Close your eyes right now and listen. What do you hear? No, seriously… do it.
If you’re like me you hear the quiet hum of a computer. You hear the pipes from the downstairs neighbors. You hear the overly faint beep of a truck backing-up somewhere outside. You hear a thump. You hear a whining child’s voice somewhere below. That’s what I hear. What do you hear?
Now, close your eyes once more and listen. Block out everything that you heard before. Now, what do you hear?
If you’re like me, you hear the bedroom screaming that it needs to be cleaned. You hear the dog screaming that he needs to be bathed. You hear emails screaming that they need to be answered. You hear status updates that want to be read. You hear a car that needs new oil. You hear errands that need to be run. You hear meals that need to be cooked and groceries that need to be bought.
And nowhere here, was I able to close my eyes and actually hear… my soul.
What is a soul? I don’t know. Seems everybody has an answer for that. To be honest I don’t really care. I know what my soul is when I hear it. I know what my soul is whenever I find it.
To me, my soul is a lot of things. It’s the one place I find where I worry about… nothing. It’s the place I find where I have no guilt. It’s the place I find where the voices of others have no, and I mean no influence over me. It’s the place I find where nothing hardly matters at all anymore. The stress disappears. The worry disappears. Financial burdens disappear. Health problems disappear. It’s the place I find that doesn’t care in the slightest about the problems that I thought just moments before were monumental.
It’s the place that speaks truth to me. It’s the place that wipes clean tainted slates from the past. It’s the place that teaches me what really is right or wrong.
It’s the place that pushes me to think more healthy. It’s the place that pushes me to feel things in healthier ways. It’s the place that lets me see things for what they are instead of what my imperfect mind often makes them.
It’s the place that shows me my true value. It’s the place that erases the judgments from others and erases the judgments that I place on others. It’s the place that makes every other person beautiful to me. It’s the place that takes away my feelings of being better or stronger than others. It’s the place that takes away my feelings that others are better or stronger than me.
It’s the place that whispers the brevity of my trials. It’s the place that whispers the temporariness of my problems.
It’s the place that reassures me that I have chosen good paths. It’s the place that reminds me that the future will take care of itself. It’s the place that recaps all the good things I have done and puts the mistakes into much better perspective.
It’s the place I find where money doesn’t matter anymore. Material things don’t matter anymore. Toys don’t matter anymore.
My soul is the place I find where I am truly grateful for everything. I’m grateful for what I have and for what I don’t have. I’m grateful for my struggles and for my lack of struggles. I’m grateful for my strengths and I’m also grateful for my weaknesses.
Every person must learn to leave their immediate worlds from time to time and seek out their souls. Some will find them in churches or temples. Others in mediation or prayer. Others in dance, yoga, or other sports.
Me, I find my soul on the mountain.
Oh, the mountain. I am surrounded by many a magnificent mountain, all with their magical escapes. Their caves. Their rivers. Their falls. Their trails. Their lakes. Their animals. Their views. Their geographical formations.
Their… lack of everything that makes my everyday world so… everyday.
No electronic humming. No neighbors. No pipes. No cars. No vehicles.
Just me. And the mountain.
You see, even if I’m with others, something about the mountains has the ability to take everyone else out of the picture. Something about the mountain has the ability to put everything into perspective. Something about the mountain has the power to make everything right in my mind again.
There is no doubt that part of the process for me is the sweat and the pain that it takes to get to the place where my soul is waiting. Often climbing thousands of feet over miles of difficult trail. The toxins expel from my body as I do. All of the frustrations and pain that I have been feeling are pounded into the path below me. The worries and fears that have weighed me down evaporate off of my wet skin into the hot sun.
And when I reach that place where my soul awaits, there is no further effort required on my part. The reality of what my soul wants me to see and hear floods over me. The peace I have been desperate for brushes across me until it finds a place to permanently settle.
Sometimes I sit for some time and bask in the message that my soul is delivering. Sometimes it speaks to me so profoundly and so powerfully that there is no need to stop in my journey at all.
And then, when I come back down off the mountain, I am a better man. I am a better father. I am a better co-parent. I am a better friend. I am a better son and brother. I am a better human being.
