There exists a profound interplay between the words "soul" and "self" when paired with "care" - one carrying the weight of our deepest essence, the other a more contemporary nod to personal maintenance. Soul care implies tending to the philosophical or spiritual dimensions that reflect the most central core of our being - that intangible essence that defines our purpose, meaning, and connection to something greater than ourselves. Self-care, its more popularized cousin, has been embraced by wellness culture as practical actions we take to maintain physical and mental equilibrium. The beauty lies not in choosing between them but in recognizing their harmonious dance - the inward journey of soul reflection complementing the outward practices of self-preservation. This intertwining creates what I've come to call "SoulWork" - a holistic approach to nurturing our complete selves.
Twenty years ago, before wellness retreats and mental health days became workplace staples, I encountered these concepts in the hallowed halls of Denver Seminary. "self-care" and "wellbeing" had yet to permeate corporate handbooks and HR initiatives. Yet I was, a master's student initially focused on leadership studies, unexpectedly drawn into the transformative world of spiritual formation. This encounter wasn't merely academic - it became the life raft I didn't know I desperately needed.
The Empty Cup Syndrome
"Russell, you can't give out of an empty cup." The wisdom of my mentor's words still echoes within me today. Another mentor reinforced this truth: "You can't impart what you don't possess." Then there's the familiar airline safety instruction that initially seems counterintuitive - secure your oxygen mask before assisting others. At 35,000 feet, those precious seconds mean the difference between consciousness and blackout.
These principles converge into one universal truth: authentic giving, leading, and serving require a wellspring of internal resources. When we deplete ourselves without replenishment, we offer diluted versions of our capabilities and, eventually, nothing. The tragedy lies in our exhaustion and what the world loses when our unique gifts become muted or extinguished.
During my seminary years, I embodied the archetype of the empty cup. I was raising a young family while running a nationwide business with employees and projects. Every other week, I was on a plane to a different city. We were building a new house at home, beginning homeschooling with our children and managing a calendar overflowing with activities. My life moved at a relentless 100 miles per hour, leaving no margin for pause, reflection, or restoration.
Where does one find time to coast when running at such speed? How does one create space for thought, reflection, journaling, or prayer? These questions weighed heavily, though I lacked the language to articulate them fully.
The Transformative Power of Community
What truly transformed my life wasn't a book or a seminar, but an invitation into a community - a community focused on spiritual formation. This wasn't just a class, but a structured space for reflection, contemplative thought, listening prayer, and practices that allowed me to pause within the gift of silence and solitude. It was a beacon of hope in a world that often feels overwhelming.
I remember starkly recognizing that no book alone could have guided me to the transformation I experienced in that community under the guidance of a spiritual director. That season created more than practices—it formed categories and language for what I felt but couldn't express. It revealed paths off the treadmill of busyness toward that elusive quiet place at a soul level.
This community taught me that SoulWork isn't a solitary endeavor. We need guides, fellow travelers, and wisdom beyond our experience to illuminate the journey. The paradox became clear: to truly discover our innermost selves, we sometimes need others to hold space for that discovery.
Understanding SoulWork as Holistic Practice
SoulWork is a practice that holds the tension between soul-care and self-care, creating something more significant than either alone. It recognizes humans as multidimensional beings with interconnected physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs. When we compartmentalize these aspects, we fragment our experience and limit our potential for wholeness. This understanding can bring a new level of awareness and enlightenment to our lives.
Consider how a neglected physical body impacts spiritual clarity or how emotional turbulence clouds intellectual discernment. These dimensions don't operate in isolation but form an integrated wellbeing ecosystem.
In practical terms, SoulWork might look like:
Physical practices that honor the body as a vessel for more profound work
Emotional exploration that acknowledges feelings as messengers rather than distractions
Intellectual engagement that connects knowledge with meaning
Spiritual disciplines that create space for transcendence and connection
Relational investments that recognize our interdependence with others
The beauty of SoulWork lies in its dynamism. It evolves with our worldviews, values, beliefs, and life seasons. What fills your cup in a season of building and expansion might differ from what nourishes you in a time of consolidation or transition. This understanding can empower you to take control of your wellbeing and adapt your practices to your current life circumstances.
The Chronic Fatigue of Modern Life
Before terms like "burnout" entered the everyday conversation, I battled many symptoms of inadequate self-care. My spiritual formation journey helped identify themes and patterns underlying my beliefs, motivations, and drives for success—patterns frequently left me with chronic fatigue and occasional burnout.
Our modern context often celebrates depletion as dedication. We wear exhaustion as a badge of honor, conflating busyness with importance and productivity with worth. Technology has blurred the boundaries between work and rest, creating expectations of perpetual availability. Social media presents curated versions of others' lives that trigger comparison and inadequacy. Economic pressures demand more output with fewer resources.
Within this context, emptiness becomes normalized. We function in deficit states, barely noticing our depletion until crisis forces acknowledgment. The quiet voice within that whispers "enough" gets drowned by notifications, deadlines, and obligations.
SoulWork begins with the recognition of unsustainable patterns in our modern lives. It starts with the courage to question cultural assumptions about productivity and success. It requires honesty about our limitations and humility about our needs.
Diverse Expressions of SoulWork
As I've worked with leaders globally—from India to Argentina, Korea to London, Austria to Saudi Arabia—I've observed how SoulWork manifests differently across cultures and traditions. The expressions vary, but the underlying human need remains constant.
Broadly speaking, SoulWork refers to the intentional and ongoing practice of nurturing one's inner life, including thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and values. It acknowledges the profound significance of the soul's connection to overall wellbeing.
