The idea of death is a concept that most people fear, but we rarely think about a far scarier reality: failing to live the life we are meant to. The wisdom of Kabbalah teaches that we each have a unique purpose in this world. When we live in alignment with our soul, we find the joy and fulfillment that comes from manifesting our potential. When we don’t, life can feel like endless leftovers, where nothing is fresh or new, and it seems that we’ve done it all before. It’s like feasting on scraps, never getting the full essence of the day that will bring us lasting fulfillment. It drains the joy and beauty from life that we are meant to experience.
On the flip side, we have the opportunity to transform our lives from ordinary to extraordinary by realigning our consciousness and actions each day. Here are 3 tips to start living your life to the fullest:
1. Strive to live in alignment with the selfless desires of your soul.
Living a fulfilling life comes down to desire. Our desires lead to our words and actions that then shape our lives. As human beings, we are meant to desire many things, but the ultimate desire of our souls is based on something that is immortal: the desire to impart to others more than we receive.
Most of us neglect to ask ourselves what our soul wants to do. We often think only about what our bodies want – what will make us feel good or happy right now. There is nothing wrong with desiring things that make us feel good as long as we make our soul’s desires the real driving force of our lives. The reality is that feeling good isn’t enough. If you aren’t listening to your soul and living your life based on its directive, it is much more difficult to enjoy anything. Most unhappiness comes from a misalignment of the life we are currently living with the desires and knowledge of our soul.
Take the time to think about what your soul wants each day and how you can live more in alignment with those desires. If the desires of the soul and body contradict, it’s important to listen to the soul over the body.
2. Track what percentage of your day is spent serving your body versus your soul.
Journaling is a useful tool that can help us recognize how much of our day is devoted to things of a physical nature and how much is devoted to spiritual pursuits. Evaluate each day in this way. Did you spend your day in actions that make you feel good or in ones that make others feel good? Was more time devoted to acts of selfishness or sharing?
Keep track and notice how your soul’s desires impact the fulfillment you experience that day. This can be eye-opening and even alarming! You’ll likely start to notice a pattern: the more giving and sharing you are throughout the day, the more you enjoy the day! And when you start to look at percentages, you may notice that you aren’t giving and sharing with others as much as you might think. Ask yourself each day, “How much more could I have done or accomplished for others today?”
3. Understand that selfish actions weigh you down over time while sharing actions propel you forward.
We are an accumulation of our actions. Every time we act in a negative or selfish way, we accumulate a heaviness that sticks with us. That’s why sometimes we wake up and don’t feel like doing anything and don’t know where it’s coming from. It’s the weight of the previous day bearing down on us.
The reason why many people experience waning desire as they get older is because of the accumulation of selfish actions. It’s easy to think, “I’m a more spiritual person than someone else,” or “at least I’m doing some good,” but if your day is predominately spent in selfish actions, that day becomes a weight on your spirit. On the other hand, when we spend the majority of our day in thoughts and actions of sharing, that day lifts us up and propels us into the next day.
The powerful reality is that you can do something today that affects tomorrow. Make sure your day is filled with actions of sharing. Then you guarantee that your day is fully lived and that you are lifted into tomorrow with the energy and sustenance you need.
You can transform your life by continuously allowing your soul’s desires to inform each day. Get in touch with the selfless desires of your soul and assess day by day if your time is spent living in alignment with them. Try using these tools for the next 40 days and you will likely realize that you want to spend your time very differently. That awareness and awakening of desire will give you the fuel you need to live your life to the fullest and find lasting fulfillment through your connection to your soul.
