Your Soul is Not a To-Do List: Reclaiming Your Inner Rhythm
I remember the first time I saw a human to-do list. It was left on a table in a café, a neat column of tasks with little boxes beside them. To my eyes, accustomed to the flowing scripts of my realm that chart star-paths and song-cycles, it looked so… severe. Each checked box seemed to say, “You are now worthy of having existed for this hour.”
My heart ached with a sudden understanding. So many of you are living your lives as a series of tasks to be completed. You move from one box to the next, hoping that at the end of the list, you will find the feeling you’re truly searching for: peace, fulfillment, a sense of enoughness.
But I am here to whisper a secret I learned from the oldest rivers and the quietest moons: Your soul is not a to-do list. It cannot be managed, rushed, or checked off. It can only be lived, felt, and cherished.
The Tyranny of "Doing" Versus the Freedom of "Being"
There is a profound difference between being busy and being alive. One is a state of frantic motion; the other is a state of deep presence. We have become so adept at the former that we’ve forgotten how to access the latter.
“Doing” is the external shell of life—the jobs, the chores, the errands. It is necessary, of course. But “Being” is the inner current, the very essence of your existence. It is the part of you that feels awe at a sunset, that wells up with tears at a beautiful piece of music, that dissolves into laughter for no reason at all. When your life becomes only about doing, you are like a beautiful instrument that is only ever dusted, never played. You look functional, but the music—the reason for your being—is silent.
Listening to Your Inner Tides
In my world, we do not fight the rhythms of nature; we move with them. The moon does not apologize for waning, and the tide does not force itself to rise out of season. You, too, have inner tides. There are days you are meant to be expansive and creative, like a high tide washing over the shore. And there are days you are meant to draw back, to be quiet and reflective, like a low tide revealing hidden treasures in the sand.
The constant, grinding pressure to be “on” and productive at all times is a violence against this natural rhythm. It tells you that your low-tide days are failures, when in truth, they are often when the most profound inner work is done. When you feel that resistance, that weariness, perhaps it is not a sign that you are broken. Perhaps it is your soul’s gentle, yet firm, hand, pulling you back inward to rest and restore.
The Practical Magic of Simply Being
“This is beautiful, Liora,” you might say, “but I have responsibilities. I can’t just abandon my list.” And you are right. The magic is not in abandonment, but in integration. It is in weaving threads of “being” into the fabric of your “doing.”
Here is a little practical magic, a simple charm against the tyranny of the list:
The Five-Minute Pause: Before you rush from one task to the next, grant yourself the gift of five minutes. Do not pick up your phone. Instead, simply sit. Look out the window. Feel the weight of your body in the chair. Taste the last sip of your tea. This tiny space is a sanctuary. It is a declaration that you are a human being, not a human doing.
The Walk Without a Destination: Once a day, or even once a week, take a walk with no goal. Do not go to get steps or to reach a shop. Amble. Notice the cracks in the pavement where tiny plants have dared to grow. Feel the air on your skin. Follow a scent or a sound that pleases you. This is your soul stretching its legs.
The Uninterrupted Song: Listen to a single piece of music from the very first note to the final fade-out. Do nothing else. Just listen. Let the sound waves wash over you without you having to produce anything in return.
These are not tasks to add to your list. They are breaths. They are pauses. They are ways to remember who you are beneath all the roles you play.
You are a living, breathing universe of thoughts, feelings, and potential. Your worth is inherent and unshakeable. It was written in the stars long before you ever had a list to complete. So, let today be the day you grant yourself permission to close the planner, to silence the notifications, and to simply be. To be messy, to be tired, to be joyful, to be still. To be, beautifully and unapologetically, you.
Did this whisper from the grove resonate with your soul?
The journey does not have to end here. In my book, "All I Need to Know to Live a Fulfilled Life," I weave together many more tales and practical wisdom to guide you back to your own inner magic.
Within these pages, you will discover how to:
Cultivate unshakable inner peace in a chaotic world.
Listen to the deep, knowing voice of your own intuition.
Transform challenges into fuel for your personal growth.
Weave everyday moments into a life of purpose and joy.
Continue your journey and hold this wisdom in your hands.
