5 Simple Tips for a Soulful Summer
What is soulful living?
‘Inspirations for a Slower, Simpler and More Soulful Life’. This is the subtitle on my new book ‘Sand Between Your Toes’ - but what does the ‘soulful’ part really mean?
‘Soulful’ is a state of being that is kind of tricky to define, but to me soulful living is really about choosing a way of being in this world that fully aligns to your core values and beliefs. It means choosing to prioritise what matters most, in order to feel less scattered, less divided, and less pushed and pulled in every direction by all of those different voices and opinions vying for our attention in this world…
And for me, as a christian that really just translates to prioritising connection over other more superficial things - connection with God, with other around me, and even with myself.
Prioritising connection
When I’m too hurried, often I don’t make the space for just pausing to be still and remember that He is God.
Also when I’m too busy, I tend to just skim the social surface wit family and friends and I don’t always make the time I should to really listen when others are speaking, to communicate that I care, or to properly engage with those around me well.
But perhaps most of all, when I’m too rushed, I don’t always set aside the time that I need for self-reflection and for processing my emotions in a healthy way. In fact, this tends to be the very first thing I neglect when my calendar becomes full, and yet it’s the thing which causes everything else in my life to work well.
But here’s the thing I’m learning: Soul care isn’t selfish, it’s necessary and it’s needed. You simply can’t give out of what you don’t have, and you can’t love others well if you don’t first love yourself.
This is why soulful living really matters!
5 ideas for a more soulful summer (and life!)
That’s why this summer I am actively working on developing a more soulful way of life - and I’m inviting you to join me! And below are five simple tips to help get you started.
Practice self reflection
Have you ever found yourself getting frustrated or wound up about something very trivial, and then thought to yourself afterwards, ‘What is wrong with me?!’ I do this all the time!
Maybe some of those emotional outbursts come from never really creating the time and space to process life as it happens, or to properly deal with its impact on our hearts.
And although what's inside of our heart can stay hidden for a time, sooner or later it will end up overflowing into our words and actions - and it will probably end up spilling out at the wrong time or at the wrong person.
So it’s really worth taking some time out for regular self-reflection and proactively processing our emotions.
Learning to ‘guard your heart’, as the Bible puts it, means being brave enough to deal with any hurts, disappointments or offences day by day as they happen, instead of just shelving things until a later date, which often never comes.
So why not take a quick emotional pulse-check at the end of your day? Ask God to show you any emotional baggage you might need to deal with. This could be through prayer, meditation or journaling. Whatever works for you, try to mentally unload the emotions from the day so that you don’t carry them into the next.
You can download my free Emotional Pulse Check Guide for more help to get started with this here.
Discover how to live lightly by not continually dragging that stuff around!
2. Lean into joy
Life can offer us the most incredible highs, yet at other times can be tinged with so much pain. But more often than not, it's just somewhere in the middle, between the mediocre and mundane. I think that’s why the Bible reminds us to lean into joy…
I have to admit that it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do in life is to just lighten up a bit.
Sometimes pursuing joy can seem a little bit self-indulgent, when we could be doing something more ‘spiritual’ or ‘useful’ instead.
But the truth is that not everything in life needs to be serious; there is purpose in having fun too. It’s not pointless, frivolous, or a waste of time, because it feeds our souls, it blesses others around us too, and it brings joy to our Maker’s heart.
So why not grab every opportunity to celebrate goodness, to embrace silliness, and to enjoy the fun side of life? Choose to do something that has absolutely no purpose, other than just being fun. Think of it as a celebration of life, and an act of worship to God.
Learn to feel God’s delight in you, as you delight in his world!
3. Prioritise connection with others
We’re the most technologically connected generation ever, but also the most relationally disconnected too. In fact, 72% of us report regularly feeling alone (and this was pre-pandemic!).
Perhaps we have settled for the illusion of connectedness over genuine community, for breadth of reach over depth of intimacy, and just being known about over really being known?
But the truth is that we are relational beings, created in the image of a relational God, each designed to thrive best together rather than alone. So choose to prioritize people wherever you find yourself, and decide to intentionally invest in community - even when it feels hard.
Don’t have one yet? Then seek one out. Join a class, or take up a new hobby. Or better still, why not build one yourself? Take a risk and make yourself vulnerable. Initiate some coffee dates, or play dates if you have kids. Open up your home and your heart.
Prioritising people is an investment into the eternal - and one you will never, ever regret!
4. Choose gratitude
Thankfulness is such an important practice, but it doesn’t always come very easily, especially when we’re facing hard seasons or challenges in life.
But I’m learning that being thankful doesn’t mean faking a smile or denying our reality. It’s just that even when we face hard things, we still have lots to be grateful for too. For me, it’s always a both/and.
Besides, it takes no more energy to notice the good than the bad things in your day, and it will leave you feeling better if you do. So why not try to focus on the good?
It’s also really easy to get stuck in the rut of believing that thankfulness should be limited to the really big blessings in our lives; but often looking for lots of small things to be thankful for can be much more encouraging!
And a lot of this simply starts with slowing down and paying attention; noticing more of what we actually have to be grateful for.
5. Get into nature
There’s so much beauty and so many things of interest all around us, all of the time. But so often we don’t even notice because we’re too glued to our mobile screens.
So try unplugging from your devices, and just take some time notice what’s in your environment a bit more. Go for a short walk and soak in God’s creation. Use it as an opportunity to re-connect with your Maker for a few moments!
Even if you live in a city like me, I bet you don’t have to walk too far from your front door to discover beauty all around you! So make this a habit, and let it inspire you and change your perspective.
A final thought
Like with any new habit that you’re trying to form, it might feel a bit strange at first to consciously keep reminding yourself to slow down your pace, and be more present to yourself, to those around you and to God in each moment of your day at first. But I promise you that the more you do it, the easier it will become – until eventually it becomes second nature.
Science shows that repeatedly making an intentional decision can actually begin to retrain the neuro-pathways in your brain; the more you choose a certain way of thinking, the more accessible it becomes as a thought path. The Bible refers to this process as ‘renewing the mind’.
So why not spend some time renewing your mind to choose more soulful ways of being in this world?
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