“The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it - basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them.”
— Charles Bukowski
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“Is there actually such a thing as a soul or spirit?” I was once asked … at a pub after a great day on a course. What a fantastic question to mull over in a beer garden overlooking the hills.
Oh yes.
Of course you have a soul or a spirit. Without it you wouldn’t be alive. You wouldn’t be you.
There’s times you feel closer, more connected to soul, and times you don’t,
And these times are directly related to how you’re doing in life – whether it’s easy and fun and you feel like you’re making a difference; or whether you feel lost and frustrated and worried and slipping backwards.
So soul is important.
The trouble with soul is that it’s intangible, innit?
It’s so hard to put your finger on, AND our culture doesn’t really celebrate it or encourage you to pursue it … (though arguments about the creative substance of AI are talking about something close).
So when I talk mindfulness in terms of spiritual contentment – the beauty and importance to “satisfy my soul” like Bob Marley did sing,
People get it … but it doesn’t really stick.
Like I said, it’s a little too vague – and then you have the problem that the whole field of spirituality is cloaked in waffle and confusion and dogma. Not useful at all.
But when I talk about the benefits, about more effectiveness combined with less stress and more enjoyment in every sphere of life, people sit up and notice.
It’s true, and you want it to be true.
Life CAN be lived better, more skillfully, but we just don’t know how simple it can be to have better relationships, better health, be better at work, and all with more fun.
It all comes from your connection with your soul, it all comes from within. When you go within, you can go beyond.
Now, you can't improve your soul – it is something that is perfect in and of itself – but you can certainly learn to connect and live from it more.
Two ways to make that practical:
1. Get present.
Be in the same place as your body. And don’t “yeah yeah” this – don’t take it for granted. Learn and practice how to get out of your head and into the moment. Think less and sense more, as Bruce Lee almost said.
Your habits are to be anywhere but here, so you’ll need to practice.
But when you do – man, life takes on a new dimension. Immediately.
There’s a wisdom in the moment – you see what you are in control of and what you are not.
You can give all your energy to what you can do.
You can focus on the one moment in time that you can do anything about.
You can see stress and reaction coming, and choose to be different and do different.
You realise that just about all of stress is because you’re in the past and the future.
Here is easy. This can be done. The past and the future cannot. They’re a hard place to live. So you stop living there.
Life becomes brighter, your senses sharper.
There’s more contentment, more ease. more joy.
Your mind slows, even stops. You have space up top, peace of mind, freedom.
Be present. It’s a game changer.
2. Choose your attitude
The one reliable thing you can do anything about is to change your attitude to the thing. You can’t always change the situation, but by golly you can certainly change your approach.
What are you focusing on? What you don't have? What's broken and wrong? What's missing? Or what you have? What is beautiful and true and right and lovely and fun?
Change your attitude.
You can always change it. When you do, it becomes a different kind of filter through which you participate in life. Here you come closer to your soul.
And the beauty of this is that life changes because your attitude changes – and you're actually living more truthfully.
Don't let a bad attitude trick you!
Make sense? Maybe not, but just do it and see the difference.
Cool –
Do these two things more and more.
These two things form the foundation for all that is Good because you’re connecting with your soul on a deeper, more consistent basis. Here, how you are in the world changes. Your relationships, career, health, fun … they all blossom.
So get going on these two things.
You won’t regret it.
Go well
Arjuna
PS.
When you’re ready to really dive into doing life better AND satisfying your soul,
Consider my Ascension meditation weekend. It’ll set you up for life, and so simply.
Two dates left in the year:
29 Sept - 1 Oct and 10-12 November (both start 7pm Friday).
Get in touch if you’re interested – and soon because these courses fill up – and I’ll be able to send all the details along to you.
Here’s the link to get in direct contact with me for all your questions – m.me/mrarjunaishaya
Talk soon!