And as if by some sort of magic, I am blessed with reprieve from all the stresses of this world. At least for a little while.
And that is why I hike as often as I possibly can. That is why I leave and find myself a mountain somewhere that is quietly whispering my name.
I haven’t been hiking for years or decades. I’ve only been seriously hiking for a few months. But I can promise you this… I will meet my soul in the mountains forever more. I’m addicted to the mountains. I’m addicted to the freedom that comes from finding that part of me. I’m addicted to the perspective it gives me.
I don’t care where you live. Find your mountain. It might be a literal one or a figurative one, but go there. Because there is where you’ll find your soul.
It’s where I found mine.
Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing
PS. What about you? What do you get when you “find your soul?” What do you call it when you do? Where is the place you are able to do it? How often do you make time for these types of exercises? And, of course, if you think this is all kooky your opinion is welcome as well.
Also, please check back in a few hours. I’ll be posting about the events that happened since Yesterday’s post but the post is an emotional one for me, so I’ll need a bit to respond properly.
SDL’s Quote of the Day
“Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.” ~Richard M. Nixon
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girlythirtties
This post really rang true for me... for a long time I was lost in the blackness of depression and I had put on hold my dream to travel for a extended period overseas. So to help me overcome a lot of this my boss and I worked out a plan for me to have 2 months off work and I go find my happiness again. So I did ... and there on a mountain in Banff ... I fell in love with life again and realised that there is more to existing.. But here I was in snow (which coming from Australia it was awesome)... barely being able to breathe because of the altitude I found me again and was awestruck with the amazing beauty of it all. Fall in love with life again and hopefully learn to like myself again. One thing i discovered while I was away was my awesome love of travel... While I am still in the processes of making this a career and I will make it happen... there is just a small sticking point of having the correct visas etc due to my age but I am determined to make the change... so here in the rockies Found myself, pulled myself out of my blackness and realised that I almost missed this because I was so surrounded by the blackness.. I pull myself by looking at my trip photos and remember how i felt on top of that mountain in Banff itching to get back!
smilingbird
The ocean, which in its immense perpetuity washes away all my cares and makes them petty.
NancyNickerson
I carry my "mountain" within me. Oh, I do find my soul sometimes more effortlessly when sitting in the green stillness of a mountain glade, or beside the rush of a river running through wilderness, or sitting beside the still waters of a lake. But I've learned I don't have to "go" anywhere physical to find my soul. It is always in the still quietness of my being. And going there is often the work of a split second - reaching for the peace and stillness inside in the midst of angst and bustle.
AngieTufts
I find my soul in two places; the ocean and my boyfriend, @John Petry, the love of my life. Something about being next to the sound of the water reaching the shoreline or rock, and the crisp, clean, fresh ocean air just whisks all my worries away and just completely makes me appreciate being alive, being loved, and being me. When I am with John, everyone and everything else just completely disappears. I feel whole, and beautiful, and loved more than I have ever known; all becomes completely right with the world.
adoptivemomto2
Perfect post and one that hits close for me too. A big reason I live in Colorado is to be back in the mountains. Even if that means I only get to see them from a distance, I am calmed by them. When I am in the mountains, I can be myself and hear myself think. It is their beauty that encourages me and brings me peace. I can relate to your statement of "You see, even if I’m with others, something about the mountains has the ability to take everyone else out of the picture. Something about the mountain has the ability to put everything into perspective. Something about the mountain has the power to make everything right in my mind again." I feel the exact same way. Thanks for sharing.
KimberlyStoker
What a wonderful post! Nature is a gift that helps me find myself. The mountains are among my favorite places to go for reflection and to find some inner peace. Hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, snowboarding, it is open for all seasons. A hike to a waterfall would be among my favorites. Something about exerting yourself and then letting the white noise of the water wash out any remaining internal noise. I live in Utah but I have traveled extensively the last few years for work. During my free time I have done my best to find a trail or a National Forest or a beach so I can really see what this new place has to offer me. Utah will always be the home of my heart because it has an endless supply to offer, but in truth there is always someplace to go if you look for it. And the best part is that even though I am not what most people consider athletic, I can enjoy all of these activities and the thrill they give me because during this time the outside world can't touch that place of joy.
