Listening to the Soul

Listening to the soul is the fourth and final component of what I call, Working it Out, Within. Listening to the soul is mainly about spirituality. I believe that we each have a spiritual side. It is that component that drives us to find meaning for our lives and to live as fully as we possibly can. For some, it has to do with believing in a higher power or God. For others, spirituality is about how they view their connection to the environment, nature, other people, and the world as a whole. I do encourage others to find a way to celebrate their spirit, because I believe that this is the piece that ultimately gives our lives true meaning. However, I do not believe in telling others how to do this for themselves. This is a decision that we each must make on our own, and it is very individualized as well as very personal.

Having said that, I will explain what I mean by listening to the soul. Listening to the soul is about tuning into your self, your voice, your intuition, and your guide. Whatever it is that directs your life, that shows you what your purpose is, that is what I mean by listening to the soul. When we listen to the soul, trust its wisdom, and follow its guidance, that is when we are living authentically and deliberately.

When we learn to listen to the soul, we learn to pay attention and trust. We learn to let go of what we believe we want or need in life, and trust that what we have, where we are, and who we have become are sufficient. It is about having faith in the idea that there is something to be learned in each moment, whatever that moment might be. It is about understanding that wherever we are in our lives, whatever is happening around us or to us, is exactly what we are supposed to be experiencing. It is about learning how to go with the flow of our life and let the events, situations, feelings, sensations, intuitions, and thoughts, guide us towards our purpose.

Yes, I believe we each have a purpose here on this Earth. I believe that the point of each of our lives is to find that purpose. I believe that we each have specific and individual talents, skills, abilities, and personalities that make us unique. Going through life automatically and unconsciously, is not living deliberately. And if we are not living deliberately, we are not living our purpose.

Not long ago I was living in the Southern part of the United States. I grew up there, I love the area, and all of my family and friends are located there. However, there was something inside of me telling me to venture out. I felt this continuous nagging that I needed to try something new and different. I felt as if there was much more to my life then what I was giving it at that point. Things were going pretty well there, and I was not unhappy by any means, but I felt somewhat stuck and stagnant.

Not too long after those feelings began, my partner was offered a job in the Northeastern part of the United States. When the reality of a possible move really set in, it was very frightening. I knew it would be a huge change for me and for us. However, something deep down told me that we needed to try this.

For the most part, everyone I told about our impending move from the South to the North, reacted with “why? Even today as I meet people in our new town and I tell them we moved here from the South, they ask, “why? After explaining many times that I have always lived in the South and needed a change, or that we moved because my partner was offered a great job opportunity here, I have come to the realization that those are all specific reasons why we moved. However, for me, the reason for moving was much broader then that. I wanted to live my life deliberately, and I was not doing that anymore. It was too comfortable, too safe. I wasn't experiencing new things, I wasn't pushing or testing myself. It was all very familiar. Moving to a completely different place not only has provided me with new experiences and opportunities, it has propelled me out of my safety zone and more deeply into my life. Now I find that I really have no choice but to try new things and take new risks. Change is not a bad thing,but for some reason we as humans fear it immensely.

Since moving here, I almost feel like a new person. Do I miss my hometown? Of course I do. I miss everything about it, mostly my family and friends. However, I love the new challenges I face each day. Some days are much harder than others. But I am trying very hard to take each moment as it comes, to live in the present without judging or comparing it to my former life. I want to just experience things and in the process learn more about myself. I have also found that I am pushing myself more then I ever have before, and it is a feeling of empowerment that I love. Sometimes it seems that my life would have been easier had I stayed where I was. But is life supposed to be easy? I found that it is okay if life is hard at times, because it is during those times that I learn the most about myself, and grow and develop further into the person I am supposed to be. I have learned to trust this.

The focus of my work through coaching is to help other people live their lives authentically and deliberately. I know the joy of following your passion and living your purpose. I know how rewarding it is. I also know how hard it is to allow yourself to trust your soul and believe in what it directs you to do. Does everyone have to move, change jobs, or change relationships to find their passion? No, of course not. The process is different for each one of us. But the important thing is that we learn how to be quiet, tune into that voice inside of us, and really pay attention. It is also about learning to trust and have faith that things will work out the way they are meant too, even if the end result is not what we imagined it would be. I find that having certain expectations is one of the reasons we become disappointed, frustrated, or even angry with our lives. We go into most situations with an expectation of how it will turn out, and when it turns out differently we become disenchanted and usually move on, or say we have made a mistake. When in actuality, who said that the experience would turn out the way we thought it would in the first place? The way it turned out, is the way it was supposed to turn out. Learning how to accept things for what they are, instead of placing judgment on them can save us from a lot of headaches and heartaches.

This month, I challenge you to open your mind, heart, and soul. Pay attention when you have strong feelings, certain sensations, or when you feel a tug in a certain direction, these are clues and they are very important. They represent your soul trying to show you and guide you towards your purpose in life. When you live your purpose, you live authentically and deliberately. What other way is there to live your best life?