What does it mean to be soulful or spiritual?

I am often asked what I mean when I refer to spirituality or soul in the context of life at work, at home, at play, or in a relationship. This is what I mean.

For me, soul or spirit (and I will use them interchangeably from now on) describes the Essential, Innate Force or Energy that lives within each human being. Being poignant or spiritual, then, means living one’s life according to a deeper meaning that results from a lifelong practice of self-reflection, inquiry, and exploration.

Heartwarming moments

No one that I know of lives life spiritually 24/7/365. However, many spiritual people experience moments of joy, fellowship, connection, love, compassion, gratitude, and silence, etc. in which they “transcend” their ego-personality self. In this spiritual place, these people experience a kind of “knowledge”, a kind of “connection” with the entire Universe where they access a “wisdom”, where they really “see” life from this broader dimension or perspective, where all ego-based “masks” and false appearances fade. These moments are not “mental”. These moments are more like being “in the zone” where we know how to do, be and have, but not from a “mind” directed perspective. In this place, we are “crazy”.

Spirituality in the “real world”

Experiencing shock or spirituality in the real world, at 9:00 AM on Monday, means treating others with dignity and respect, kindness and compassion. It means that we respect the world and all that the world contains – its abundance of plant and animal life – by not polluting, destroying or degrading the planet’s flora or fauna with our daily decisions about how we live and work. Spirituality means telling the truth, being responsible, responsible, and forthright with all those we deal with – at work, at home, at play, and in relationship – acting with complete openness and honesty.

Soulfulness means coming from a place of balance and harmony, a balance or alignment between what we think, feel, say and do. And adopting an Internal Approach to prioritize our life – work life, family life, personal life – in the search for activities that nurture and enrich every aspect of our life. That we choose, honestly, sincerely and responsibly, to focus on the well-being of our mind, body and spirit.

Spirituality means that we choose to live life as stewards of the planet, that we come from a place of “us”, not “me”, and we continually reflect, and then act on what “we” want and need, how we “want” . “We want to be recognized and appreciated, and how ‘we’ can contribute to the well-being of all of us. As delegates, we explore how we can make a difference for the greater good and how we serve to enhance the well-being of others.

Passion and purpose are the hallmark of shock – our heart drives and guides us. When we live from a heart-based place, then we are frank, honest, sincere, and upright at work, at home, at play, and in relationships, without dishonesty, shortcuts, collusion, deception, or dishonesty. We live from a place of joy, enthusiasm, appreciation, collaboration, and community.

Ingenuity, inventiveness, imagination, discovery, creativity, and innovation are soulful and spiritual engines. We look for new ways of doing and being. We exude boldness and initiative. We are open to new ideas and we are continuous lifelong learners. Continual self-awareness is paramount.

Finally, shock and spirituality is about being mindful, in our thoughts, words, and actions. We seek a growing awareness of our motives and values. We are intentional in every moment. We see the “truth” of what is happening and we know the difference between the “truth” and our projections and fantasies that we make believe are the truth. Consciousness is the lifelong process of increasing self-awareness about “who I am”, “how I am” and “what am I here to do with my life”, always seeking to bring our unconscious self to consciousness.

My view is that our life at work, at home, at play, and in relationships is served more honestly and truly rewarding when we focus on the ethics, values, integrity, and principles that emanate from this place. of the soul or of the spirit.

So some questions for self-reflection are:

• Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how does your spirituality develop in your life at work, at home, at play, and in relationships?
• Have you ever felt that you want to make a difference? If so, how would that difference be?
• Do you feel that your self-esteem is defined by your net worth?
• What do you feel the planet demands of you?
• Are you a change maker? How is that?
• How do you nurture your mind, body, and spirit?
• Does your life reflect harmony?
• What is it that you don’t know about yourself?
• Have you ever reflected on your spiritual nature?
• What is necessary for your spiritual growth and development?
• Have you ever felt guilty about not doing the things necessary for your spiritual growth?
• How much time do you spend on self-reflection?
• What was your experience around spirituality (that is, not religion or theology) like when you were growing up?
• Can you imagine a world where people’s motives and intentions are based on spirituality?