KarrileeA
LOVE this post... almost as much as the first post of yours that I ran across (and yes - reread yesterday!) awhile ago! I 'find my soul' each morning in a specific spot - my meeting place - in my comfy chair... cup of coffee in hand, sunrise coming up over the mountain out my window, silence still (mostly) overtaking the house. I quiet myself... my thoughts... that inner ongoing rambling of bossy lists, should haves, and what ifs - and just wait! I wait for Him to join me... and we bask in peace and I listen as we spend time together. Sometimes it is only a few minutes before the Daily part of my life pushes its way into focus... sometimes (rarely) I get an hour... no matter the time spent - I am able to walk away refreshed and refocused!As far as where I go to literally get away and find my soul... I love being outdoors - I can head in any direction and find desert, mountains, river, lakes, or beach... for me - it's when my toes are in the sand and the waves are crashing... I am always reminded of the verse that says "This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!" It reminds me of how small I am... my worries or troubles... and how Big He is... Perspective - whether high on a mountain top, or at sea level with the waves - is ALWAYS good for the soul!
~Karrilee~
hlmoore303
That was a beautiful post! There's a few different place I find mine. Mostly it's in the country,sometimes even just driving through the country seeing all the fields and long stretches of land helps me a lot. I recently found a new church and it has done my soul a world of good, then there is also the quiet evenings to myself and my thoughts once the house is quiet and the family is asleep.
McKinnley
I love the mountains. I grew up near them and as a youth many activities were centered around the mountains. A few years ago I moved back to a city that I don't love, but one of the redeeming qualities is that it's less than an hour from the mountains that I do love.
But unfortunately I didn't make it out to those mountains even once this summer. Less than an hour away, but between the short summer season up here and a job that has me working over the weekends, I haven't camped, hiked or climbed even once.
And that makes me sad. More sad than my partner understands. Because for me too, being up there in the clean air, with the sunshine and trees, exerting physical energy and actually loving it, relaxing and enjoying doing absolutely nothing, except appreciating nature.... This is healing. This is enjoyment. This is peace.
I really should get up into the mountains before the snow flies.......
LouiseFletcher
With two small kids living in suburbia, I don't get this experience much. But sometimes I can find it in the park while I'm pushing the pram, kids asleep, dog by my side...
abbygailmiller
The last time I climbed a mountain (about 2 years ago) the only sounds I heard at the top were the sounds of my own wheezing and gasping for breath. Other than that it was fun.
Mercedes
I need this today!! Thanks!! I think people wonder why I seems so "aloof." I am a 34 year old single mother of 3 boys. I have seen my share of hardship, and then some. Did I mention that one of my boys is 14? So you can imagine how adventurous my days can be. But I also have had my own adventures of misdeeds, that have brought me to the bottom of my own valley. So I have a greater appreciation for life. And you are right, there are times when nothing else matters to me. My bills are paid, kids are fed...the rest is gravy. I find my soul on a bike. I wake up and think "when can I ride again?" And then when I complete a 20-30+ mile bike ride with hill that I climbed (never thought possible before), nothing else matters...
Dusty
It is the mountains for me too, Dan. The few moments of peace and clarity I find there are priceless. I swear there is something about the air alone that helps clear my head.
Loupy
Man... did I ever need to hear this today. I've been feeling totally overwhelmed by life, and am now realizing that I need to take some time to go and listen to my soul. Usually I hear mine while I watch my boyfriend sleep, or watch him play with his kids, and realize how blessed I am. Life has gotten a little crazy, so I haven't been listening very well. I think a night off communing with nature, is just what the soul ordered. Thanks for the post, and for helping me see what's been missing. I hope everything works out with the site for you, and that you can get some killer advertising!
