the soul and the spirit are one in the same— although the word “soul” contains within it the suggestion of heart…. which makes those seemingly intangible elements more immediate and earth-bound. Connection is the critical aspect— the thing that makes it so. What cements me to feeling more a part of this glorious Universe— this Divine Spirit? Well, it can be many different things— sitting in meditation, communing with animals, walking in the woods, paddling on the lake, sitting quietly in a particularly resonant architectural space, singing along to favorite music… All of these things renew and inspire— and send me back into regular life energized, happy and present. If you’re lucky, maybe you get a whole day to do what feeds your soul! But even if you only have an hour, make the most of it. It’s tempting to spend all our waking moments taking care of everybody else, getting stuff done, being “productive”… when really what we need is a little time to recharge and reinvigorate soul and spirit— whether by ourselves or in community. Whatever that thing is— “your bliss,” Joseph Campbell famously said— be sure to carve out space for it on a regular basis. The reward will be tenfold the time invested! And will leave you with even more to give— deeper connection, richer experience and a contented heart.

All my best to you— :D