Rule 8: Immerse Yourself in Things that Speak to Your Soul

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to my 10 Rules for Life article series. We've reached rule number 8, which is quite the accomplishment indeed, considering that I'm not even sure I remember the first seven by heart. (Something about work, pillars, quality and quantity... umm... death, hardship, generosity... darn it, I almost got it!)

Rule 8 is:

Immerse yourself in things that speak to your soul.

"Things speaking to your soul" are things that, well, strike a chord somewhere deep within. (What a clear definition.) It could be an activity or occupation, just as well as it could be an environment or an aesthetic.

I've noticed that the older I get, the more I recognize these things. For example, I could never really choose one architectural style that I wanted my future house to be, until a couple of years back I stumbled upon the Gothic style and it really swept me away. I don't think I'll ever change my mind about this. I just adore these moody, dark castles made of stone and dark wood details.

Another thing that always speaks to my soul is autumn weather: wind, rain, dark, and cool temperatures. I aim to stay indoors through the summer and go out for walks as much as I can in the fall. It revitalizes my spirit whenever I embrace this weird calling to the storm. (I'm such a Slytherin.)

I also love swimming - immersing myself in a large body of natural water has such a calming effect.

And, of course, writing stories has rung bells in my soul since I was young.

Whenever I've tried to turn my back to these soul-speaking things, my mental health and the quality of my life have suffered greatly... and since there's no downside to immersing yourself in them, the upside is obvious and uncontested.