May 18th - Every Day in May

Okay…. today was next level. It was a crazy combination of lots of good things all lining up. One of those rare days where you are so thankful they exist because it makes the bad ones worth it. The weather is insane, I have so much freedom and time to explore (yes, even in these times) and I am cherishing everything close to home.

Health is Physical:

I can’t believe I live here most the time. I went for a run on the beach today. On the beach. Like, sports bra, shorts, dog, no leash, waves, birds, clear blue skies, BEACH. It was insanely amazing. I cooked right along in a state of joy and rawness I haven’t had in awhile. The world could have imploded around me and I wouldn’t have noticed. Sand, and sun, and sweat, all three in equal parts. 5 glorious mile, but I could have run 20. The energy infusion was top notch. Feeling alive in the place you live really makes a huge difference in your quality of life, quality of exercise, and quality of health.

Health is Mental/Emotional:

I wanted to dive more into Lean & Strong today but it will have to wait one more day. Instead, for my healthy emotional action I listened to half of the Tim Ferriss Podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert at the suggestion of my friend Pri. I love the resources that my friends send my direction. I have read most of Elizabeth Gilberts books and Big Magic is one of the best books I’ve ever read about creativity and purpose. I’ve also seen her talk, which was awesome, hilarious, a pure treat. I’m only 1/2 way through this podcast but I madly wrote down this quote that came from her love Rayya before she died.

The truth has legs, it’s the only thing that will be left standing in the end.

I loved that because the more work I do, the more I look at emotions and health, and goals, and money, and objectives, the more I see the way we run away from truth in our lives. We check the boxes and look for the happy state. We drink and run and work when we can’t find truth and underneath all of it is this deep knowing that we are either seeking desperately and can’t find, or are numbing from the honesty of it. Liz talks about how Rayya knew this and would therefore always want to get to the truth of things straight away. I’m in awe of that perspective.

Health is Spiritual

I was looking for a book on soulmates last night and from that research ran into this book called “Care of the Soul” by Thomas Moore. I’m 11% of the way in and highlighting every page. It’s the first I’ve come across someone talking about the difference between spirit and soul, or spirituality and soul work. It’s these sorts of nuances that I’ve been seeking and this book has me shouting Hallelujah. I’m such a newbie in this area and like a sponge. I’m sure many more people are writing on these topics, and I know just like you can go deep with endurance sports, you can also go deep with spiritual endurance, but I am not on that level. I’m just starting out, training! :)

About that difference, this stuck out from Thomas Moore:

Spirit directs your attention to the cosmos and the planet, to huge ideas and vast adventures, to prayer and meditation and other spiritual practices, to a worldview and philosophy of life.

Soul is more intimate, deep, and concrete. Soul allows you to become attached to the world, which is kind of love.

Spirit prefers detachment, while the soul sinks into its attachments to places, people, and home.

That was so clarifying for me. I took on this little every day in may quest because I wanted to explore health in three areas. A big part of that quest is to understand this difference. To be spiritually healthy, and to take action in your life in service to TLC for the soul are two different things and I love that I’m parsing that apart. The distinction is important for the author because the book is about caring for your soul, and not about developing a spiritual outlook. I can’t wait! Bring it on.

Another difference between getting life in order and caring for your soul is that we usually like to keep life stable, while the soul is dynamic. It seems always to be ushering in new forms of vitality. You sense this deep energy in new desires and old longings that you never fully satisfied.

When the soul moves, important structures of life may topple.

That’s some wowah sort of talk there. I feel like the soul has a way of continually asking you to wake up, go deeper, shift gears. It’s got an insatiable thirst for the bounty of Earthly experiences. When I have had conversations with my soul, it always talks about “color” being it’s goal and this reminds me of that.

Insights

What a Monday! Full of inspiration from so many different angles. Thinking about inner truth, and about the soul. That makes for a great day for me. I love it when the inspiration lands on my doorstep.

Until tomorrow… in good health.