It is only through mystery and madness that the soul is revealed.
~ Thomas Moore
It was years ago that the author, Thomas Moore, wrote the above quote. Given the current state of the world, it is more apparent than ever that we are supposed to dive deeply to access our inner wisdom so our souls can be fully revealed. Only then will we be guided through the next chapter of our lives.
Our human condition is only as good as the state of our soul. And our soul is only as good as how well we manage and align our human c
ondition. Our experience is two-fold and one cannot thrive without the other. My high school volleyball coach drilled into our heads that the team was only as good as its weakest player. He was right. Those who didn’t practice or take the game seriously played a key role in every game we lost. The human condition and the soul go hand-in-hand and one does not exist well without the other. When we consciously choose to work on both, we thrive regardless of our circumstances.
To achieve soul health, we must remove the obstacles that get in the way of our alignment. We must clean out the soul static—the distractions and cumbersome aspects of life that prevent us from having what we want and what will help us to thrive. These obstacles include both internal and external impediments, which is why I often nudge people to look at what they tend to stumble over time and again. As mentioned in the last newsletter, sometimes it takes a “dark night of the soul” to help us evolve into the person we are truly meant to be. But until we shed the parts of us that no longer fit or benefit us, we will only remain the same.
A few weekends ago, I created my own stay-at-home retreat. I usually travel for my deeper and sustained soul searching quests but decided to create my own in the serenity of my home. I live in a quiet, wooded area with a lake behind my house, but it is still easy to forget
the need to go within when my own human condition keeps me so busy and distracted. For three and a half days, I vowed not to use technology—no television, radio, cd players, and no social media—nor talk to friends or family. Since it rained for two of those days, it made it easy to not leave the house. I spent the time in complete solitude, writing in my journal, reading spiritual books, taking long naps, pondering life, and working on a wood project meant for meditation, empowerment, and grounding. I cleared the soul static for the weekend; I removed any and all activities that would keep me away from my soul. I had prepared food ahead of time, so there was no need to cook and clean up afterward. I put off all my chores and responsibilities. I simply spent time with my soul.
What became clear is that I spend way too much time away from my inner ally. I busy myself in ways that aren’t necessary and, in fact, engage in activities that detract from the health of my soul. I’ve never watched much television, but I had found myself viewing mindless TV (mostly cooking competitions and home improvement shows) all of which steal my attention and get between me and my soul. I realized that over the last five or so years, I’ve spent far less time in meditation, have somehow gotten out of the habit of my morning ritual to call in my spirit guides, and have been absorbed by the responsibilities of the human condition. Although I went through a very expansive time in my spiritual development during my trips to Nepal, Bhutan, and the Galapagos Islands at the end of last year, I still found myself doing less on a day-to-day basis to stay connected to my soul.
What I know to be true is that the Universe creates opportunities to listen deeply, even if we don’t want to take or make the time for ourselves to do so. Since writing the last newsletter, Spirit gave me a huge reminder that I do, in fact, need to spend more time with my inner ally. At the end of September, I fell through the attic floor into my meditation room. I overstepped the plywood flooring by about six inches and punched right through the ceiling down to my hip. It happened so quickly that my brain had to catch up once I saw the blue walls of my sacred space below me. I scraped and deeply bruised the leg that had been injured in June, and although I wasn’t fully knocked back to square one, I was immediately certain that the Universe wanted me not to just slow down, but to stop completely. Hence the decision to create my stay-at-home retreat.
That weekend helped me see the need to reset my soul—to clear even more of the unnecessary “soul static” from my life. I’ve simplified my daily life even more and have restarted my morning ritual, my frequent journaling, and my time both in nature and Spirit. I’ve made it a priority to connect often with members of my soul group—those who are growing and learning together. I’ve eliminated much of the mindless TV and only watch the news to hear the headlines of what happened that day. I feel more tuned in as I’ve tuned out the static.
Will this last? I hope so. Will it take work? Without a doubt. Will the human condition do everything it can to pull me back out of alignment? I’m certain it will.
Thomas Moore also stated, “… to the soul, the most minute details and the most ordinary activities, carried out with mindfulness and art, have an effect far beyond their apparent significance.” What he meant is that when we simplify our lives and become more intentional and observant of every action we take, it makes such a big difference that our care of our soul becomes the top priority. It is in simplicity and quiet that our souls will soar. When we are surrounded by “static”, the very essence of who we are is muffled and our clarity is obscured.
What do you need to get out of the way to find and hear your soul? If our soul is the essence of who we are, then who are we if buried under the human condition?
Following are some tips to remove the soul static in your own life:
- Minimize television, music, podcasts, and social media in your life. Set limits on how much “soul static” you allow in, so you can let your soul come out.
- Schedule your own “off the grid” retreat, whether a day, a weekend, or more. Removing all unnecessary distractions will allow you to listen more deeply and fully to your soul.
- Do your work to heal the human condition. If you avoid taking care of old wounds, this only muffles the voice of your soul and keeps you from living a more aligned and radiant life.
- Create “space” for your soul daily. Even a five-minute meditation can help you access your inner wisdom.
- Observe your emotional reactions. These are cues from your soul that there is work to be done to resolve old issues or better align your life.
- Get honest with yourself—are you busying your life to feel important? Remember that there is nothing more important than hearing the voice of your soul.
All of us are being tested by the human condition right now. And we are about to be tested in ways we have never been tested before. It is already clear that COVID is making a strong and swift comeback and this wave is likely to be worse than the first. Regardless of whatever happens with the election, world, and natural events, and more, we all still have our individual human condition to deal with and manage.
Now is the time to make our inner ally our utmost priority. I’ve said for years that our soul will be our salvation in one way or another. We are being asked to examine our lives in a much deeper way than ever before and it is up to us to get to the bottom of who we really are—a vibrant, strong, and beautiful soul.
Will you take the opportunity to hear your soul?
There is nothing neutral about the soul. It is the seat and the source of life. Either we respond to what the soul presents in its fantasies and desires, or we suffer from this neglect of ourselves. ~ Thomas Moore
Recent Comments