“The soul is the truth of who we are.” – Marianne Williamson

If our souls are the truth of who we are, it’s unsurprising that many people are struggling with feeling stressed, disconnected, and like something important is missing.

Everything about our lives and society distracts us from connecting with the deepest parts of ourselves – our souls.

Living lives not aligned with who our soul intended us to become results in a feeling of “soul hunger.” In a previous post, I explained how soul hunger was a silent epidemic in the 21st century.

Many of us feel the inner urge to return home to ourselves and shed outdated beliefs about what it means to be a successful person and what we need to be authentically happy.

While living in a way that doesn’t align with our soul results in suffering, this same inner struggle causes us to pause and take a much-needed look at our lives. We, unfortunately, don’t grow, evolve and transform when all is going well in our lives. It often requires a shock that wakes us from our habitual, conditioned ways of seeing and being in the world.

This shock, if navigated consciously, results in a shift from identifying predominantly with our conditioned self to becoming our true self.

Shifting from our conditioned self to our true self is certainly not comfortable; however, this transformation and awakening are not only expected but necessary journeys in the evolution of our souls.

In the book, When The Soul Awakens: The Path to Spiritual Evolution and a New World Era, Nancy Seifer and Martin Vieweg explain that “Awakening occurs- in one incarnation or another- when the individual soul becomes satiated with material living and feels compelled, by a deep inner urge, to discover the truth that lies behind the outer world of appearances” (p. 5).

In other words, when we feel we have everything that should make us happy, we long for more. I hear from people of all ages worldwide that the values inherited from our families and society don’t resonate or align with what they believe to be true.

However, the challenge for those seeking deeper meaning, purpose and connection is that the old maps don’t seem to fit any longer. If what I thought should bring more profound peace and happiness isn’t, what will?

Without a roadmap that helps us understand how to make our way, many find themselves feeling lost, confused and in the fog of navigating the inner terrain of the soul.

Some clients describe it as feeling like they’re being pulled between conflicting desires – which they should be and are meant to be.

Others say they feel like they’ve lost themselves in their roles to the point that they don’t know who they are anymore.

It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about this sense of knowing that things need to change but are confused because they have no idea what isn’t working or how to do it.

For many, it’s a shift from focusing most of our attention and energy on fulfilling our many roles that meet other people’s needs and moving towards growth, self-love, spirituality, greater fulfillment, authentic happiness, and living in alignment with our deeper selves.

This shift we’re talking about and experiencing is a call from the soul. When we listen to this call, we move toward thriving. When we don’t listen, our physical and emotional health will suffer.

The soul forever weighs in, often subtly, providing clues as to whether we live in alignment with our more profound truths.

As James Hollis, a Jungian analyst, said,

If there is such a thing as a soul, then it is the soul that ultimately tips the balance toward change, towards a more authentic stance in the world.

Here are ten signs your soul is calling and you’re awakening to your true self:

  1. You are beginning to realize that all the material things and ways that you are trying to fill yourself up aren’t satisfying you. You feel like something may be missing in your life.
  2. You have a deep desire to make a difference and be of service to something greater than yourself.
  3. You have a feeling that something needs to be expressed through you. It’s an inner urge that stems from deep within you. This may feel like you’re seeking something, but you don’t know what that is.
  4. You realize that while your roles are important, you do not want to be defined by them. You may ask, “who am I” and seek more profound meaning and purpose.
  5. You long for authentic relationships where you can share your emerging sense of self with like-minded people.
  6. You sense that some things need to change and disappear for your true self to emerge. It may be relationships, the work that you are doing, limiting beliefs, or how you fill your time.
  7. You are open to and curious about deepening your connection to something greater than yourself. You begin to realize that spiritual laws are at work even if you don’t know precisely how to tap into them.
  8. You notice that your values are shifting, and new ones want to emerge. You sense that this shift will result in a new way of being and re-arranging your priorities.
  9. You may feel a sense of discomfort as you’re being drawn into the unknown without a clear idea about how this process is meant to unfold. Perhaps the idea of the dark night of the soul resonates with you.
  10. You have the desire to live in alignment with your true self even though you don’t have a picture of what that looks like.

Understanding the language of the soul and integrating its messages into our lives is challenging for many of us. Here are 5 Tips to Help You Connect With Your Soul.

Adding to this challenge is the awareness that understanding the awakening soul and its needs is different than fixing a psychological problem. It’s common to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression when awakening is not viewed in a spiritual context. The article, Is This Depression Or Am I Experiencing A Spiritual Awakening explores this further.

There is nothing dysfunctional or abnormal that needs to be diagnosed or treated. Instead, a process needs to be nourished and understood for the soul to emerge and one’s life to be adjusted to live in alignment.

If there are signs your soul is speaking to you, you need to know that awakening is normal and is the beginning of a beautiful, albeit uncertain, journey. In The 3 Soul Commitments: How to Honour Your Awakening Soul, I provide some insights into what your soul might be asking of you.

One thing is sure: your soul is your connection to your true self.

Despite the fear that will inevitably surface, listening and making the necessary changes will lead you toward a life of greater alignment, inner peace, and fulfillment.

If you feel called, please comment below. Our community would love to hear from you!