Reclaiming Your Life
The challenge for most of us is believing we are individually valuable. Often, we play corporate games, we hide behind masks of the “expected roles” we have adopted. According to Carl Hammerschlag in The Theft of The Spirit, the fear, hopelessness, confusion, and dread we feel from these roles “steal(s) our spirit”.
How can we recognize these traps? Have you said any of the following recently?
“This job is driving me nuts but perhaps if I stay one more year it will get better?”
“I hate my job but the money is good.”
“I can’t return to the workforce after 10 years at home.”
If you’ve said anything close, then perhaps your spirit and soul have been stolen. When this happens, often people feel empty and powerless. In Care for the Soul, Thomas Moore writes:
“Power incubates within the soul and then makes its influential move into life as the expression of soul. If there is no soulfulness, then there is no power, and if there is no power, then there can be no true soulfulness.”
But, YOU CAN RECLAIM YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR LIFE! However, to do so one must face the demons and fears which are pulling you into depression. Moore reminds us that “paradoxically, soul power may emerge from failure, depression and loss.”
The following three steps will begin the journey back to life and soul power.
RECOGNIZING WHERE YOU ARE
The first step toward life and power is recognizing where we are. Often we avoid this and our first inclination is to keep going. Have you ever driven 20 minutes our of your way because you didn’t want to admit you were lost? We also do that when we feel lost in our daily life. We must stop and determine where we are. Then, as in driving, determine the best route to where we truly want to go.
HEAR THE CALL OF YOUR INTERNAL SPIRIT
We can reclaim our spirits. In Bus 9 to Paradise Leo Buscaglia professes that “to arrive near the end only to reflect on how much was missed along the way is one of the greatest human tragedies. If we feel…that our lives are becoming stagnant, we should celebrate the limitless capacity we have to experience more.” More of life, love, challenges, interests, friendships, relationships, careers, and jobs.
Begin by considering whether your choices are good for your soul. Or, are your choices a result of compromises along the way and don’t fit. Is it a bit of both? Listen to your internal spirit. As a friend recently said to me: “Listening to my intuition and soul really are important. I sure got lost when I stopped it.” Listen to your heart and soul - from here you will find direction for the next step.
DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE
Vision is the first step towards change. Begin to brainstorm and list whatever comes to mind for your future, whether it makes sense or not. Look at career, relationships, family, leisure, spiritual, and create your dream, your vision for you. Then, decide on the first step toward achieving that goal and take the first step.
Life invites us to participate. Our spirit calls us to respond. Choose life - one step at a time.
How can we recognize these traps? Have you said any of the following recently?
“This job is driving me nuts but perhaps if I stay one more year it will get better?”
“I hate my job but the money is good.”
“I can’t return to the workforce after 10 years at home.”
If you’ve said anything close, then perhaps your spirit and soul have been stolen. When this happens, often people feel empty and powerless. In Care for the Soul, Thomas Moore writes:
“Power incubates within the soul and then makes its influential move into life as the expression of soul. If there is no soulfulness, then there is no power, and if there is no power, then there can be no true soulfulness.”
But, YOU CAN RECLAIM YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR LIFE! However, to do so one must face the demons and fears which are pulling you into depression. Moore reminds us that “paradoxically, soul power may emerge from failure, depression and loss.”
The following three steps will begin the journey back to life and soul power.
RECOGNIZING WHERE YOU ARE
The first step toward life and power is recognizing where we are. Often we avoid this and our first inclination is to keep going. Have you ever driven 20 minutes our of your way because you didn’t want to admit you were lost? We also do that when we feel lost in our daily life. We must stop and determine where we are. Then, as in driving, determine the best route to where we truly want to go.
HEAR THE CALL OF YOUR INTERNAL SPIRIT
We can reclaim our spirits. In Bus 9 to Paradise Leo Buscaglia professes that “to arrive near the end only to reflect on how much was missed along the way is one of the greatest human tragedies. If we feel…that our lives are becoming stagnant, we should celebrate the limitless capacity we have to experience more.” More of life, love, challenges, interests, friendships, relationships, careers, and jobs.
Begin by considering whether your choices are good for your soul. Or, are your choices a result of compromises along the way and don’t fit. Is it a bit of both? Listen to your internal spirit. As a friend recently said to me: “Listening to my intuition and soul really are important. I sure got lost when I stopped it.” Listen to your heart and soul - from here you will find direction for the next step.
DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE
Vision is the first step towards change. Begin to brainstorm and list whatever comes to mind for your future, whether it makes sense or not. Look at career, relationships, family, leisure, spiritual, and create your dream, your vision for you. Then, decide on the first step toward achieving that goal and take the first step.
Life invites us to participate. Our spirit calls us to respond. Choose life - one step at a time.