Eight Wise Ways to Live with Soul

1 Set aside a few moments of quiet each day to reflect

It could be over a cup of coffee, or riding on a train instead of having an iPod rammed in your ear. Turn off your phone. Reflect on how you’re progressing, on how you choose to react to something, or on trying to understand, with compassion, someone’s behaviour.

Write down those insights that are leading you to be your best. Begin each day with a clear intention. Not only for the goals you’ve chosen for that day, but also remind yourself of the values you choose to live by. They’ll provide you with an inner compass to guide the direction you take when challenges come up. As an example: ‘I intend to be a calm, positive person throughout this day, no matter what happens.’

2 Be gentle with yourself

Be aware of your self-talk: are you being over-critical and harsh with yourself?

Do you treat yourself with respect? Take a kinder, more compassionate approach to your mistakes. You’re learning, and you can only do what you can do. The key is not to keep repeating the same mistake!

When you live with soul, people are drawn to you.

3 Practise mindful attention

For a few seconds at a time, bring your full attention onto what you’re doing in this moment, on what thoughts you’re allowing to fill your mind, on the colours and sounds around you, on how your body feels and what messages emotions are bringing to you. What needs to be dealt with? Mindfulness can show you where you are leaking energy that could be put to better use elsewhere.

4 Question your assumptions

Become aware of your beliefs about people, about the world, about life or about yourself. You may have inherited many of those assumptions from family. Are they really the beliefs you want to hold, or is it time to replace them with more constructive assumptions? Are these beliefs holding you back in any way?

What are the best ways to live with soul?

5 Shift to a Positive Perspective

The media is full of news of disasters and impending dangers. The uplifting success story about someone making a difference is buried on the back pages of the newspaper. Find it. For every message of gloom and doom you hear, find an encouraging counter-argument. Turn negative conversations to uplifting ones. Shift your own thoughts…be mindful of the positive frequency the world needs to shift. Be part of emitting that frequency.