Care of the Soul

I recently ran across a book by Thomas Moore, a psychotherapist, who entitled his book ‘Care of the Soul’ and notes, “Care of the soul is a fundamentally different way of regarding daily life and the quest for happiness.”

I found the following passages helpful in coping with today’s realities. “We have today few specialists of the soul to advise us when we succumb to moods and emotional pain, or when as a nation we find ourselves confronting a host of threatening evils.”

It is impossible to define precisely what the soul is. We know intuitively that soul has to do with genuineness and depth as when we say certain music has soul or a remarkable person is soulful. Fulfilling work, rewarding relationships, personal power and relief from symptoms are all gifts of the soul.

Dr. Moore ends his book with the following:

“Care of the soul is not a project of self-improvement nor a way of being released from the troubles and pains of human existence. We care for the soul solely by honoring its expressions, by giving it time and opportunity to reveal itself, and by living life in a way that fosters the depth, interiority, and quality in which it flourishes. We know we are well on the way towards soul when we feel attachment to the world and the people around us and when we live as much from the heart as from the head. We know soul is being cared for when our pleasures feel deeper than usual, when we can let go of the need to be free of complexity and confusion, and when compassion takes the place of distrust and fear.”