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Actually, the best way is to stop sinning the best way you know and keep doing that and repent to God ...... Forgive your enemies and try to be kind in a dark world ..... When you keep that up, God will see that you are sincere. Then God will give you a soul and heal your spirit and bless your life ...... Some people can hear a song and get into the groove, but their spirit could still be wicked as before ... Even God said that God rejected their worship in song in the bible because it was still filled with wickedness after
Thing is though, just like I don't believe in souls as generally defined by religious people, I don't believe in sins....
There is knowing and doing right rather than wrong of course, and most of us are all in favor of doing right over wrong. I suppose that also helps us "feed" our general want to give our lives more meaning, but it takes more than just doing right instead of wrong for me. I also don't think I'm doing anything wrong on a daily basis as a general rule, and in whatever ways I do slip here and there, it would be quite the stretch to consider those slips anything like wicked.
I think of the soul as the part of me that desires connection. So anything that helps me connect would work. Conversation feeds the soul.
The question is ... connect with who or what. Theists will argue that our souls long for god, but I think we just long to be seen, heard, understood, cared for. To whatever extent I have ever experienced those feelings, they have come from other human beings. And I don't just mean one's life partner or immediate or extended families. It can come in much smaller and diffuse, prosaic forms in incidental everyday interactions with humans you don't even know. After my wife died, I lived alone for a couple of years and I found that just getting out among people, even briefly once a day, made all the difference for me. The next person of course might feel lonely in crowds; they had the opposite effect on me. Everyone's different.
My main point is that it doesn't add any understanding to substitute "my soul" for "me" or assume "with god" as the object of connection. We just need connection, that's the simple way to put it, without lacing it with assumptions.
Lalalalala...starting again.. So anything that makes my heart swell to me is feeding the soul. Big one to me
is kindness to others (esp, when you'd rather not, hahahahaLOL!)
BUT, also, flip side standing up for what's right.
Very good for the soul and the UNIVERSE!)
I'm with you! I'm not sure switching from soul to heart works for me, but I know what you mean of course...
I suppose it's hard for you and others to simply consider how our minds help us to feel one way or another. The heart serving the important purpose of pumping blood to the brain so it works the way it should, but otherwise the heart doesn't in any way do what the brain does far as all this is concerned. Other than metaphorically, and we all know how most of us love to use that metaphor. A marvelous thing the way all that works either way. Regardless how we choose to describe it. How our mind creates all that emotion, experience and ideally the sense of well being all humans aspire to achieve.
I think of the soul as the part of me that desires connection. So anything that helps me connect would work. Conversation feeds the soul.
I hate to admit that sometimes even time spent in this forum helps me to feed what you are describing here. Other times, it's more like the opposite...
Music is a big one for me too. Listening to music and playing some on my keyboards. I enjoy all kinds of music from Windham Hill, R&R of course, some classical, some jazz, some soul music...
Maybe post-retirement I'll resurrect a bit of keyboard noodling. I have done zero of that for well over a decade, now. Not enough space in our house to set anything up really. There's a decent digital piano in the cellar that I could put headphones on and futz with. Maybe move the stationary bike out of my office into our garage gym and replace it with the piano.
I used to have a 4 manual digital organ, a Wurlitzer replica, but that is just not economically feasible and I had to say goodbye to it. It was either the wife or the organ, and to her credit, she won, lol.
Fortunately for me, my vocation is also my avocation. I can while away the hours writing software for fun or, if need be, profit. Strange as it doubtless seems to some, that feeds MY soul.
Silence is something I appreciate as well. Yes. My wife and I often note our appreciation for how quiet it is where we live, but I know you are referring to something having more to do with the quieting of the mind. Sometimes I have to work hard to do that, but at times it's worth the effort.
I suppose none of us can claim real silence or stillness while participating in this forum, and getting back to music, I should also note that I always have some music going while I spend time here. So for the moment, silence, no. Still, I don't think this keeps me from achieving that sense of enjoying my life the way I always strive to do.
Silence is something I appreciate as well. Yes. My wife and I often note our appreciation for how quiet it is where we live, but I know you are referring to something having more to do with the quieting of the mind. Sometimes I have to work hard to do that, but at times it's worth the effort.
I suppose none of us can claim real silence or stillness while participating in this forum, and getting back to music, I should also note that I always have some music going while I spend time here. So for the moment, silence, no. Still, I don't think this keeps me from achieving that sense of enjoying my life the way I always strive to do.
"feeding the soul" is not the same as "enjoying life"
nor is "feeding the soul" the same as "making life meaningful" [put forth in the opening post]
The question is ... connect with who or what. Theists will argue that our souls long for god, but I think we just long to be seen, heard, understood, cared for. To whatever extent I have ever experienced those feelings, they have come from other human beings. And I don't just mean one's life partner or immediate or extended families. It can come in much smaller and diffuse, prosaic forms in incidental everyday interactions with humans you don't even know. After my wife died, I lived alone for a couple of years and I found that just getting out among people, even briefly once a day, made all the difference for me. The next person of course might feel lonely in crowds; they had the opposite effect on me. Everyone's different.
My main point is that it doesn't add any understanding to substitute "my soul" for "me" or assume "with god" as the object of connection. We just need connection, that's the simple way to put it, without lacing it with assumptions.
Not surprisingly, I see it the same way, but of course people who consider themselves religious and/or spiritual will always be inclined to interpret those feelings, wants and needs, with something having to do with a god or spiritual whatever. Nice when regardless what we call it, we can share and appreciate the same things in any case.
I remember a time when I was feeling rather lonely too, and I made a point of going to the library or cafe for little other reason than to get out of my own head and share some space with other people. Even if I didn't speak with any of them, just being around other people seemed to curb that sense of loneliness a bit. Made a good bit of difference for me too.
Maybe post-retirement I'll resurrect a bit of keyboard noodling. I have done zero of that for well over a decade, now. Not enough space in our house to set anything up really. There's a decent digital piano in the cellar that I could put headphones on and futz with. Maybe move the stationary bike out of my office into our garage gym and replace it with the piano.
I used to have a 4 manual digital organ, a Wurlitzer replica, but that is just not economically feasible and I had to say goodbye to it. It was either the wife or the organ, and to her credit, she won, lol.
Fortunately for me, my vocation is also my avocation. I can while away the hours writing software for fun or, if need be, profit. Strange as it doubtless seems to some, that feeds MY soul.
Find a way!
I had a piano at my disposal for a good part of my life. Then a good amount of time without one. Finally, after retiring, and some years of remodeling this our final (fingers crossed) home, I got around to buying an electric key board. We too don't really have the space for a piano, and of course they are much more difficult to move around.
I've got my keyboards set up so I can play anytime, and I've got them where I can play while looking out the back window at our apple tree, bird feeder and potted plants that make for a nice vista while I do my keyboard noodling. Now that we're going through a bit of a storm complete with gale force winds and lots of rain, looking out the window at that kind of weather while warm and comfortable playing music inside is undoubtedly rewarding for me. Call it whatever.
Soon also to get on with preparing our customary BSB on this stormy day too. Another one of my favorite ways to satisfy more than one kind of hunger. Here's hoping your Sunday is a good one for you and yours too.
PS: My electric keyboard allows me to play the sounds of violin, organ, electric keyboard and drums to name a few. I usually just stick to the sound of the piano, but it's fun to produce the other sounds too, and interesting how some pieces really lend themselves to some instruments over others from a sound standpoint.
Last edited by LearnMe; 12-11-2022 at 09:08 AM..
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So anything that makes my heart swell to me is feeding the soul. Big one to me 
