February 21, 2021

A beloved friend recently asked for my definition of the human soul.  Until then, I had never tried to answer, even for myself, that simple yet profound question.  Mindful that each of us has her or his own definition or concept of the human soul, today this description comes to me.

The human soul is a space, a room, between the cosmos and each person’s consciousness.  It is the passageway between the pure Holy Spirit which connects all life and each individual’s consciousness.  I imagine two doors on either side of this space, one to and from pure Spirit and the other to and from each individual’s consciousness.

I imagine that we leave that room through the door to consciousness when we are born and become conscious of the world around us.  The soul is not the only place we find the Holy Spirit: it often passes through that room on its way to our consciousness.  But it is each person’s safe harbor.  We return to the soul in deep thought, in meditation, and in sleep.  The soul informs our dreams, expands our creativity, and can guide our actions and bring us peace because the Holy Spirit is always directly accessible there.

I imagine that we leave that room through the door to the Holy Spirit when we die.

Until then, I imagine that it is up to us to keep both those doors open and to care, each of us, for her or his soul so as to honor the Holy Spirit, to express gratitude for its gifts, and to keep that space safe and inviting for ourselves, for the Spirit, and for anyone with whom we choose to share our experience of that room – to bare our soul.

February 14, 2021

 The first advice I remember my mother giving me – well, it wasn’t advice; it was an admonition – was this: “Wherever you go, leave things in at least as good condition as you found them.”

Starting at about age 5, I applied that admonition, that habit, to physical places.  Over the decades, I have come to see that that admonition can well be applied to every moment and every situation, including conversations, relationships, civic responsibilities, and self care.

In each moment, am I thinking like someone who expects to be catered to?

Or am I thinking like a steward of peace?  An agent of love?  A servant of the Holy Spirit?

Reality checks on personal growth and responsibility

We make our lives one decision at a time by what we think and what we choose to do, by the countless thoughts and acts we forego, and by constantly repeating the process in response to the effects of what we have done.  The process rarely slows us down because we delegate decisions to a mostly subconscious caucus of personality, mood, values, habits, needs, fears, judgments and desires.  Consciously or not, we do grow that way: success and, especially, failure are good teachers.  Yet pausing from time to time to check the accuracy of our perceptions and the effectiveness of that subconscious caucus is helpful, even essential, to aligning our values and our actions, and thus for peace of mind.

Here, for reflection and journaling, are some questions in aid of that inward examination.  Though being truthful with ourselves is essential, there are no wrong answers.  Take your time.  Take breaks.  Take one section at a time.  Return as often as serves you.  Thank you for your courage in joining me in asking these questions.

I. Am I open to discovering within myself new ways to understand what I think, say, and do?

Do I want to grow?  In what way or ways would I like to be wiser, more effective, and better able to find peace of mind today than yesterday?

Would it support my growth, including care of my time, health, and relationships, to make decisions more consciously?

For the rewards of growth, am I willing to bear its discomforts?  The discomfort of questioning?  Fear of sometimes being wrong?  Fear of change?

II. Am I willing to examine my beliefs and values?  How often?  Under what circumstances?

What do my actions reveal about my beliefs and values? 

In what ways have my past acts or present habits been inconsistent with my values and priorities? 

Which of my actions and behaviors are so automatic, so habitual, that they aren’t conscious choices? 

Do I tend to avoid reflecting on those actions or behaviors – particularly as to how well they serve me?  As to how well they serve other people who are important to me?

III. Do I aspire to be a person of integrity?  Am I willing to put my life where my mouth is?

Where in my life is there room for greater integrity and growth? 

How aware am I of the ethical choices I am making?  

Do I consistently do what my ethics require, or at least permit?  

How carefully do I consider the ethical alternatives I perceive?

Do my ethical options vary depending on how likely what I do will be discovered by another person?

When tempted to do something inconsistent with my goals or values, how often do I create exceptions to my goals or values?  How often do I modify my goals or values?  How comfortable am I with my justification of such changes?

Am I more prone to yield to a temptation to do something inconsistent with my goals or values when doing so will diminish my awareness of my responsibilities, goals or values?

What does it cost me to fail to act according to what my values – my conscience – would have me do?

IV. Do I seek a balanced life, giving my family, friends and community at least as much as I take?

If my basic life needs are being met, are my taking and giving in balance?  

Which – giving or taking – is my main motivation in a decision before me now?

Is what I am doing or about to do consistent with the give-and-take balance I wish for a fulfilling life? 

V. About any good thing (including the absence of horrible, difficult or simply unpleasant things): do I feel entitled to that good thing?

On what basis do I feel that entitlement?

Am I more comfortable feeling entitled to something than admitting I just want it – or want to keep it?

Am I justifying what I want when I could be cultivating gratitude for what I have?

VI. Have I done the best I could see to do today? This week?

Have I consistently tried to understand what my options are, in attitude and in action?

Have I consistently tried to see the effects of my choices – what has worked and what has not, and why – and to learn from doing so?

VII. Has something within me – my inner self, an inner spirit – aided me in these reflections?

In what situations do I tend not to consult that inner self?  Why is that?

Which of my values, habits, and ethical questions do I tend not to share with any other person, even those I most trust and admire?  Why is that?

Under what circumstances is it more important to me to be right than to be happy?