John Ruskin wrote, “Make yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts…bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure houses of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from you. Houses built without hands for your souls to live in.”
Cultivating the soul is about finding what speaks to you – to the innermost parts of your being – and making a conscious effort to pursue those things and drink them in on a regular basis. It’s about exploring the fathomless depths within you and giving expression to who you are.
I have only touched on a few things that can help you cultivate your soul, but we must not forget other areas: such as visiting art galleries, museums, taking in plays based on literary works, enjoying a ballet, etc. Or what about traveling to far away places and learning of other cultures? The possibilities go on and on.
The most important thing to remember is not to allow those desires or nudges to get lost or suffocated in the constraints of the every day. Yes, you must make time to grow your spirit and exercise your body – both of these things are vital. But don’t forget that you are a three-part being: spririt, soul, and body. So in all the things that you do on a daily basis, you must not neglect your soul.
If you do, you will carry a deep sense of unfulfillment and dissatisfaction throughout your life.
Find out what your passions are. Reawaken those buried dreams for your life. Listen to those inner longings of your soul.
Cultivating your soul and living a fulfilling and pleasurable life (even if they are the simplest of pleasures) is how you build your “nest of pleasant thoughts” and “satisfied memories” that the cares of life cannot disturb or take away from you.
Take time to nurture and tend to your soul so that later on in life, you will have built a house of beautiful experiences and precious memories for your soul to live in!
This post is excerpted from my book, A Life That Flourishes. Click on image below to purchase.
