Nurturing Your Soul

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You know that most of the time bloggers write what they know about right? Or they blog about what they are going through.

So when I say, “nurture your soul,” I’m confessing that I’ve been known to neglect this vital nugget of truth.

And I’ve done it more than once. In fact, you could say that I’m a quarterly soul neglector.

Why Neglecting Your Soul is Just Plain Nuts

But the bad thing about that is neglecting turns to drain and drain turns to depletion. If I’m being honest, it sometimes turns to drama too. {Might as well get all my D’s in there.}

And what happens is a lot of unnecessary negativity, a severe decrease in productivity and a blow to your soul.

Not a good thing all around.

So why do we do it?

Trying to Catch a Rainbow

Imagine a rainbow. Think about that rainbow as the 10 pounds you want to lose or the job you really, really want. Now imagine that juicy goal right in front of you. It’s almost in your grasp. You just need to…Get. A. Little. Bit. Closer. You can almost reach it. But then like that rainbow it goes a little bit further. So you chase it again. And again.

It’s like a treadmill. You end up running yourself silly and getting nowhere.

Frustrating isn’t it?

But for some (me included!), there is a part of you that thinks if I only work a little harder, do just a bit more, I’ll get there. I’ll touch that rainbow. I’ll finally get to my goals.

And you will.

Just not without learning to nurture yourself first.

I have to keep learning this lesson over and over.

Thankfully, I have a chronic illness that reminds me when I’ve gone overboard. In fact, my health has been going down lately and I know why.

When I started getting well, I got sucked into that obsessive accomplish mode and I forgot about taking care of myself. I stepped up my exercise routine. I began taking new assignments left and right. I was feeling good so I let my creative spirit die. I just didn’t have the time to read for fun, paint or be crafty.

That’s why I’m blogging about this now.

In the last month or so I’ve felt as depleted as a dried up sponge. Hard, crunchy and abrasive. In order for me to get back to a place of inspiration, I need to refuel my soul. Painting for me was like water to that sponge and I soaked it up like there was no tomorrow.

A few nights ago, I heard a strong inner voice say to me, “Paint.” And it grew louder and louder. I was exhausted, but I did what I could to begin the process of painting.

It felt good. My fingers were no longer in that scrunched up typing mode and I wasn’t anxious about the next thing on my list. It was in the moment, oh how I need this right now, gift to my soul.

What happened was that I honored myself.

I can bet those of you who read this are a bunch of ambitious folk. You see everyone else’s fame and you want a piece of it too.

But you need to remember that the journey is long. And in order to keep going you need to stop, take a rest, and take care of your needs.

Feed your soul with love, fun, and rest and you will get there eventually.