A More Beautiful LifeSample

Empower Yourself

When it comes to personal awareness and self-evaluation, I use three words to keep me grounded: mind, heart, and soul.

Of these three elements, the soul is perhaps the most difficult to define. But we talk about it all the time. We find soul mates, do soul-searching, and have soul sisters. People have been known to bare their souls, sell their souls, and lose their souls. There are gentle souls, old souls, satisfied souls, and hungry souls. For as little as we understand it, culturally it seems we all agree it’s an important part of who we are.

When we discuss the soul here, I’m talking about the higher self, the part of us that feels connected to something bigger than we are. This is your intuition—the gut instinct that just knows—and your sense of purpose in the world.

Our souls are an influential part of who we are. You could think of your soul as a majority shareholder, a board member with a controlling interest in our lives. Our souls have a lot of sway in how we feel, think, and live. But they’re quiet and easily forgotten. And many of us are ignoring our souls.

We all have a soul, and many of our souls are desperate for refreshment. So many souls wander this planet, feel lonely or disconnected, and wonder why they’re here or if any of this matters. A well-kept soul is a deep well from which we can draw strength when we face challenges.

It is in our souls that we feel connection and purpose. We can discount the spiritual, the unseen, but I remind myself humans have only recently begun to overlook the spiritual part of our lives. In the outside world, things may not be going as planned, but in my inner world, I feel a deep sense that I am safe and everything will be okay. With regular soul-tending, we will feel anchored in the midst of chaos.

I don’t know about you, but I thought they had gone off the deep end when someone first suggested meditation to me. I thought I knew what meditation was, but I didn’t understand the benefits to the human body. So, I wrote it off. Big mistake. This practice involves quieting our thoughts, bodies, and breathing. Meditation taught me how to let things go and allow thoughts to pass without judgment or unhealthy emotion. On the floor or in a chair, focused on our breath, we give our bodies a reset. Even if you’re in your office, trying to work but up to your ears in ankle-biters, that minute of breathing is a gift to your body. Skeptics, you don’t have to go to yoga; there are lots of meditation podcasts. And I say you get triple the impact if you couple it with prayer. Psalm 143:1 says, “LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.” When I pray, before I panic, I may still panic, but my mind, emotions, and spirit are better prepared for battle. Meditation over medication.

Give prayer a try, even if you don’t consider yourself a spiritual person. I think God listens to everybody, even if we’re not talking to Him. Prayer is nothing but a reverent pause and an admission that we know we are not in control.

Plugging into a spiritual community might also serve you well. It is reassuring to feel and know we are part of something bigger and not alone in the journey.

At the end of the day, it’s not that we just want a more beautiful life. We want to be seen, heard, known, and loved. This feeds into our desire for connection, confidence, and an even deeper need for purpose and peace. It may feel like a detour to shift your focus from ambitions to an inner world, but it’s not. I promise.

You might be worried your life is too messy or unfixable. Not true. God loves you so much, that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to the cross to save us from our messy, sin-filled lives. He’s waiting for you. Call on Him today.

Respond

Have you “tended your soul” today? Describe how.

Write a brief prayer to God sharing your worries and/or joys today.

Prayer

Father, you see me, know me, and love me. Thank You for hearing my prayers.