DO YOU KNOW WHAT FEEDS YOUR SOUL?
My husband and I kill flowers. We don’t mean to, in fact we love flowers. So much so that we buy them and plant them all around our yard and patio every year to enjoy. We water them, feed them healthy plant food, even talk nicely to them, until we get distracted ~ by life, work, dinners out, vacations, running here and there.
Then we stop for a moment and realize they’re wilting, not looking so good and it dawns on us, hmmm when was the last time we watered the flowers? Was it yesterday? Maybe a few days ago? Wait, I think it was maybe two weeks ago? It’s hard to keep track with this crazy pace of life we’ve been leading. It’s strange that this always happens. We’re responsible people, run our own businesses, raised two healthy children and never forgot to feed them.
It’s become a goal of ours to live a lifestyle that allows us to take good care of our flowers. Always. Not just for a few weeks. We would love a bountiful garden with fresh fruits and veggies, wildflowers scattered in well-planned flower beds to cut and put in vases to enjoy…while we’re eating our delicious dinner that we’ve picked from our garden. We could accomplish this, but first we need to change our habits.
I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past year doing some soul-searching, wondering why I haven’t been feeling like myself and realized, “Oh my gosh, I’ve been treating my soul the same way I’ve been treating our flowers. It is neglected and malnourished because I’ve been distracted and not paying attention to nurturing it.”
Is your soul well-fed or malnourished? If you feel or experience more than three of the following, you may want to, like me, spend some time changing your habits and feeding your soul:
* overwhelmed * anxious * frustrated * tired * bored * lack of enthusiasm for life * numb * lost * lonely * trouble sleeping * compulsive shopping, eating or drinking * using food or drink as a reward
FIND WHAT FEEDS YOUR SOUL
Some of us are so far down the rabbit hole of life’s tasks, responsibilities and busyness that we’re not even sure anymore what does feed our soul. Ask yourself these questions:
* If I’m being down and dirty honest with myself, what parts of my life do I just not enjoy?
* How can I change that? Can I stop doing some or all of those things? Possibly hiring them out or making the process more fun.
* What do I feel is missing from my life? Be honest, make a list of everything you think of, thinking as far back as when you were a kid, remembering what you loved to do.
* When’s the last time I felt contented? A heartfelt feeling of peace and happiness?
* What were the things I was doing at the time I felt that?
Make a list with two columns: I Want More of These Things & I Want Less of These Things. Begin taking actions to change those things so that your life will better reflect the things that are important to you.
HOW TO FIND YOUR SOUL’S FAVORITE FOODS
Become aware of what makes your body and mind feel good, if they feel good it’s a good sign your soul is also loving it.
Here are some things I realized were missing from my soul food diet ~ being outside exploring, biking, anything outside really; wandering through book stores; quiet time reading and writing; creating through drawing and painting; spending time with my family, friends and pups; laughing and loving life; going on adventures . . .
Whatever is on your list, there are a few common foods all of our souls need:
* Be Still: Take time to be quiet. Whether that’s through a practice of meditation or Yoga, or just sitting still for a few moments feeling the breeze across your face, watching a bird’s flight, or watching your kids play.
* Get Enough Light: Whether you live in a sunny climate or in a cave, we all need adequate light exposure each day for our bodies to feel healthy and at peace. Get outside or near a window.
* Tune In To Your Creative Side: We all have one. This doesn’t mean you have to create any masterpieces yourself, you can simply listen to music, look at works of art, paint, doodle or scribble on a piece of paper; or if you enjoy creating a masterpiece, by all means do that!
* Connect: No matter how independent we may be, we all need to feel connected. Spend more time with your friends and/or family; join a group of like-minded people. Sure you can connect through social media and cell phones, but it’s also healthy to include face-to-face meetings.
* Be Honest and Genuine: Learn to love who you are, mistakes and all. If there’s something you need to take responsibility for, do it. Need to apologize for something? Do it. Confidently and respectfully share your thoughts and opinions even if they’re different from other peoples. This practice is very freeing.
* Do Something Different: Travel outside your comfort zone, it’s not as scary out there as we sometimes convince ourselves it is.
* Laugh More: Choose a perspective of lightheartedness. We all have struggles and challenges, we can either laugh through them or cry through them, or laugh after we cry.
If you’re feeling any signs of soul malnourishment, don’t waste time feeling resentful or guilty or any other low vibration feelings. It’s not healthy to blame anyone for it, even yourself. It’s just your body’s way of telling you something’s out of alignment. Get excited knowing you can change the way you feel, create a new Soul Food Meal Plan and take action.
Water those flowers, there’s a beautiful, ready-to-bloom garden inside you waiting to be nurtured!