JennyHolcombeCurry
I love the mountains too! I know the ones I have here in Tennessee (Appalachians) are not nearly as magnificent as the ones you have in Utah but I've always loved them. Anytime I've ever lived elsewhere I've missed 'my' mountains. I feel comfortable here for no other reason than the geography that surrounds me. I just made my Paypal donation ($5/month recurring) which I hope will help you continue to follow your dream and connect with your soul as often as possible.
tinidrilofperelandra
For me, it's the desert; specifically, the mud caves of the Anza-Borrego desert east of San Diego. You drive across what looks like a flat plain until you find yourself in an old arroyo, with the sides of the canyon rising around you. The walls of the arroyo are hollow: over the years, rainwater pools at the top of the ground and slowly drips down, creating caverns and passages out of the sediment. Since the walls of the caves are made of dried mud, not rock, the caverns can change very quickly during a rainy season. The whole landscape is barren and desolate, and you have to be very water-conscious. I love it out there. The desert makes you strip away everything you don't need, and brings you face to face with who you are.
KalikoReed
I have found my soul in all sorts of places, but almost always in the wilderness. I've found my soul while lying in the sunshine near a stream with wet quartz sand sparkling on my toes, as I watch brown and orange butterflies drink from the droplets of grape Crush soda I've placed on my knee for them. I've found my soul on the white beaches of my youth, breathing in the salt air, feeling the spray on my cheeks, and smelling the crystal blue water that my mind can smell even when I'm thousands of miles away from her... but I've also found my soul while sitting in the half-dark of my son's bedroom watching him sleep, breathing slowly, eyelashes lying softly against his cheeks while the light in his room fades from blue to green.
My soul speaks quietly, so it has to be still for me to hear it best, but it's patient, and is there for me when I finally find my seat in the dark theater and settle in.
rocketgirl3914
I try to start every day with silence, at least for a while. For me, it's a rainbow or sometimes just a cloud formation. Oh, and the wind, I LOVE the breeze. ~Peace my friend~
RuthStowers
I do this, though I have a slightly different understanding of what it is that I find when I do. I find that when the noise of the world is left behind, I am in a position to truly pray and commune with my Father in Heaven. I feel his love for me. I see it in the stars, in the budding flowers, I see it in the bees and in the feeling of the wind. I am left with the impression that I am a part of something so much bigger than this, so much grander. It doesn't matter so much that my dishes are dirty or that there are bits of cracker on my floor. It matters that my children know they are loved, that my friends feel comforted in their various difficulties, that my parents truly know how much I love and appreciate them for all they have done for me. Most of all, it matters that my Heavenly Father knows I'm sorry for not being better, for not doing more of the important things and that I am willing to change for the better.
I hear the sweet whisperings of the spirit to my soul, helping me to reflect on who I am, and who I want to be, and then determine what I need to do to be that person.
I feel refreshed, edified, excited for the changes I am going to make and the person I have decided to be. I feel my patience rejuvenated, my resistance to sin increased, my ability to cope with the trials of life expanded. I am happy, peaceful, serene, grateful, patient, loving, caring, and so many other things.
I find I need this refocusing often, I am so fallible... but as long as I take the time, I continue to progress, each time becoming better, becoming more.
skeet.hedge
<3
tipton.michelle
That was a very nice post to start my day with. :) I'm not a serious hiker, in fact, I'm terrified of heights so I tend to stay away from the peaks and the trails that lead to them. However, I live in Tennessee, really close to the Smoky mountains and I really enjoy going there and finding a nice spot of creek to play in with our son. I think it's because there is so much soul in the mountains that it is so much easier to find our own while we're there. I love it.
Sprinkle
PS "All landscapes ask the same question in the same whisper. ‘I am watching you — are you watching yourself in me?’" Lawrence Durrell
Conversation from Twitter
shelz
danoah I'm still looking... I think perhaps at the beach though...
Conversation from Facebook
Ann E. Tarbet
Dearest Grandson Dan, I used to love to get up early and go out on our cabin deck in the Uinta Mountains and listen to the quiet early morning sounds when I was there alone! I liked to oil paint and read and just plain enjoy the quiet and talk to God. So I share your love for the mountains and being alone!
Now that I'm an older 75 year old kid who lost her family home, her family cabin, her family boat and her family as a unit.