For some, this involves traditional spiritual practices:
Meditative prayer connecting to divine presence
Scripture study for wisdom and guidance
Community worship for shared devotion and support
Fasting for clarity and renewed perspective
Pilgrimage to sacred places that evoke wonder
For others, it takes secular but equally meaningful forms:
Philosophical reflection on purpose and meaning
Mindfulness practices that cultivate the presence
Creative expression that accesses deeper awareness
Time in nature that evokes awe and perspective
Ethical examination that aligns actions with values
The common thread isn't the specific practice but the intentional cultivation of inner awareness and alignment with one's deepest values and truths.
Finding Your Rhythm in Different Seasons
Given various life seasons, there comes a time to press toward the finish line and lean into the commitments that accompany particular phases. Not every moment allows for an extended retreat or contemplation. The parent of young children, the entrepreneur launching a business, the caregiver to aging parents—all face seasons where margin seems impossible.
Yet even within these demanding periods, there is the possibility of finding space—perhaps not extensive, but sufficient—to gain perspective on priorities and establish sustainable rhythms for work and life.
SoulWork isn't always grand or dramatic. Sometimes, it's the small sacred pause before responding to an email, the deep breath before entering a meeting, or the moment of gratitude while washing dishes. These micro-practices sustain us when more extended practices prove impractical.
I've found my SoulWork in the grandeur of adventuring in the Colorado mountains, walking beach shores with my wife, celebrating with family, conversing with trusted friends, taking truck rides for ice cream on summer evenings, and sitting in my rocking chair with Bible and journal, watching the sunrise with coffee in hand.
These aren't extravagant or complex practices but fill my empty cup with precisely what my soul needs in different seasons.
The Practical Pathway to Beginning SoulWork
For those resonating with the concept but unsure where to begin, consider these starting points:
Honest Assessment: Where are you depleted? Physical exhaustion? Emotional numbness? Spiritual disconnection? Intellectual stagnation? Identifying specific areas of emptiness creates clarity about what needs filling.
Permission: Grant yourself explicit permission to prioritize SoulWork. This isn't selfish but necessary stewardship of your most precious resource—yourself.
Start Small: Begin with five minutes of intentional practice daily rather than attempting hour-long sessions that prove unsustainable. Consistency matters more than duration.
Find Guidance: Seek mentors, spiritual directors, therapists, or trusted friends who can accompany your journey. Their outside perspective often illuminates blind spots we cannot see.
Create Structure: Establish regular rhythms that support SoulWork. This might mean morning meditation, evening reflection, weekly sabbath, monthly retreat, or annual pilgrimage.
Practice Presence: Cultivate awareness in ordinary moments. The drive to work, the walk to the mailbox, the wait in line—all become opportunities for mindfulness rather than distraction.
Embrace Silence: Create pockets of quiet in a noisy world. Turn off notifications, step away from screens, and allow your mind the space to settle and integrate.
Document the Journey: Keep a journal of insights, questions, and observations. This creates a tangible record of growth and provides material for ongoing reflection.
The Organizational Imperative
While SoulWork begins as a personal practice, its implications extend beyond individual wellbeing. Organizations increasingly recognize that depleted people cannot sustain excellence or innovation. Companies investing in employee wellbeing aren't merely altruistic—they're making strategic decisions about sustainability and performance.
Leaders who model SoulWork create permission structures that ripple throughout their organizations. When a manager visibly prioritizes renewal and reflection, it signals that such practices are valued rather than penalized. This cultural shift doesn't happen through policy alone but through lived examples.
The most compelling leaders I've encountered globally share this common trait: they've developed practices that sustain their inner resources, allowing them to lead from abundance rather than scarcity. Their influence stems from position or expertise and the integrated authenticity that SoulWork cultivates.
The Continuous Journey
SoulWork isn't a destination but a continuous journey of discovery and renewal. It evolves as we grow, adapts as circumstances change, and deepens as our capacity expands. What filled your cup a decade ago might differ from what nourishes you today.
This journey invites a perpetual beginner's mind—an openness to new insights, practices, and understandings. It welcomes questions rather than demanding certainty. It values exploration over arrival.
Twenty years after my seminary experience created categories for understanding SoulWork, I continue discovering new dimensions of this practice. Each life season brings fresh challenges requiring adapted approaches. The fundamentals remain constant—the need for filling before pouring out—but the specific methods continue evolving.
Conclusion: Beyond Survival to Thriving
SoulWork represents more than a survival strategy; it offers a pathway to thriving in a world that often demands more than we can sustainably give. It acknowledges our fundamental need for renewal and provides practical approaches to meeting that need.
The invitation stands before us: Will we continue operating from depletion or commit to practices that replenish our deepest resources? Will we perpetuate cultures of exhaustion, or will we model sustainable rhythms that allow for both productivity and presence?
Taking that next step—creating space for oxygen, refilling your cup, and reflecting on what helps you thrive rather than merely survive—might be the most important decision you make today. In a world desperate for authentic leadership, compassionate service, and meaningful connection, your filled cup becomes not just personal sustenance but a gift to everyone you encounter.
SoulWork isn't selfish indulgence but strategic stewardship of your most precious resource—the unique combination of gifts, perspectives, and presence that only you can offer the world. When you fill your cup through intentional SoulWork, you don't just serve yourself; you serve your highest purpose and the greater good that awaits your fully resourced contribution.
Reflection Questions
Identify Your Empty Cup Signs: What specific indicators—physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual—tell you that your cup is depleting? How might recognizing these signs earlier change your approach to SoulWork?
Examine Your Current Rhythms: Which current practices in your life fill your cup, and which ones consistently drain it? Where could you create even small spaces for restoration within your existing schedule?
Envision Your Ideal SoulWork: What would your ideal SoulWork practice look like if all external constraints were removed? From that vision, what is one element you could realistically incorporate into your life this week?