The Balanced Human Soul
During my pre-teen years, every Saturday, I walked about two miles to participate in a community youth program. The agenda began with a devotional story designed to inspire youngsters to develop a moral compass. These vignettes reminded us that we were responsible for all our actions and that our responsibility extended beyond ourselves. They also encouraged us to live according to a mandate from The Almighty: to engage responsibly with others and to practice tolerance for individual differences.
After the weekly opening session, we walked to a local pool where we learned to swim. The first activity awakened our spiritual selves, while the second nurtured our physical bodies, subtly connecting it to our overall well-being.
The third component of our Saturday routine focused on developing skills in self-control and self-discipline. We achieved this through handicraft projects, such as making lanyards and wallets. These activities taught us that patient perseverance leads to success.
As a youngster, I saw these activities as mere fun. Only much later did I realize the intrinsic values they instilled. Beginning each day with spiritual devotion provided perspective, reminding me that every endeavor should be undertaken with one guiding question: Is this pleasing to The Almighty?
The spiritual foundation of this program has stayed with me, quietly shaping my heart and soul. As stated in the Bible:
“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee” (Proverbs 2:10–11).
Similarly, the Qur’an says:
“By the soul and the proportion and order given to it; and its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right — truly he succeeds who purifies it, and he fails who corrupts it” (Qur’an 91:7–9).
Personal greed and self-interests represent a ubiquitous malaise in our society. In today’s fast-paced world, our attention is often confined to one or two aspects of our lives, despite the encouragement to develop our physical, intellectual, and spiritual selves. Some are driven by the pursuit of political or economic power. Others believe rational intellectual exercises are the ultimate path to success and inner harmony.
There are also those who, marginalized in their religious beliefs, become intolerant of the beliefs of others. These tendencies reflect an unbalanced soul. Personal fulfillment is achieved when the individual’s soul is balanced; that is a requirement for healthy family and community life and the growth of our nation.
