A Soul-full Life

 

We can live our lives in ignorance and pilot mode. We can distract ourselves from what truly matters and who we truly are. Living a disconnected life with self can lead to continuous restlessness and a lack of meaning and contentment in life. To live an authentic and meaningful life, one needs to connect with the soul and live by the soul.

How does one live by the soul?

Byron Brown, a spiritual teacher, tells us that one cannot be aware of the soul unless one is present to one’s own experience, unless one knows reality as it exists right now. Being present to one’s experience in the here and now becomes a window to the soul and to living an authentic and soulful life.

The task, however, is not easy. Past guilt and future worries can take over our capacity to be fully present. Sometimes, our inability to be present is not simply a lack of attention. We may avoid the present because being present brings us face to face with feelings, memories, fears, or questions we would rather not encounter. Psychology refers to this tendency as experiential avoidance—our attempt to escape, suppress, or control uncomfortable inner experiences. We may keep ourselves busy, distract ourselves, or constantly think about the past or future because the present moment asks us to encounter ourselves honestly.

Brown reminds us, “Presence is to the soul what wetness is to water… However, if you only look at water or only touch it with rubber gloves, you may not know that water is wet.” So it can be true of many of us that we may live our lives without really connecting with or feeling our soul.

Perhaps, then, living a soul-full life begins with the courage to stop running from our own experience. It invites us to become still, to notice what is happening within us, and to remain present even when what we encounter is uncomfortable. In that presence, we may begin to hear the deeper voice of the soul and discover what truly gives our life meaning.

Notes

Brown, B. (1999). Soul without shame: A guide to liberating yourself from the judge within. Anchor Books.

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.