Peace of mind, security, a sense of purpose and inner fulfillment are some of the things people spend an entire lifetime trying to capture. Some have traveled the four corners of the world to seek the answers to their questions of life. Each one of us could spend a million dollars to try to find the meaning to some of our inner questions, and still come up feeling shortchanged. Many of us look outside, believing that at the end of some rainbow there is that pot of gold, with all the secrets of the Universe, while perhaps those secrets are inside each one of us. Maybe that’s the way God planned it….so that no matter how rich or poor, each individual would have within his or her grasp the knowledge of the Heavens.

The entertainment mogul David Geffen told an interesting story about his outlook on life, in his autobiography. David spent many of his early years managing artists like Laura Nyro, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. He believed that once he made ten million dollars all would be well and all of his problems would be solved. One day while on the road in a hotel room David Geffen was informed that his net value had now exceeded ten million dollars. Upon learning this information, he looked around the hotel room and realized he was still the same person, and in some way, his problems had just become different. At that point David had a nervous breakdown. Many of us believe that with the right amount of money or possessions our lives will be “just perfect.” Not necessarily so.

To obtain inner peace and continued contentment we must carefully monitor our spirituality to make sure that our souls are being fed. Just like the body needs food on a regular basis, so too does the soul need reflection, prayer, and healing. When we are sick, we seek out doctors to heal our bodies of disease and infection. Some of us meditate to relieve the stresses of the day. But so few of us take the time to heal the wounds of our souls. I believe without these wounds being healed it is next to impossible for a person to sustain inner growth and stillness of mind.

Sometimes the most rewarding thing we can do for ourselves is to sit alone in a room, tell ourselves it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to cry, and it’s okay to love ourselves. Inside our hearts are the tools that are needed to heal the wounds of the soul. I’m afraid they can’t be purchased at the local hardware store…but maybe that’s the way it was meant to be. The journey to healing the soul is one that someone can start any day.

Take the time to heal,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1999 Jennifer Avalon