Align Your Soul with Self Through Birding

Written by: Scott W. Holland

There’s a quiet place in each of us. A place that is never rushed, never fearful, never doubtful.  That place is your soul.  Your soul is steady. It waits for you with unending love and patience.  But your conscious mind, what some call Ego, well that can be a different story.  Your Ego often diverges from your soul in thought, word and deed.  It can be a drifter, if you know what I mean.  Constantly distracted, always chasing, never truly settled. Your Ego is your outward character, formed by years of experiences and memories.  It is our Ego that fuels self-doubt and it is our Ego that thrives in chaos.  Why? Because chaos feels familiar.  Even when we say “No, this isn’t what I want”, our mind continues to repeat patterns that are familiar to it, because that’s what it knows. That’s where it feels safe.

But there’s good news.  You can shift that pattern and align your soul with your conscious self.  One of the most beautiful ways to begin is by watching the birds and internalizing their nature.  When you watch the birds what do you see?  Beautiful color, brilliant song, quirky behavior.  That may be well and deed true, but I would challenge you to look deeper.  Look at the internal character and actions of the birds.  They don’t overthink situations, they don’t doubt. They are independent and trust fully in the fact that what they are doing is exactly what they should be doing. They’re not working for someone who doesn’t appreciate them, they’re not sabotaging their own happiness.  They’re simply living in the present.  Self-reliant and in harmony with the world around them.

We can use that bird as a guide for us.  Not an abstract idea, but as a real, living, breathing example of how to live in alignment with nature and our soul.  For it is our soul that holds the wisdom of our peace and happiness. But to access it, we must shift our conscious mind to be aligned with our unconscious soul. Doing this is not easy.  It’s difficult, it takes courage and patience, but the payoff is worth it.

While the soul offers peace and fulfillment, the conscious mind resists change and clings to what is familiar, even if it’s painful and self-defeating. But what the conscious mind fears most is stillness, for it’s in stillness that we can begin to hear our soul calling.  In stillness we remember who we truly are.

Find your quiet place, your sanctuary, your oasis and watch the birds. Allow their calm focus and self-reliance to comfort and guide you.  Let the stillness of the moment reconnect you with your soul.