Feed Your Soul

Feed your soul... like chicken? Or vegetables? Miracle Grow? What does one feed its soul?! Once upon a time, I didn’t get it either. It was a trendy phrase used by a specific kind of person. A much younger version of me imagined her to be someone who didn’t have anything else going on in her life. She lived in luxury. She didn’t have to go to work. She didn’t have any responsibilities. Her day consisted of yoga, sunbathing, and posting on Instagram. Boy, was I wrong! To feed your soul is so much more than the stereotype I had created in my mind. As I grew, I began to understand how important it is to partake in activities that truly do feed your soul. They make your heart happy. You find peace in them. It doesn’t have to be yoga. It doesn’t have to be sunbathing. Maybe its crafting. Maybe its hiking. Maybe it is watching your kids play and relishing in the glory that is a child. Maybe it is your job. Maybe its prayer and/or Bible Study. Maybe it is a walk with a good friend. Maybe it is gardening. Maybe it is hunting or shooting sports. Maybe it is photography. Maybe it is swimming. Maybe it is hot baths. Maybe it is reading or baking or volunteering at the animal shelter. Maybe it's working out. Maybe it is all of those things, maybe it is none of those things. That is for you to decide.

Think of the last time you laid down at night and thought to yourself, “my soul is at peace, my life is good.” If there isn’t a day that comes to mind, maybe an activity. When you smiled and felt like your spirit was refreshed. Something you were doing and thought to yourself, I really should do this more often. Something that made you forget about your phone. This part is important. If you’re doing something merely for the social media love you’re going to get, then it probably isn’t feeding your soul. It’s feeding your ego. Your ego will always feel lack. It will always feel a need to impress. It will always drive self-serving decisions. When you’re able to feed your soul, you’ll notice that the motivation is for peace, for comfort and because it makes you truly happy. The kind of happy that makes you walk a little lighter, that brings a smile all the way to your eyes.

Make a list of 10 activities that truly feed your soul, be sure there are activities for year-round (for instance you probably won’t go boating when it’s 20 below outside). Now, set a date on the calendar to partake in at least one a week. I’ll wait here while you grab your calendar and get it scheduled. Oh no, you don’t get to just “do it later.” You do it now, because if it’s not scheduled you won't get it done. You have to just pick a day and say this is what is happening on next week Tuesday. These activities are not the kinds of things you get to participate in only when you feel like it. These things need to be a part of your routines.

Think of it like watering your plants. Have you ever noticed when one gets a little droopy and it reminds you to water it? Within hours of water it perks up and looks healthy again. You can’t wander around looking droopy waiting for a convenient time to feed your soul. You just plan it into your week so that you’re always able to be fresh, vibrant, and the best version of yourself that you can be!