The Care of Your Soul

And: should you resist branding yourself?

You have (you are) a kaleidoscope of interests and passions. Do not stick to a single color palette. Image: “Colors”, by EvaLovesDesign

Dear You,

So I’d been feeling a little stuck on the book I’m writing. I wasn’t sure that I’d write it at all. The book has to do with sacred and humanist wisdom, and lately I’d been too caught up in the everyday (managing our family’s busy lives, following the news, etc.). Weeks went by without my thinking about the book, let alone writing it.

And then, on Sunday night, on a long solo drive home from Connecticut, I listened to a Nick Cave song that I’d never heard before. It was called “Avalanche,” and it was numinous, and I drove the rest of the way under a spell. “It” was back. Whatever “it” was, whatever is the precious substance that infuses life, elevates it, reminds us that humans can be wondrous despite our failings: I was all aflame with creative energy.

So I’m back at it again.

I’m not nearly ready yet to share the book’s thesis, and I still have to write most of it, but: I’d love to share bits of my reading and research along the way.

Here, today, are some breathtaking passages from Thomas Moore’s classic work, Care of the Soul. These passages discuss:

*What your soul needs (it’s not what you think);

*Why to resist “branding” yourself; why you shouldn’t proclaim your identity too monochromatically;

*How to care for your soul;

and more.

You can also scroll down to the end of this Kindred Letter, to hear me reading to you from the book — and to hear Nick Cave singing “Avalanche.”