Take a Snapshot of Your Soul
abracad, · Categories: purpose, self help, stress, depression, anxiety"Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man." So wrote Alexander Pope in the 18th Century. Indeed to know yourself is a lifetime's pursuit, as the light of experience continually exposes new facets of what we are, as well as modifying that which is already known.
Taking a snapshot of your soul can be likened to checking the position of a boat that's been left on autopilot for a while. It involves stepping back from the actual living of daily life, identifying what's important, and as a result maybe tweaking your direction a little.
You can take a snapshot of your soul whenever you feel the need, and frequency will vary from person to person and according to what's going on in life. Try not to snapshot too often though; say no more than twice a year, lest you spend more time navel-gazing than actually engaging with your intended pathway.
How to Take a Snapshot of Your Soul
Step 1. Make your self some quiet time and space; an hour or so without disturbance should be fine. Chill out for a bit, distancing yourself from the concerns of the moment (which might seem like mountains but against the backdrop of reality are no more than specks of dust). Put on some gentle background music and pour yourself a glass of beer or wine, if that helps.
When you're feeling suitably calmed, take a few sheets of blank paper (or more likely open a blank file in your word processor). Write down these headings (allowing plenty of room under each): Character; Personality; Drives; Purpose; Immediate Concerns; Desires; Fears; Likes; Interests; Dislikes; Strengths; Weaknesses.
Note down, without judgment or censorship, whatever comes to mind under each heading. Don't worry about sentence structure or grammar; just get your ideas on record. Jump between headings as your thoughts take you, returning to each as often as needed until you've exhausted your ideas.
Step 2. This can be done in the same session, or in the following day or two, whatever works for you. I usually prefer to take a break between the two steps.
Take some new sheets of paper, or a new computer document, and re-visit the issues you noted under each heading. Group each of the issues you noted into categories. You should find that a number of distinct categories emerge with each taking ideas from several step 1 headings. These categories form the snapshot of your soul.
Step 3. Again you may wish to take a break before conducting this step, an interval can allow the subconscious to reflect on what's been identified so far.
When ready, re-visit each of the categories created in step 2, re-reading the notes under each. Your aim here is to see if there's anything different needed compared to what you're currently doing. It may be helpful to construct a diagram identifying the cause-effect relationships between categories following the form of the simplified example given in Figure 1.
Figure 1 - simplified cause-effect diagram of influences on the soul.
Choices, Feelings, Drives and Essence
Your soul snapshot, especially considered alongside others taken over a period of time, can help illuminate your drives and, indirectly, your true essence, or what you really are. See Figure 2.
Figure 2 - the essence at root of drives, choices and feelings.
What you are is that most constant, and deeply hidden part of your self, your very essence that defines your reason for being. The pursuit of this knowledge is a lifetime's endeavor and is often only implied from other observations in the way the sun's position is implied from the shadows in a photograph.
Arising from your essence, your drives are the forces behind your actions. They may not be obviously discerned from your lifestyle but may be uncovered with a little introspection. Your drives evolve over time and as you gain experience.
Your choices are directly reflected in your interactions with the world - from the big stuff like your job, partner and where you live, to trivialities like how you dress. Your choices are the most changeable, and easily changed, layer of your self.
Your feelings too give evidence of your drives, and indirectly of what you really are. Feelings arise from the difference between your inner drives and the outer world in which they seek to be expressed.
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Filed in: purpose, self help, stress, depression, anxiety
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