When I was dreaming up my wellbeing business, I spent some time ruminating on what I wanted it to feel like, what I wanted it to represent, and be true to why I started dreaming it up in the first place. Based on a solid foundation of the best qualifications - learned through lived experience, and a healthy dose of a thirst for more knowledge, an insatiable appetite to continue growing and learning, I started to write out what matters most to me in my service offerings, Soulful Beings Values.
I have done a few values activities at work, for the family, and have seen how powerful they can become as a guiding light to keep me honest and on track with the bigger picture. And how staying true to these aspirational qualities is not only prevalent in all work that I do, but how it can have a radiating affect onto students and clients.
Here is a short list of the values that Soulful Being holds close to its heart.
Compassion
Compassion is a deep feeling of empathy and concern for the well-being of others. It involves recognising the suffering or difficulties that someone else is experiencing and wanting to alleviate or help ease their pain. Compassion goes beyond just feeling sorry for someone; it involves a genuine desire to understand their situation and provide support, kindness, and understanding. It goes beyond thinking and feeling and into heart based action, and has the power to change the world, to hold its pain and suffering.
In all that Soulful Being offers, each effort, gift or act of service is doused with loving kindness, with no attachment to control, no judgement and no expectations. A safe space for beings to just be, be held, be seen and cared for.
Family
Family is often considered a fundamental value in many cultures and societies around the world. It encompasses various meanings and interpretations but generally refers to a group of individuals who are connected by blood, marriage, or strong emotional bonds and who provide support, care, and love for one another.
Family means so much more to Soulful Being, I consider all kinds of communities that I am part of to be different types of family - a rich tapestry of people that come together, some villages stay with you a long while, some are shorter, all exist with the deeper wisdom that we are social beings and belong together, nurture, support and love one another, in order to not just survive, but thrive.
Soulful Being brings different souls together and creates communities that cultivate and nurture relationships that contribute to personal growth and well-being. The bond between each member can provide a sense of belonging and identity.
Growth
Without a tenacious thirst for shedding and growing, Soulful Being wouldn't exist.
Through dedication, hard work, and an openness to always be on the lookout for teachers in all kinds of disguises, I choose, (my intention, which sometimes gets lost in life's many pitfalls!) to see challenges as opportunities for growth and view failures as stepping stones toward improvement. This mindset fosters resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to take on new challenges. It makes me feel brave and equipped to better handle setbacks and failures as I know they are just temporary obstacles in my path, here to teach me a new(or old!) lesson.
Soulful Beings intention is to inspire all to embrace a growth mindset, open to learning from experiences and actively seek out opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills. This attitude is crucial in our path for growth, healing and enlightenment, and is my pure joy to accompany others on.
Intuition
Intuition refers to the ability to understand or know something without the need for conscious reasoning or logical analysis. It's often described as a "gut feeling" or an instinctive understanding of a situation. Found when we allow our minds to steady and flow into the present moment awareness, we quieten the thinking mind and can tune in to a deeper wisdom, knowing which lies patiently in the background of our life, until we are ready to listen.
Intuitive thoughts, feelings, or insights often arise spontaneously and can guide decision-making, problem-solving, and creative thinking. Through my committed meditation practice, I intentionally create regular opportunities to dip into this 6th sense to remind me to come back to whats important, letting go of the noise and distraction of past experiences or planning busy mind ramblings. This is a gift to cherish and nourish, and Soulful Beings intention is to help guide others back to their own wisdom.
Love
All you need is love, literally! A bit cheesy, but love is the current on which I live my whole life. The essence which connects all living beings is known as the universal life force, and in my opinion is flowing river of love. I believe in the interconnectedness of all things and the power of love to create and sustain life. Throughout history, love has been a central theme in art, literature, religion, and human relationships. I also believe that the original intentions of all religions on earth are just different love languages, let's not wander too far down this controversial conversation!
Love, just like life, comes in many different forms and shapes, and can be enjoyed from many angles - being loved, giving love, feeling love, seeing and sensing love in others, in nature, in a sunset, countless ways. A daily practice of mine, thanks to the wonderful Ram Dass, is to place my hands over my heart space, and repeat "I am loving awareness, come from a place of love." I do this at times when I need more patience, courage or motivation, and life seems to flow more effortlessly for me, and so like a healthy addiction, I choose to dip into this when needed.
Humility
Leave the ego at the door thank you, your service is not needed here! Humility revolves around having a modest and respectful view of oneself and one's abilities. It involves recognising and acknowledging your limitations, imperfections, and the contributions of others. Humility is not about self-deprecation or lacking self-confidence, but rather about maintaining a balanced perspective on your own importance in relation to the world around you.
Bringing an open mind, being humble and willing to learn from others and accept different viewpoints is a healthy way to enjoy life and an invitation to discover something new. Being right or wrong is an ego trip and rarely gets you anywhere useful, so I try my earnest best to bring a don't know/open mind to all conversations.
Authenticity
Authentic individuals are genuine in their interactions and express their thoughts and emotions sincerely, making it deeply intertwined with integrity and trust. When people, experiences, or objects are authentic, they are more likely to resonate with others and establish genuine connections.
Being a hot blooded Sicilian descendant, its never been hard to hard my true feelings - wearing my "heart on my sleeve", it is a familiar pattern for me to embrace my values, beliefs, and identity without conforming to societal expectations or pressures. This is an imperative value for Soulful Being, one which I hope inspires others to feel free to express and be true to who they are.
Unity & Connectedness
These values became easier to articulate and identify for me through my Mindfulness and Buddhist studies and research - the illusion of separateness our society has gotten obsessed with, worrying about and focusing only on self, without regard for others and the impact this selfish mindset contributes to our world of greed and power. It has been a concept that resonated so deeply with me, especially with nature.
Our interconnectedness highlights the interwoven nature of the world and the importance of recognising our shared humanity and environment. It encourages collaboration, understanding, and a broader perspective that can lead to positive change and growth on personal, societal, and global levels. And the more unity we can cultivate, the brighter the world will be - recognising the interconnectedness of nations, cultures, economies, and ecosystems, working together to address global challenges like climate change, poverty, and public health issues.
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