The "What" and "How" of Soulfulness

When it comes to feeding our souls, the issue is not so much what we do, it’s how we go about it. Doing an activity “soulfully” makes all the difference in how we experience it. By “soulful” I mean to be in touch with the joy, the meaningfulness and the beauty of what we are doing.

Here's an example. There are several ways to hike. You can hike for exercise and walk fast enough to get your heart rate high. You can hike competitively and try to beat other hikers to your destination. Or you can hike soulfully, appreciating the beauty of where you are, enjoying the activity for itself, and feeling gratitude that you can do this.

When we are soulful about what we are doing, we connect with such emotions as awe, gratitude and joy. And when this happens, we can take one more step and direct these emotions toward their creator and source.

Our souls are not only fed by being still and quiet, they are also be fed by movement. For it is in God that we live and move and have our being. In fact, for some persons, being outwardly active actually quiets and calms the soul within.

What is needed is a kind of balance in our spiritual lives between being and doing, between being active and being still. Yet, the balance doesn’t have to be 50/50. The balancing point can be different for each of us. Our need is to find that balance.

So how do we do this? Here’s a suggestion. Take some time today to reflect on what truly feeds your soul. The clues to answering this are: What brings you deep joy? What energizes you? What are you doing when you feel a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction? Reflecting on these questions can point the way to living soulfully.