[Joanna K.]

Hi everyone,

I look forward to “meeting” you all in tomorrow’s class. I value reading through all of your reflections that you offer! It may sound like I am stating the obvious but here it goes: Nature is natural (?) Does that count as an answer? Haha! I mean, really though, you finally put your phone down and look up at the trees and the sky. You are transported. The world is big and beautiful and it grows, teaming with life and beauty down to every detail. The intricacy and profound mysteries in nature are inexhaustible! And it is there for me for free to delight in. Nature is a gift and connecting to nature is unwrapping and receiving the gift.

Our soul, like so many of you have said, is our deep inner self. I am sure we all know what it is like to tell ourselves what to do or think or say and even to shut ourselves down. But to connect to our soul must mean instead of telling ourselves something we listen to our feelings because they reveal something true about us. Deep personal honesty allows us to admit and reveal our true selves. This vulnerability opens the door for authentic relationships with ourselves, God, and others. We can then experience love and acceptance for who we are not what we do.

Does this resonate with anyone? I look forward to “connecting” more directly tomorrow! 🙂

[Joanna K.]

Thank you for being vulnerable enough with us to tell us about this struggle to seek council! You are right it is so humbling to sit in that position! Plus building trust can be a daunting process. I love that the Vision Council is defined only by people you really admire and trust and who are not critical but build you up. It’s a really great exercise to sort out who are those truly loving inspiring people in our lives and experiences. Thank you for highlighting this aspect of the homework for me!

[Joanna K.]

Wow you must already know a lot about partswork to have that much self awareness! I only just recently learned about “parts” and am really processing what that means for understanding my soul. I agree, it can be really difficult to dig out our real motives and desires and we humans seem to need other human “mirrors” to know what we look like and what is true about us.

[Joanna K.]

Sheri,

Aw! I agree it makes me sad to think about not going in nature. I think you should keep going in nature! It sounds like your experiences in nature are so positive and life giving! And it sounds like you have a real sense of your soul too, what you think and feel and when you sense a leading to be life giving to someone else in a specific way.