💬 CROWDSOURCING: How do you replenish your soul?
When you are feeling emotionally and/or spiritually depleted—even by very good things—what are the things you do to restore your soul?
I was ruthlessly committed to soaking up the summer.
My oldest son is grown and flown. Number two is getting college flyers in the mail. And my daughter—the one who joined me on the TODAY Show couch at the age of three—is starting high school.
Have you ever noticed that it seems like the sand in the hour glass moves faster when there’s less and less of it on top? That’s how life feels right now.
So, Don’t miss it, was the mantra of my summer, and I’m happy to report:
I succeeded wildly at that. I have zero regrets.
However, on the kids’ first full day back to school, with several uninterrupted hours stretching out before me, I experienced writer’s block for the first time ever. Nothing came. And I almost panicked.
Instead of trying to push through it, though, I settled into it. I listened to it. And this is what I heard:
You aren’t blocked, Kelly, you’re depleted. In your commitment to being with others, you haven’t been with yourself. Solitude is the space in which your soul is replenished.
The soul is on a journey through human form and, like any traveler, it gets worn weary, even by a very good journey.
Here at Humaning, we kicked off the summer season with a Crowdsourcing post about the best books to read for summer. Now summer is surrendering to autumn. A different energy beckons, one of slowing down and settling in. So let’s wrap up the summer with another Crowdsourcing post:
When you are feeling depleted, what do you do to replenish your soul?
This is how Crowdsourcing posts work:
In the comments, in all caps write WHAT YOU DO, then share some details about the impact it has on you. (If you have more than one thing you do, leave two or more comments rather than putting them all in one.)
Choose one other commenter whose replenishing wisdom resonates with you and let them know by responding to their comment.
To get us started, I’ll go first in the comments and share what I did that first full day of school to start replenishing my soul.
Looking forward to hearing from you. We’ll all benefit from your wisdom!
WATCH NATURE
This involves not just being in nature but being still in nature and watching it move around me. On the depleted day in question, I drove to my favorite bench alongside the river that runs through our town. I watched squirrels scuttle. I watched hawks hunt. I watched bees buzz.
I JOURNAL. The deep conversations I have with my inner and higher wisdom on the pages of my journal enliven my soul and calm my constitution. I take my time and listen. Much comes from those conversations.