Welcome to Soul Matters, a website dedicated to living from the soul: identifying what matters, what doesn't, and turning our attention to matters of the soul. The closer we come to it, the better we know it, the more consciously we can live in relation to it, the greater our chances to become more fully human, compassionate people. When we are out of touch with our own souls we are numb: to other beings, to the common good, to the earth, to Life itself. When we are closely connected, we feel our place in the web of life.
Soul does matter in so many ways, and at the top of the list right now is our collective obligation to Life. As more and more people feel the effects of global crisis, it is crucial to hew to a vision which inspires. I have found great hope in the concept of "The Great Turning." The Great Turning is defined by Joanna Macy (Buddhist teacher, ecologist and writer) as "the name for the transition from the industrial-growth society to a life-sustaining society. . . . It unites and includes all the actions being taken to honor and preserve life on Earth." For a more complete explanation of the Great Turning, see Macy's article The Great Turning as Compass and Lens in Yes!Magazine, Summer 2006, as well as David Korten's article The Great Turning, from Empire to Earth Community, in the same issue. Both are accessible online at yes!magazine. Korten has also published a book by the same title.
To lean into the turn, I believe we need to listen to the call of our individual souls: how can we heed the call of the Earth's soul if we don't know how to respond to our own? We need to determine what really matters and move towards it. An old Spanish proverb tells us:
God says "Choose what you will and pay for it."
It's time for new choices, since we are now beginning to see the terrible cost of the old ones. More consumption, or more connection? More status, or more meaning? More wealth, or more health?
Growing up (and then living as an adult) in modern American culture, we don't get much education on what "the good life" means other than striving for a big house (which Bush immortalized in his vision of the "Ownership Society" back when he was plugging Social Security privatization), working for our consumerist and workaholic institutions and society, stockpiling resources, etc. I'm not against enjoying the good things of life, and those of you who know me know I do enjoy them, but along with many others, I say we need to redefine what is enough. We are consuming and polluting far beyond our share: of oil, air, wood, earth, the seas. We must say "enough" or there may be nothing left--clean air, water, animals, trees-- for those coming after us.
In order to do things differently than what we see set in front of us, we need examples, we need stories. I am at work on a book about people who are living their lives in response to something larger than getting and spending. They are folk who have chosen to work toward some "ultimate concern" (Paul Tillich's phrase). They are doing things like healing through music, working towards the prevention of world violence, teaching, running nonprofits, running a hardware store which functions as a community center! I plan to post excerpts from the draft chapters and would love to get feedback from readers. What interests you, what doesn't? Does it inspire you? Give you hope? Your honesty will help me write better so that the book can be the best that it can be. ( See the "Contact me" box to email me with your comments. The slot marked Email is for your address)
I'll also include some commentary, reports of good things going on, new directions: soul matters. The more we stay connected, encourage each other, hear about life-enhancing initiatives, the less likely to fall prey to the alienation and numbness that is so prevalent at this time in our history. I'll do my best to join you from my own little place in the web.
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