What is the thing that matters most to you in your life , that feels like it sets the tone for your overall well-being ?
Is it your relationships ? Family members ? Finances ? Maybe when you think of what matters most , you think of your vocation , your job , your employment .
Whatever your answer , there ’ s a profound reality far beneath those surface conditions : What actually determines whether you flourish ( or not ) in any area of life . . . is your soul health .
You may never have even considered that your soul could be healthy or unhealthy . Most of us don ’ t give much thought to the state of our souls . Admittedly , soul health is hard to describe , hard to discern . But I ’ ve learned that quietly , powerfully , your soul ’ s wellbeing is driving everything that matters to you .
The evidence around and within us , though , shows us just how easily overlooked that reality is . Many people ’ s souls , like the underbrush of dry landscape , are one spark away from devastation .
Here is an invitation to consider honestly the well-being of your soul , embrace with compassion whatever you find there , and see your burnout and exhaustion as an invitation to meet with God , experience rest , and explore a new path forward .
And we must begin with an essential question : What is the state of your soul ?
If you envision your soul as a landscape stretching out in every direction , a wilderness untouched by humanity or modern conveniences , what do you see ? Perhaps your soul feels precisely as it was created to be : a vibrant place of vitality and natural beauty , with mountains and rivers , wildflowers and grassland . While it ’ s true that the soul is a mystery , we sense the terrain . We know , somehow , that the very core of us was created to teem with life and complexity — rolling hills and towering trees , birds singing from every branch , animals of every species thundering across the green plains . All is well . All is whole .
When you look at the ecosystem of your soul , do you feel joyful and whole ? This thriving soul is in touch with God , connects authentically with others , and engages in meaningful work . There is a capacity for quiet , stillness , and inner peace , no matter the situations life brings .
Maybe that doesn ’ t sound like your soul at all . Maybe you ’ ve become more cynical , more abrasive , continually isolating yourself from others . A person with a parched soul goes from burnout to burnout , gradually collapsing emotionally , spiritually , and physically . Perhaps the landscape of your soul is withered by drought ; the ground is cracked , the vegetation dry and struggling
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