I still love to get up in the early morning and open my front and back doors turn on my ceiling fan and enjoy the soft breeze as my sweet husband sleeps on, listening to the chirping of birds and a far away whistle of a train in the wee small hours of the morning and talk to God, this feeds my soul!
Along with these kind of early morning experiences where I feed my soul. I Also feed my soul in God's Holy Temple where I feel peace and quiet when surrounded by other people sharing the same silence! Oh, what joy when we think, ponder and pray surrounded by our brothers and sisters in the gospel!
I also used to climb up to a cliff by myself early in the morning down at Lake Powell when the sun was not yet peeking over the edge of the crooked mountains and talk to my maker and share the beautiful morning breeze in silence and there feed my soul.
I love to read your thoughts Dan and find that we are, though young and old such kindred spirits! Love Grams T.
Mike Smith
only experience tells you that!
Mary Ellis
You! Keep being awesome! :D
Michelle Keller Portteus
I often hike by myself, I love the clarity it brings my body, mind and soul. I'm glad that in the midst of such stressful times you can find your inner peace.
Jessica Sekhon Miller
Looks like everyone's reading it on their lunch break :) I restarted my computer hoping it was me but I can't get to it :) Good things come to those who wait...I was armed with tissues and everything, hoping for some sort of inspiring cry :) Thank you for writing it, I'm so looking forward to reading it :)
Amanda Muxlow Freeman
I'm wondering how long being in the deepest valley lasts!!?? I'm tired of waiting to be on the mountaintop!
Giannina Valdivia
I am happy for you!! :)
Erin Renee New
Thank you <3
Brandy Butler
I'm not sure where this qoute came from but its what I keep thinking as I read this, "we don't have a soul, we are a soul and we have a body."
Connie Pierce
Outstanding! Finding our soul is discovering our real identity!
Rose Van Gorder
Exactly what I needed to hear to get me through d day. Thank u
Liz Phillips
its the beach for me - hearing the waves crashing on the sand. Makes me feel connected with mother nature/God/The Universe - and all those everyday worries fade away.
Gloria Arnold
I find mine in the bathroom sometimes, you know with all that strainin something has to come out...jk I find that the early hours of the morning on a quiet beach is soothing for my soul.
Karen Jolkovski Galvin
I live in Florida, so only virtual mountains here. I find my peace running three times a week. No music, no partners, just me running as the sky starts to lighten and the day begins.
Regina Verter Rosenthal
Your children are lucky to have you as a father and example of a conscious human being with strengths, limitations, and a soul!
Becky Collins
THE OCEAN!! !thats my "soul" where i find peace!
Stephanie Miller
I sure miss my mountains! Growing up at the base of Timp... Now I'm in Minnesota.
Gillian McLaren
if life is an up hill strudle - just think of the view from the top
Lori Decker- McKinney
Whenever I am away from technology and out in nature, my soul finds me. :)
Amanda Vanoven
That was something I needed to hear. I find my "soul" when I go riding. I havent been in 3+ years and that is probably why I long to go. Thank you for another post that has been needed.
Jessica Elam Burnett
Love this post!! I am preparing to be a mama for the first time and I so identify with that need to soul-search and put things into perspective. What an elegant reminder, I think I'll go for a hike this weekend!
Elizabeth Duchess Harris
Learning to carry that mountain with you will also bring you peace. Learning to hear your soul even through the noise of the everyday will also bring you peace - and will help the everyday to not be so heavy.
Thank you for a beautiful reminder of the seeking that I must remember to bring about in my own soul.
Emily Lamberts King
I've only been reading for a short time, but I find a lot of wisdom and REAL in your words. There isn't much REAL left in this world and I appreciate the heck out of your writing. So, I just bought Noah a few happy meals. Keep on keepin' it REAL, Dan. And I'll be here for the ride :)
Jennifer Reser-Russell
I borrowed this quote - just love it and so very true!
Jennifer Steeples-Pomroy
Keep on keeping on!! Very inspirational
Tracy Blackburn
Fabulous, thank you :D X
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Our Bachelor Pad…
What an eloquent and beautiful description of inner peace. I totally have felt this way, so many times.
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