"Handbook for the Soul," edited by Richard Carlson and Benjamin Shield

This book is “a magnificent gathering of warmth and wisdom to nourish your soul.”  It consists of thirty essays written by highly educated persons, the majority of them physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists or educators.  Included among them are Angeles Arrien, Matthew Fox, Robert Fulghum, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and a Jewish Rabbi.  They all share spiritual insights according to their understanding of the soul.  With some of them, their concept of “the soul” is quite different from what I have learned: for example, speaking of “soul music”.  

Here are some of their reflections:  “I believe that each of us was put on this earth to fulfill the potential for humanity, and the soul is the part of us that makes us human.”  -  “It is amazing that our souls, our eternal essences, are contained within these temporal bodies.”  -  “Another way I nurture my soul is to keep a daily journal.”  - “To nourish the soul means to be kinder, more compassionate and more loving.”  -  “There is nothing to do but to be.  To nourish the soul is to rest in being.” -  “A relationship with God – or a higher power – is vital to nourishing and tending the soul.”  -  “Our task here is to become more God-like, to realize the divine and spiritual nature of our soul.”  -  “I believe we are a part of a universal soul…we are all connected.  We all have God within us.”  -  “When our channel to the soul is open, we live in a more harmonious reality.”  -    “Nourishing my soul makes a difference.”  -  “Through suffering and pain, I’ve learned more about my soul and heart than I ever dreamed possible.”  -  “For anyone trying to get in touch with the soul … it’s an alive journey.”

Reading this book left me with some questions:  Can we really nourish our soul as we do our body? -  Is the soul of a saint somehow “grander” than the soul of a sinner?  - Does the soul develop and grow along with the body?  On reading it, you may have other or similar questions.  I think you will find the book very enriching and thought-provoking.