Opus Day 10: Express your individuality

[Barque]

“Soul also grants individuality. If you are not a person of soul, you probably think like the crowd and go after the rewards that everyone takes for granted as being desirable. You may think like the culture at large or your region or your family or your church, and you may be quite unconscious of the influence of these groups on you. Part of finding your soul is to wake up to this habit of thinking like others and to go your own way. It may be painful to separate from those people who have given you a sense of belonging and purpose, but your soul is at stake.
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In alchemy one of the first important developments in the opus is a process called separatio. The alchemist puts a significant amount of stuff into a vessel and watches closely as the elements separate out. This is a crucial stage, for progress in the opus is possible only if separation takes place effectively.
**
When I speak of finding soul in your work so that you might discover the joy of labor, I’m not talking about something simple and easy. It may be the most challenging thing of all to crawl out of the pleasant unconsciousness that has been your womb for many years and enter life as a grounded, thoughtful individual.
**
… people often see talk about the soul as conservative and unchallenging, while I believe it is a radical challenge to live boldly from the heart and create a different and better society. If you wake up to your soul, you may have to stand apart from the crowd and dare to be unique."

Today’s Work: Determine if your work goals emanate from your soul or from the expectations of people around you. Step back from your situation to reflect on the depth of these goals.

Share your responses with Barque readers, by replying to this discussion.

[candace morris]

individuality is a tricky beast.

interestingly enough, since starting my soul work two years ago, i have found a loss of my own personal individuality - but let me explain.

before the soul emerged, i had very strict definitions on myself. i would NOT paint because i hated what came out of me. i would NOT wear pink because pink is childish...these and many other examples abound in relation to the strict identity i let myself have.

now that my soul is much more prevalent in my life, i feel like i look and act more like everyone else. i feel a bit lost in what it is that makes me...well, me. only this isn't a crisis...because my soul is very MUCH at work, i am finding that it is taking me through all the clichés of my life and working me through why i cast them off. my soul is guiding me towards healing and into rooms in which i had closed the door.

many women can wear pink nail polish. up until my soul was involved, i couldn't. this makes me feel a bit more like "everyone else," but i am deeply aware and satisfied with the process because i know my soul is in the lead – not the fear.

[Barque]

Hi Candace,
I've been thinking about your post for the last week - ways that soul may help us to relax into our commonalities. Last night I read the Mark Van Doren quote in Moore's Original Self: "Shakespeare was more like everybody else than anybody else was." Van Doren writes, Shakespeare's lines "stun us because they are perfect statements of what we already know." This knowledge seemed to me to carry your reply. Please continue to share your reactions to the daily passages.

[candace morris]

This statement from VanDoren exactky summates my point. Thank you so much for sharing...