These eight words have dramatically changed how I see myself and the relationship I have with myself and others.
Read them again.
You are a soul. You have a body.
What if this were true?
Would it change anything for you?
If you believed that you are a soul who wears their body as a garment, how would you treat yourself?
Would you change the way you think about yourself?
Would you change the way you think about others?
Would you think that you were 100% worthy?
Would you change the way you speak to yourself?
Would you stop the criticism and negative self-talk?
Would you stop beating yourself up?
Would you change how you speak to others?
Would you be more careful about what you eat?
Would you be more careful about what you read?
Would you be more careful about what you watch?
Would you be more careful about how you spend your time?
Would you be more careful about who you surround yourself with?
What nourishes a soul?
Our generation has more comfort, convenience, technology, wisdom than any other generation that has come before us, yet we seem to suffer more.
Why?
Maybe we forgot that we are souls and not just bodies.
Maybe we spend too much time focusing on our physical health and wellbeing and not enough time focusing on our spiritual or soul health.
A healthy body depends on a healthy soul. You can’t have one without the other. We have to pay attention to both.
Just like the body is nourished by certain foods, the soul also needs nourishment.
That nourishment includes an awareness of one’s mission in life as well as an awareness of something greater than itself, a connection to something bigger that gives the soul the ability to carry out that mission.
Do you know who you are?
Do you know why you’re here?
If each of us spent some time answering these critical questions, we would be doing the work of nourishing our soul.
It may take a lifetime to answer these questions or it may take just a moment if you pay close attention and sit with yourself in silence and really listen.
I first learned this amazing technique to help uncover your soul’s mission from a class I attended a few years ago given by the great inspirational speaker, Nili Couzens. I was recently reminded about it again by another great motivator and speaker, Eve Levy. Both of these women are incredible mentors to me (even if I never met one of them). This is my slight tweak on their teaching.
To help discover your mission in life, ask yourself the following three questions, or what I call the three Ps:
- What are your presents? What are you really good at? What are your gifts? What are your talents? Write them down.
- What is your passion? What do you love to do? What gives you great pleasure? Write this down as well.
- What is your paradise moment? What one or few memories stand out in your life where all time and space is gone? What moment in time do you recall where you could just be in that moment forever and ever. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Write this down as well.
Now imagine one of those Venn diagrams that we learned about back in school where you draw circles that overlap. Imagine each of the 3 Ps as its own circle.
Where do these three Ps overlap?
Where are the commonalities between your presents, your passion, and your paradise moment?
You may just have stumbled upon your life’s mission. At least for this season of your life.
This is an exercise that can be done again and again as your mission may evolve or change with time.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
Need help finding your purpose? I would be honored to help you do this meaningful work of finding your life mission and creating a path to achieve it. Click on the link below to schedule a free 30 min Zoom meeting with me.
