So quiet you can hear your soul.
If you and I were talking together after a long week, what would I hear? I don’t necessarily mean the words, although they would certainly be part of it. But I wonder what your body language would tell me, what the inflections in your tone would indicate, and what your expressive eyes would reveal to me, that would actually be a revelation to you.
Because usually we are so busy being who we think we are, that we never stop to actually listen to the sound of our soul, so that we can discover who we really are. It can be an uncomfortable experience, but trust me when I tell you that it can change your life.
But it requires silence to hear who you are.
Not necessarily the absence of noise, although that can help, or the elimination of visual distraction, although that’s definitely a plus. I’m talking about having your mind so quiet that you can hear your soul.
And that requires a special kind of silence. To truly listen to ourselves we first have to turn off our ego, that part of our mind that protects us from the difficult feelings we try our very best to avoid. Then we have to welcome the truth that can hurt, so we can discover that which can progress us beyond.
And finally, we have to release all that we think we know about ourselves, so that we can clear our preconceptions, and learn with a mind open to all possibilities.
Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? It’s actually a lot harder than it sounds.
Because to truly listen to your soul, you have to go into the realm of understanding ‘how’ you work, not just what you are doing right now. By how I mean understanding that your awareness is different from your emotions, and that your knowledge is different from your feelings.
Separating out those facets of your soul is tricky, and requires a gentle touch, a seeking mind, and a compassionate heart.
It’s like doing surgery on yourself, while forgetting you exist. I never said it would be easy.
But the good news is that you have forever to practice, and you will reap benefits from beginning your practice today. So I’d like to invite you to sit quietly and just listen to how you feel. Are you stressed, and if so, why? Are you happy, and if so, why? Are you angry, or frightened, or overwhelmed, or sad or any of the other myriad of possible states of being?
Or maybe it’s that belief that you have that’s holding you back, creating painful emotions every time you move forward.
Whatever you find, when you truly listen to your soul, you’ll be able to chart a course forward in your life that will sail you in the direction that your heart needs. Because ultimately, listening to your soul is the only way to discover the truth of who you really are.
And like they say, the truth will set you free, but it can also bring you peace.
— Dr. Alan Barnes
@maddrbmusings