Seven Signs of a Weary Soul
I was first introduced to the concept of “soul weariness” a few years ago at a Soul Care Retreat. The retreat consisted of approximately forty seasoned, mature, godly male and female pastors, many of whom I had known, trusted, and admired for years.
The atmosphere was one of safety, authenticity and vulnerability, making “getting down to business” a bit quicker and easier. I attribute this mostly to the facilitators – two men who had suffered the good, bad and extremely ugly of life, relationships, and encounters with the dark side of themselves, coming out the other side victorious.
One of the first questions posed was “How do you know your soul is weary?” It didn’t take long for discussion to flow, everyone contributing verbal pictures of their own experiences and journeys wherein their soul was either in a state of wholeness or great deficit. As someone who had been studying, researching, and applying concepts and principles of living a life that is both emotionally and spiritually healthy, I was mesmerized. I drank in every word, revelation and concept. It was extremely revealing and life-giving, to say the least.
Following the retreat, it didn’t take long for me to begin my own research on soul weariness and soul care, following up on not only what had transpired that weekend, as well as my own experiences, but how I was supposed to share this information with others.
Shortly thereafter, I officially opened a Coaching and Spiritual Direction practice. As I began to see more and more clients, I realized that regardless of the particular challenge or situation presented, whether it was life-changes, discovery of dreams, desire for greater health and wholeness, or spiritual growth, symptoms of soul weariness were present in each. Once these symptoms were identified, a powerful partnership began. I witnessed lives not only waking up from the dead, but dreaming, loving, and living with a fresh new vibrancy and freedom. The challenges and situations originally presented, as a result, began to be resolved as clients faced them with greater understanding, intentionality and energy. It was truly amazing!
In this demanding, over-stimulated and over-scheduled world in which we live, Soul Weariness is epidemic. It’s destroying lives, families, careers and churches in its wake. Anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, and depression are the result. Many are just hanging on, when they want to move ahead. Some are in a deep rut, or even paralyzed, as clarity of purpose and vision have vanished.
How do you know if you are Soul Weary? What are the symptoms? And once identified, what do you do? Below you will find what I believe are seven tell-tale signs of Soul Weariness.
1) Cynicism – A blatant sign of Soul Weariness, cynicism is looking at the world through a negative, jaded, scornful lens, as it is a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others. This perspective is not only exhausting, but causes great loss of hope, draining our soul of health, wholeness and a positive outlook.
2) Negative Self-Talk– When your soul is weary, the view of yourself has lost its clarity. We no longer see ourselves according to God’s truth, but rather constantly compare ourselves to the world and its pseudo truth, setting us up for constant disappointment and frustration – resulting in negative self-talk and negative self-perception.
3) Loss of Physical, Spiritual, and Emotional Energy– A weary soul literally zaps both the emotional and physical energy from our body, mind and spirit – resulting physical, emotional, and even spiritual fatigue, complacency and apathy. A good night’s sleep, a nap, or even a vacation may help for a little while, but any progress quickly dissipates.
4) Abandonment of Goals and Dreams– In that hope is waning, a weary soul loses its ability to dream, causing “dreaming muscles” to literally atrophy, resulting in not only not moving ahead, but in some cases, going backwards in regards to dreams and goals.
5) Impatience with Others– Was there a time when you more so enjoyed the company of others? Do you find yourself frustrated and bothered with little to no patience? Do you dread seeing others? When our soul is weary, we have nothing to give, leaving us easily agitated and irritated with most everyone and everything.
6) Loss of Enjoyment of Relationships– In conjunction with a growing impatience with others, those closest to us can suffer when our soul is crying out for restoration. The enjoyment and fulfillment previously experienced through certain relationships dwindles, causing great pain, loss and even abandonment to those we love the most. We no longer see the beauty of those we love, but focus on the negative.
7) Discontinuing Fulfilling Activities– We all have a soul reservoir which is filled by doing the things God created us to love, whether it be exercise, nature, relationships, reading, baking, gardening…the list can go on and on, and it’s different for everyone. Often when we are weary, busy, or over-scheduled, the activities we love the most are the very first things that we discontinue, as we convince ourselves we simply don’t have the time. This causes our reservoir to begin to empty, causing greater deficit to our souls.
So what can be done? If you are experiencing two or more of these signs, I would love to encourage you to begin your own Soul Care Journey, in which your life will be transformed. Finding a good coach or spiritual director who is knowledgeable of Soul Care is imperative. With a little authenticity, dedication and commitment, you will find yourself living your best life. It’s work and it’s a journey – but it’s the best journey you’ll ever take!
If you are interested in beginning your own Soul Care Journey, please visit Wilson Coaching and Consulting at www.wilsonccnc.com and contact me today for a free over-the-phone consultation. Greater things are ahead!
