Soul Qualities Part 2
March 23, 2026
Soul Qualities Part 2
The soul is not static. It moves through seasons, just as our lives do.
Throughout history, the soul has been described by various states of being, such as equanimity, serenity, harmony, benevolence, empathy, and wisdom. The soul is also hopeful and filled with living daylight.
Yet the soul also knows weariness. It may carry the weight of the world, suffer from hunger for spiritual nourishment, or find itself wounded and exhausted. Sometimes it wanders through the desert of despair or enters the dark night of the soul. These states are not judgments or failures. They are descriptions of the work the soul is being asked to do.
Though tethered to the Divine, the soul is not finished or perfected. Many great teachers suggest that our very purpose on earth is to work with our imperfections—to relearn what we have forgotten, to embody love more deeply, and to place compassionate responses into our spiritual muscle memory. This inner work, beyond the personality, is the soul’s way back home— it is its way of reuniting with our Source—the Divine. The progression of the soul is the real goal of human life.
Because of this, the people and experiences that teach us exactly what we need to learn come into our lives. Some offer challenges that sharpen our spiritual wisdom; others offer the love needed to fill our inner deficiencies.
Diego appeared happy as a top executive in a major technology company, yet he felt an unnamed emptiness. On weekends he found himself gardening. When he created a garden filled with plants from around the world and opened it to the public, everything changed. He left his corporate life. He was no longer empty. The beauty, creativity, and service filled a hole in his soul he had never known was there.
Katrina was cynical about love. Though successful as an accountant, it was only after her daughter gave birth to a baby with Down Syndrome that she encountered pure, unconditional love—through the baby herself. Katrina’s heart opened, and her soul moved to a new level of understanding.
Jacob believed it was his responsibility to hold his family together. Though self-sacrificing, he resented handling seemingly everything and everybody. After a freak hunting accident left him bedridden and unable to work, he discovered that life continued without him taking responsibility for everything. He had to grapple with who he is, without his role. Finally, Jacob’s illusion that he was indispensable dissolved, and he embodied his true worth.
Nolan considered himself spiritually superior and dismissed Chris as unenlightened. During a retreat, the two men shared their life stories and discovered a deep kinship. Nolan released his pride and gained a brother. His soul made more whole, where pride had once veiled his true self.
Peter’s sister was murdered by her ex-husband. Consumed by hatred, Peter became physically and emotionally ill. Thoughts of murdering the murderer overtook him. Only through surrendering his rage and choosing forgiveness did he experience healing at his deepest level.
Life continually presents us with precisely the experiences needed to heal our soul’s deficits. When seen through the eyes of the spirit, these moments reveal themselves as divine synchronicities—painful, redemptive, and purposeful.
Spiritual practice: What hole or deficit in your soul is asking for your attention?
Self-inquiry: Am I willing to see what my soul must learn?
Prayer:
Dear God, You teach me through the experiences of my life. Again and again, I discover that love surpasses my will, is clearer than my thinking, and truer than my assumptions. Help me recognize how Your truth works gently within my days, filling the hidden places of my soul. Amen.
