From a Soul Level: The Bigger Picture

African cosmological traditions understood the soul not as a vague spiritual concept but as a precisely mapped reality. In Yoruba cosmology, every person comes into the world carrying an ori — a personal spirit that holds their destiny, chosen before birth in consultation with Oludumare. The ori is not fixed fate; it is relational, responsive, and capable of growth. In Kemetic tradition, the soul was understood as multiple interwoven forces: the Ka (vital life energy that continues after death), the Ba (the unique personality that travels between realms), and the Akh (the luminous, transfigured self that achieves full integration). In Ubuntu philosophy, the soul is never understood as individual — a person becomes a person through other people, and what we call the self is always already a relation. Long before Western philosophy discovered the soul question, African ancestors had mapped it — with ceremony, with language, with the understanding that who we are on the deepest level is bound up in who we are to each other. This piece explores what it means to live from that deeper level of soul awareness, with ancestral African wisdom as the foundation.

What This Is About

What I want to do is dive deeper into why we are on Earth at all. Many of us can accept that there is more here than just what we see, but even for those who believe there is more to life, it can be difficult to fathom that our soul has been around for hundreds and thousands of years. So what if we have been around forever? Why have we chosen now to incarnate? This is where quantum physics comes in. Everything consists of quantum particles. These particles can be in one place or another, even simultaneously.

Why We Have Chosen To Incarnate

Just as we’ve been taught, it’s all about making choices. Although they may be intrinsically small or appear inconsequential from our human perspective, these choices often have life-changing repercussions on an unseen level of existence. Since we choose to come here and can turn back at any time (or decide not to come here in the first place–all previously agreed upon before incarnation), why do we choose to put ourselves through challenges that make life more complicated? The answer lies in what is referred to as our Higher Self. We don’t incarnate because we are forced into it; we choose to take part in some master plan — or perhaps several plans. This soul-level perspective connects with what researchers are finding about epigenetics and ancestral memory — the idea that our choices echo across generations.

Push Yourself

While it’s important to be kind to yourself and take breaks when you need them, never forget that self-improvement is an integral part of self-love. If you’re struggling to achieve your goals, it might be because they aren’t significant to you, or they aren’t congruent with your values and interests. Set goals that excite you and remind yourself daily that healthy habits can be formed in 21 days. For example, try writing down positive affirmations every day for a week, and then carry them with you for another week as reminders.

Show the World What You’re Made Of

Motivation, determination, and hard work are all vital elements of success, but they’re only part of what it takes to make something happen. To create real change in your life, you must be willing to do more than work hard; you need to act as if each step you take is making a difference in someone else’s life, even when you don’t see immediate results. That kind of passion may be tough at first, but it paves the way for significant positive change both on a personal level and on a larger scale. It starts with showing that your heart is in what you do; once people realize that, they’ll take notice of everything else about you.

Reconnect To Your True Self

Remember, at a soul level, all that has ever happened and ever will happen is happening right now. Some physicists say that time as we know it is an illusion–things that have been and things that will be are happening together. We are one universe, and your soul is who you are. It is connected to pure love. This can be not easy to fathom because of how deeply enmeshed we become in our physical lives. Yet with meditation, you can go back in time and remember. With each meditation, it gets easier to remember who you truly are (and not just think about it). There is nothing more important than remembering Who You Are! This remembering helps us reconnect with ourselves and experience life on our terms. And from that place of inner peace and calmness comes everything else we could possibly want or need in life! -MM

References:

1. What is the Soul? – Exploring the Eternal Self
   URL: https://www.gaia.com/article/what-is-the-soul
   Description: This article from Gaia weaves together ancient spiritual wisdom and modern insights to explore what the soul truly is. It offers diverse perspectives on how the soul functions as the eternal essence of our being, inviting readers to reflect on their inner nature.
2. What Is the Big Picture? – Expanding Your Consciousness
   URL: https://bigpicturequestions.com/what-is-the-big-picture/
   Description: This resource challenges the reader to step back and view life through a broader lens. It discusses how embracing a holistic, transcendent perspective can reveal deeper truths about our existence and the interconnectedness of all life.
3. Journey of the Soul: Reconciling the Personal with the Universal
   URL: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/journey-of-the-soul
   Description: This MindBodyGreen article invites you to explore the soul’s journey—from personal growth to the unfolding of universal truths. It highlights how inner transformation and spiritual exploration create a pathway to understanding the bigger picture of life.

https://ubuntuvillageusa.org/2023/01/16/the-role-you-chose-before-you-were-born