Who am I? How to Soul Search?

This week, I thought of writing something completely different than the topics what I generally deal with. It has a lot to do with us as individuals, as humans. Needless to remind everyone that we, humans are not only body but primarily a soul. A body without soul is nothing, rather it straightaway goes to the grave.?

We shall start this article with the verse from the Holy Quran where Allah says: “I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me”.?51:56.?Soul searching is the process of figuring out our purpose, your motivations, and what may need to?change in your life?in order to live in greater alignment with your true self. It often occurs as a result of feeling out of touch with yourself, or like something is missing.

How to actually soul search:

1. Be with Yourself to Take Stock

Hazrat Ali Ibn-e-Abi Talib’s most famous quotes reads: “One who knows himself, knows his Lord”.??We?need to be in a state of?this urge of knowing who we are. In fact, a regular tune-up (some call this “soul-nourishment”) is a valuable tool to keep our spirit healthy.?So, whenever?we?embark on a soul-searching quest, it helps to examine our life in its current state.

• How are you feeling?
• How is your home life?
• How is work going?
• Are you feeling valued and appreciated?
• What are you proud of?
• What do you regret?
• Where do you want to improve?

This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive. It’s meant to be a springboard. Take about 30 minutes (or more) in a secluded spot — be it in meditation, on a walk, in the tub — and run over these questions and answers in your mind.?Even if you’re feeling totally at peace with yourself, you may find that there are some areas that you wish to improve.?Be like water. Flow into openings that you discover.

2. Connect with the Divine

Most of the leadership Gurus?recommend meditation for soul searching, as it's an excellent way to both quiet the mind and ask for insight. Just like?we?can go on a nature walk with an inquiry in mind, Wecan?meditate on that same question.?We?need to be able to differentiate our soul from the voice of the mind and the voice of our heart—so from our emotions and our reason—and meditation is a great way to start to do so.

Keep in mind that the word "spiritual" is not necessarily equated with any kind of religious practice, but rather one that’s from within.?Dr. Nancy Mramor, a Pittsburgh psychotherapist, recommends taking up meditation in your soul-searching journey. “It changes the brain, nervous system and mood,” she says.?

3. Experience the Nature

Most people happen to be?big fans?of?the mother?nature?as it?offers?both inner stillness and quiet, as well as opportunities for insight.?Rain, for example, completely changes our moods and makes us??happy. Just leave everything aside and?go on?a walk, but go on the walk with an inquiry.

Whatever it is you're looking to have answered, "go out and allow nature to speak to you through symbols," she adds, whether it be a certain animal that means something specific to you or even a snippet of an overheard conversation that's somehow relevant to your situation.

4. Connect with?Newer?People

In a suspicious world, many of us stay reluctant to interact with complete strangers. But talking to people we have never met before, even in passing interactions, can make us wiser and happier.?Strike up a conversation with someone?completely stranger,?in line at the grocery store, say hello to the cashier, or?call a waiter by his/her name and?warmly smile While technology and social media have connected us to family, friends, and celebrities, we still crave that human connection.?

Talking to strangers – under the right conditions – is good for us.?Talking to strangers can teach?usthings,?gives us depth, make?us?a better citizens, a better thinkers, and a better person. It's a good way to live. But it's more than that. In a rapidly changing, infinitely complex, furiously polarised world, it's a way to survive.

5. Your Career Aspirations?

How’s your job going??Are you happy where you are??Are you getting the opportunities you need?Critically examine your job and your performance. If you’ve had a few rough performance reviews, dig down and find out why that truly is. Try to figure out the reasons, reflect and try to come up with what went wrong.?After all, our career is?

Job Hopping?is terrifying and hard.?A career change can feel like an inward-looking process. However, it’s important to discuss it out with the trusted people in your lives i.e. spouse, parents and close friends, to clarify your ideas and ensure that you are not daydreaming. Just the simple act of creating and telling a story about what you want to do, or why you want a change, can clarify your thinking and propel you forward, by committing you publicly to making a change. In the end, when it comes to reinventing your career in this time of crisis, remember this important point: The time to get going is now?— but don’t go it alone.

The bottom line

If you're going through?a period of soul searching, keep going.?As?Thérèse Cator, embodiment practitioner and founder of?Embodied Black Girl?tells:?“Soul searching often arises from an inquiry, whether it's a broad question around your overall purpose or something more focused, such as a difficult decision you're facing.”?"I see soul searching as a threshold in our lives,"?Cator says. "It's a crossroad and we're trying to figure out what the right next path is, what the right next decision is, or who are we in the greater scheme of things."

As with any kind of search that has to do with psychological and spiritual advancement and development,?It's often because there's?something that feels missing, or people are in some form of emotional pain. "We?feel?so disconnected from the rhythms of life and not taught to ask ourselves the deeper questions of 'Who am I?' and 'What's my purpose?"

About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani?is the Founder and Managing Director of?Evolve HR?which aims at transforming,?enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan,?Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders.?As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.?

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