At some point, we’ve all felt lost in our lives, not sure what path to take next. The world is loud and more chaotic than ever and the quiet nature and knowing of our essential selves is getting hidden underneath all of the noise. We can feel this inner knowing at times, but it’s hard to hold onto.
We want some kind of map to follow these inner nudges, but we don’t know where to start.
Soul
To create our maps, we have to become familiar with our soul, our essential self, as well as the social self we have developed over time to protect and guard ourselves from harm. We have to become familiar with our emotions and develop compassion towards them and what they can teach us, instead of avoiding or becoming lost in them. Our body, our breath, and our senses is the compass we can always come back to.
From this place of developing awareness, we can begin to more intentionally design a new map and deliberately choose our next steps.
Geography
“Your soul knows the geography of your destiny. Your soul alone has the map of your future, therefore you can trust this indirect, oblique side of yourself. If you do, it will take you where you need to go, but more important it will teach you a kindness of rhythm in your journey.” ― John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
I read this John O’Donohue quote years ago and it has never left me. I keep it by my bed with a photograph of a winding path. The word geography means study of place and the relationships between people and their environments. When I think of Soul Geography, I think of all the emotions, relationships and experiences in our lives that constantly change and how at a deep level, we know the way that feels true to us, even if it is uncomfortable or inconceivable to our intellectual mind. This is the geography of our inner world.
Soul Geography
Soul Geography is about developing and practicing different ways of being with ourselves, our people and our community, ways that closely align with our truest, most essential nature. If we can all learn to live from this place of clarity, confidence and TRUST around our values and desires, we can live a life of greater strength and purpose, which can inspire others to do the same.
Soul Geography 