With the fast pace of modern living, it is easy to be overwhelmed and to feel lost in life. The pressure of complying with our society’s standards takes the joy out of living and can make one feel burned out. Often, this leads to people having wrong priorities or doing the things they never really wanted to do. If you have this nagging feeling that you are in the wrong place or you don’t know what to do next, maybe it’s time for you to do a bit of soul searching.
Going on a soul search can be helpful to know what you want to do in your life. Take a moment to reflect and reassess your personal goals. You can either travel to a new place or go on a retreat. What matters is that you are willing to contemplate and rediscover yourself. Whether you’re a graduating college student who is unsure of what lies ahead or a yuppie who is feeling your way through the corporate maze, a moment of reflection can help you find yourself and set you on the right path.
Ask questions
Don’t let your soul search be an excuse to escape from your problems. Stalling them will not make them go away. Instead, face them head on and ask yourself the difficult questions. Are you where you want to be now? What stops you from achieving your goals? What are the things in life that make you feel happiest? Note that asking these questions may not yield the answers right away but it sets your mind and heart to the right posture.
Don’t dwell on regrets
Everyone has regrets in life and it helps to look back on yours when you are soul searching. Spending too much time on pondering and thinking of the “what-could-have-been” prevents you from seeing the bigger picture. Rather, use them as a reminder that you’re capable of doing and choosing better.
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Go out of your comfort zone
Going out of your comfort zone is easier said than done. But you can always start in small ways. For an instance, you can try doing random acts of kindness every day. Go out of your way to help someone you know or even a stranger in need. Then learn to give something up, especially if it prevents you from loving more. Find a cause that you could get on, and volunteer in a group that shares your advocacy.
Get spiritual guidance
Soul searching without spiritual guidance is like sailing in the vast oceans without a map or a compass. You know you are moving, but in reality, you are just drifting in the blue nothingness, with no safe harbor in sight. Find someone like a spiritual director, a support group or a community who can guide you to having a personal relationship with God. Strive to respond to the Lord’s constant invitation to a deeper and more meaningful relationship.
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Be open to new things
Ultimately, not everyone finds what he/she is looking for. However, everyone is confronted with the realization of the things that matter most. This doesn’t mean that you will become empty-handed. Lessons are abounding in every experience, be it a good one or not. And you just need to have an open mind and heart to realize them.
