Is This The Life You're Meant To Live?

I got this e-mail from Prevention.com today and it really got the wheels in my head spinning. This is something that I have been reflecting a lot on lately and wondering about these questions myself. I intend to explore each entry as a private journal entry on my own - I feel like these questions are too personal to share on a public blog. But I thought I would put the questions out there in case any of you have similar questions.

Is This The Life You're Meant to Live?
From Prevention.com (Source here)

Living soulfully means going beyond looking and feeling good. It’s more than being mindful of your thoughts or transcending your ego. It’s about being able to tune in to your own inner compass and determine what feels right for you. It’s easier said than done, but the result is the ability to live abundantly and create your life as you dream it. Seriously.

So what does it take to live a soulful life? To get started, it’s important to ask the right questions, such as wondering why you’re really here and how your life could be different. It’s being willing to look at your journey through life as something much bigger and with more purpose than you could ever imagine. 

Once you open to these possibilities, it often requires a leap of faith to confidently declare that you deserve to be abundant, happy, and free. But that leap means the difference between a whole life and holding yourself back out of fear.

1. Am I Happy?


This is a very simple question but it’s also the basis for life. Find a moment of silence, pause, and ask your heart “Am I happy?” Try to feel the answer in your body. Do you feel a sense of contraction or expansion? Soulful leaving is a feeling thing not a thinking thing. Your emotions are a good measuring stick for determining the quality of your life at the soul level.

2. Do I trust my own inner guidance?

At the heart of every soulful life is the ability to ask your own questions and get your own answers, free from other’s judgment. It’s about tuning in to your own innate guidance and wisdom and trusting what comes forth. The only way to do that is to cultivate a deeper relationship with yourself and better understand your true essence, free from the filters of fear, doubt, and scarcity (meaning, not having enough—of anything). If you’re going to trust your instincts, you must also trust where your instincts come from. Allow the source of your inner guidance to lead the way.

3. Can I let the past go?

When we hold on to the past, we’re not free to create a new life in the present. We place the experience of our past into the potential of our future, leading us to repeat the same patterns. There is an incredible freedom in forgiving, letting go, and transcending the pain of the past. So, instead of reliving past drama or repeating old patterns, see how you can release yourself from the grip of past experiences, no matter how painful, and bring more power to the choices that will create your life now. Keep your focus on what you do want in life, not on what you don’t want.

4. Do I follow my heart - or listen to my head?

Your heart never lies; your head does. We can overthink, doubt, and rationalize away almost anything. The reason is that the mind is linear, logical, and rational. It likes stability and a step-by-step process. That is its function, but it serves us only so far. The heart, however, is non-linear and sensing. It aligns itself with our true essence and is connected deeply to our highest self and the ultimate potential of who we are. So while our minds often constrict us into believing that it’s best to stay put, not take risks, and avoid repeating the pain of the past, our heart always knows the way to our greatest happiness.

5. What great wounds have I healed?

When in your life have you been the most tested? Your most challenging moments also offer you tremendous gifts, no matter how deep the pain. They provide clues to what you are meant to learn in this life and how you can share the gifts of those lessons with others. They are your strength, and also your potential. When you can see your experiences for the lessons they were, you then have the power to evolve and be in greatest service to the world. To refocus your view of your wounds, think about what you learned and how it helped you grow.

6. Do I view life as abundant?

It’s one thing to want abundance—of money, of love, or of health—but it’s another thing to actually believe in abundance. We’re taught the world is full of “not enoughs.” Are you someone who complains there isn’t enough, or feels deep down that you’ll always come up short? Living from a place of abundance is an open state and expansion to life, whereas scarcity is a contraction. Where in your life can you see that you truly are abundant? You can’t have one hand out asking for abundance while the other hand is clutching on to scarcity. They are polar-opposite energies and require a soul-level commitment to viewing life in one way or the other. So choose, and trust the rest will follow.

7. How often do I take time for stillness?

It could be a few minutes, a few hours, or an entire day. Soulful living is about slowing down and developing a present-moment awareness. Our western lives have a tremendous velocity to them that pushes us—or rather hurls us—towards a certain future. It’s often not until we crash and burn or have a major crisis that we’re forced to pause, breathe, and consider the bigger picture. Returning to stillness is not necessarily about taking a week-long vacation: It can be as simple as a daily 10-second pause where you become conscious of your breathe, present to your surroundings, and tune inwards to your current state of being.

8. When in my life have I felt most alive?

Think back to a moment in your life when you felt the most alive, radiant, and happy. What was it about the way you were being that had you feel that way? Was it a sense of freedom, of adventure, of leadership, or perhaps of being in service to others?

Whatever that feeling was is a clue to where your innate gifts are. It’s what allows your soul to shine. Soulful living is about pursuing the things that come easily and effortlessly to you. Your innate gifts are your natural talents that you can harness when you allow yourself the freedom to follow your heart’s desires.

9. Do I approach life full or empty?

You can’t approach a new situation, relationship, job, or potential experience with what you think you know will happen. That is mental living, not soulful living. Soulful living is about starting from a place of “maybe I don’t know.” No matter how many times the past has proven you right, you are better off approaching life with a natural curiosity instead of thinking you already have all the answers. And when you approach life in this open way, you allow the universe to conspire on your behalf. Your soul’s path will always dream bigger than you will. But if you’re so sure of yourself and how you think things will go, you leave little room for the universe to work its magic.

10. Am I powerful to create life as I dream it?

We’ve all heard about the power of positive thinking or manifesting that which we desire. But living from the place of the soul goes beyond thinking you are powerful. It’s about truly knowing you have the power to change your life and create it as you dream. 

The path to living abundantly requires a firm belief that you are the creator of your life. Your thoughts, actions, and emotions all feed the container that is your life. When you don’t believe you are powerful, you allow others to hold the key to your happiness. To live a soulful life, its important to know that no one is more powerful, more all-knowing, and more wise about what you need than your own soul.
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A lot to ponder about on a Saturday! Maybe, if you're like me, you'll take the weekend to think about it? 

QUESTION FOR MY READERS: Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions? Have they led you into any grand adventures? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Loves... Shayla