November 11, 2026
How does our interior life differ from our outer or exterior life? Let us begin by looking at the exterior life.
An outer existence is essential. It is where we navigate the physical and psychological worlds. The physical world includes caring for our bodies through exercise, transportation, health care, diet, sleep, grooming, and physical pleasures. It also includes the chores of daily life: bringing in the mail, paying bills, shopping, setting goals, and dealing with glitches and unexpected events.
Our outer life includes social activities, sports, entertainment, relationships, and much more. Our external life alone can occupy us for a lifetime.
Anyone who lives an interior life—even a saint, a cloistered nun or monk, or a person in solitary confinement—must also have an external life. We cannot live without engaging our bodies and the physical world, interacting with the people we depend on, and navigating the psychology and emotions that come with it.
Indeed, the exterior life is vital. Millions of people have lived and died with most of their attention focused on the external world. This is the realm of the practical, the concrete, and the less abstract. It is where we accomplish things and move through everyday life. We face challenges, make progress, and touch one another’s hearts. Living mostly in the external world, we can still be spiritual, yet that form of spirituality doesn’t go deeply into the inner regions of the soul.
The exterior life has many attractions. When it captivates us, we may begin to believe that it is all there is. Some of us find complete contentment there—until we don’t. Some of us live in both our exterior and interior worlds, while others spend more of their lives only in their interior selves.
Inquiry
How would you describe the exterior aspects of your life?
Prayer
Dear God,
I pray for balance between my outer and inner worlds.
Amen
