3 Inspiring Questions To Ask Our ‘Souls’ To Discover Our Reason For Living
Contemplating what is the meaning of our lives, after watching Disney and Pixar’s Soul
Every so often, you get the same recommendation from different people you know on what to consume. What to consume as food for our hearts and soul.
Soul by Disney Pixar lived up to my high expectations. It didn’t disappoint with the storytelling resonating with everyone, one way or another. It is so relatable.
To be able to watch this film at the beginning of the year feels refreshing. Especially when this is the time where we evaluate our lives while we plan for our 2021 resolutions.
After watching the film, I had to find out the answers. The answers that I could only answer to myself; by myself. Soul offers to explore the meaning of human life and brought me on a journey with Joe Gardner.
In many parts of the film, I would turn to Jingles (Hong Jing) to ask him questions as the scenes prompted me. The characters are so relatable, and I find myself behaving like them in my life.
I love how the film gives me a gentle nudge to reflect in the most light-hearted way and visually mesmerizing manner. It was almost like a mirror to reflect on my own behaviors and thoughts.
What are you obsessed with that is taking away your soul?
In Soul, people’s soul can travel to a realm called “the Zone”. Those people who are deeply involved in their activities that their soul literally transcends to a different plane.
While it’s a beautiful state to be in, the experience akin to Flow state, there is a downside to it. Souls can travel there and be trapped there if they turn something into an unhealthy obsession. They become lost souls.
These lost souls are people whose lives have lost their meaning. They become disconnected because they are fixated on one thing instead of all aspects of life. They lost their purpose in life outside of that one thing.
I find myself suffering from such symptoms. I tend to watch too many YouTube videos that I forget time, mindlessly scrolling away on Instagram, and failing to alight at my stop. Similarly, lost souls can also be people who are caught up in something that they are so passionate about that their life is only filled with that one thing. We see that in people chasing after their career while neglecting to build their social connections and family life.
“Some people get caught up in something that isn’t necessarily bad — cooking, video games, art…But if you do it to the exclusion of everything else in life, you might become a lost soul. — director Pete Docter.
Do you feel like you are unhappy in your current state and longing for something more? Wishing for a better relationship, more money, career, and material goods?
Sometimes you find yourself not satisfied with the things that you already have.
As with greed and obsession, you are convinced that you can only be happy once you achieve more. Yet when these things arrive, it’s only temporary.
“….the idea that an all-consuming passion can kind of overtake your life. And that being present is as important as achieving. What it means to have been successful in your life, taking small joys where you can find them, and being present with the people that you love.” — Tina Fey
As humans, we go through Hedonistic adaptation, where our feelings of boosted happiness are temporary. We quickly adapt to the novelty from acquiring something or experiencing something new.
Once initial excitement fades, we would look for the next adventure to keep ourselves captivated.
The movie Soul reminds us that life is more than a chase. It’s an experience made of all the things that surround us.
What thoughts, values, and ideas are holding you back from experiencing life?
22, the soulmate assigned to Joe for mentoring, had spent aeons in the Great Before. She had many mentors who taught her their own experiences of life, each of them had their own ideas of what life is about. Some of them are respectable figures such as Mother Theresa, Abraham Lincoln, and Nicolaus Copernicus.
While each of the mentors had kind intentions to help 22 discover her spark, she ended up not wanting to experience Earth.
“Look, I already know everything about Earth, and I don’t want anything to do with it.” — 22, Soul Pixar
Perhaps 22 concluded that Earth is complete a waste of time after meeting her mentors. There was simply no point for her to put herself through so much difficulty in life.
She is comfortable with floating in the mist, doing her sudoku puzzles, and attending a You Seminar once a week. In the Great Before, there are many simulations of Earth experiences, like eating simulated pizza in the Hall of Everything.
The Hall of Everything is a space that contains everything on Earth that could inspire a Soul’s spark. However, things within the Hall of Everything does not actually exist because both Joe and 22 can’t taste or smell the pizza. You also can’t feel pain in the Great Before.
I consider living in the Great Before, like living in our minds. Sometimes we ‘live’ through experiences by thinking. Before we eat that pizza, we imagine how it might taste and feel. But without actually tasting it, you can never know.
As 22 lives on Earth in Joe’s body, she starts to appreciate the little things in life — the breeze gently blowing the leaves as she walks down the sidewalk on an autumn day in New York City, or the guitar played by a busker in the subway station. She falls in love with the idea of simply living.
“I think a lot of us grew up with this idea that we need to earn our way into being worthy,” said Docter. “And that’s why a lot of times some of these goals end up being kind of self-defining or self-limiting. And one of the aims of the movie is to say that, you know, just by being alive, we are valued. We are already enough. We all deserve to enjoy what life has to offer. All you have to do is open your eyes and look around.” — Pete Doctor
We don’t know what is going to be around the corner.
Life is full of ups and downs.
This makes life worth living.
Along the way, we learn how to grow and meet people with whom we can share experiences with, our joy, laughter and tears. You will not know how enjoyable life is if you don’t venture out of your comfort zone.
What are the simple joys that you can appreciate now?
When 22 was in Joe Gardner’s body, she collected many little things she had experienced while having a body. They are really mundane life stuff, like leftover pizza, bagel, a leaf. But to 22, these are precious experiences that she wasn’t able to feel before.
Simple experiences that only with a body with our senses can experience deep into our soul.
Previously 22 while in the astral zone, she cannot experience anything. She can’t taste pizza, heat, cold, nor feel pain. But by being in Joe’s body, 22 was able to taste how incredible pizza is, listen to how music can touch her soul, and see just how breathtaking autumn colors are on Earth.
Afterward, when Joe returned to his body, he remembered the moments that 22 experienced. And realized that she enjoyed every moment of being human. To him, such moments are simple and not particularly memorable.
Take time to experience the beautiful gifts of life. Such as how the sun shines on our skin, the smell of freshly made bread, and listen to the music of nature. You are missing out when you are caught up with the busyness of life. As you rush from one place to another, completing our to-dos, reaching our goals.
Slow down.
Look at the sky.
Take time for gratitude.
Appreciate life.
I hope you have an opportunity to also enjoy Soul as much as we did.
