Some work gets no vacation. We can take time off from our usual duties and demands, but there’s no vacation from soul work. Our souls are exercised every day, with or without our permission.
On vacation we try not to think about bills and all our typical responsibilities. We enjoy putting our feet up and doing nothing for a time.
However, while we can schedule time off to rest our mind and body, the soul keeps its own timeframe and remains invested in every aspect of life.
Our souls are shaped through the profound and the mundane, the beauty and the pain of life.
The unruly kid on the airplane and the untimely death of a loved one are both moments of soul, as are the miracle of birth and the passing smile of a stranger.
Any moment that touches the entirety of our being is a moment of soul.
This is why a passing comment can affect us so deeply. Even years after the comment was made it still stings. We cannot explain it away intellectually or will ourselves to simply get over it. Damage was done to our soul and it will take soul work to heal.
Likewise, we might hold certain otherwise random images close to our hearts. Perhaps it’s a fond memory or work of art. But much more than mere nostalgia or simply being pleasing to the eye, the image touches some deep part of our soul that brings us life and we want to hold on to.
The moments of soul are everywhere, even on vacation.
Every interaction and experience shapes who we are, not just our thoughts and the decisions we make, but our very selves – our souls.
These are not moments we have to arrange. They are built into the very fabric of life.
Our challenge is to be aware while giving our souls the time and space it needs to grow.
Don’t neglect your soul while taking a break elsewhere. Let all of life expand who you are.
Photo by Julián Gentilezza on Unsplash
