- Grey hair.
- That extra 10 pounds.
- That unintended addiction, that you just woke up to months after you promised yourself that it was going to be just this once.
And maybe the results range from a slight feeling of standstill…to waking up on an operating table with stitches in your chest.
Whatever you define the soul to be, I think everyone can relate to the cooling of that aspect of yourself, that speaks the truths only we can hear.
That zone we can reach when we just don’t care as much anymore.
It is this part of us, that cools, when we go against our “true nature” for a sustained period.
When the dissonance of a dishonest life finally begins to annihilate any memory of who we truly are….and could become.
Cooling…Like….
- …the job that isn’t maximizing our humanity, potential, and talents.
- …the religious questions that we quietly ignore, because the discomfort of uncertainty is deemed more intolerable than the absurdity of the absolute.
- …the slow heart beat of one who imagines love, but can also easily acquiesce to convenience.
It is at this place of lukewarmness that the conscience makes its last-ditch effort at re-igniting the soul.
I’ve had to do some serious reflection, in order for me to heed the warnings…
And some warnings still go unheeded. But when they have…these inner suggestions have come in many ways…
Here are 19.
- Thankfulness. Remembering to be thankful. My problems are as they say…1st world problems.
- Mortality. Remembering my mortality. Pondering this cold fact, reminds me of the reality of death, and the urgency of living out-loud today.
- Responsibility. Accepting responsibility. Blaming may be more convenient, but changes little.
- Experimentation. A 30 day challenge may be the experiment for you. Shaking things up helps.
- Love Work. The way I see it…life is too short not to be uncomfortably excited about the work one does. I constantly have to remember to keep what work I do, connected to who I am. Waking up again, often simply means remembering this.
- New Conversations. I encounter this every time I walk in someone’s shoes, or listen through our differences in order to connect on a human level.
- Shut Up. Being quiet long enough to hear what you are trying to tell yourself.
- Music. Music seems to be the air that the soul needs. And a live concert or musical event usually take me somewhere I needed to go.
- A Good Book. A good book has often slowed me down long enough to stretch me into a new way of thinking.
- Poetry. Writing poetry. I’ve struggled to find the time to do more, but I never regret it. Poetry recaptures the mystery, that was always there.
- Travel. Sometimes being in one place, is both literally and metaphorically representative of a soul rut. Moving the feet through new experiences, often shifts one inside. Here’s a great example of someone doing just that: Travel.
- Meaning. Read Mans Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl – A book all about how a soul remains alive amidst the darkest of circumstances.
- Kids. There have been times when I felt that my niece and nephew were born just to keep me smiling on certain days. Kids always remind you of something fundamental.
- LOL. This often comes via the aid of a comedic friend, or moment, but the lesson is usually the same. Life is still worth living.
- Decide. A great way to clear up the stagnation… Just Decide.
- Be honest
- Get Healthy. For me, many times, the feeling of apathy has simply been dehydration, some vitamin deficiency, and mild insomnia.
- Love. Calling or visiting my family. I’m terrible at this sometimes. And it’s usually because I get so stuck in my situation, that the outside world fades away.
- Finding community. Whether that’s church, or a group of friends…a good community can be that reminder that people get through this sort of thing, and if they don’t…well…you won’t be the only one.
What Works For You??
Written by Veron Graham
Topics: Blog