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

I’d like to ask you some questions which I hope you will answer after reading this article. If you keep a diary or journal, I invite you to write your answers there because this could be a healing exercise to help you gain greater understanding of yourself. Okay, let’s begin. Do you see yourself as broken in any way?

Have you ever been told you are less than perfect? How would you describe your inner dialogue? For instance, are you critical of yourself? Do you judge aspects of your character or physical qualities and wish it were different? What does the term broken mean to you? What does the concept of wholeness mean to you?

I know there’s a lot to think about, but if you take your time answering them, it will expand your understanding of yourself. It’s no secret that many people spend their entire life trying to fix themselves so they can be happier. For example, they might work with a therapist or a counsellor, join a gym, follow a restricted diet to lose weight or undertake programs.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m not discounting the value of these pursuits because they are worthwhile. What I’m suggesting is that if we are constantly trying to fix our life, who is deciding they need fixing? In other words, who is determining you are broken to begin with?

In my experience coaching clients, it is we who decide we are broken based on a false perception that we are not good enough. So, we undertake the journey of fixing aspects of ourselves so we can like who we are. Regrettably, it seldom works as we planned because there is always something to fix, something to heal and something to transform.

Our life is never complete and no matter how long we live, our job of self-improvement is never complete. We will never get the work done in one lifetime because there is so much we can do. My impression is that we ought to embrace who we are now, knowing we are whole and perfect as we are.

Expressed differently: we are spiritual beings having an earthly experience and therefore, spirit does not identify itself with being broken or flawed. I’m not trying to impress upon you my views or beliefs, but showing you on an alternative perspective. That is, as a soul, our brokenness is not identifiable to our higher self. It is our egoic mind that identifies with the concept of being flawed.

Does this make sense? Can you see that who you are as a person is not who you are as a soul? Therefore, if we can see ourselves from a soul perspective, instead of flesh and bones, we can see ourselves through the eyes of love and compassion. In fact, we can extend this idea to how we see others. I’m not saying it will be easy, but each of us has a soulful quality and if we can connect with that part of another person, we can see past their difficulties.