The majority of our time spent here on Earth is spent satisfying our ego's needs. What I mean by ego are superficial means that only serve to satisfy us temporarily -- popularit, material goods, shallow friendships that aren't benefiting us, etc. These things are good for short-term happiness, but what about someday when those things are gone? Then what? You're left feeling hollow; empty with nothing to offer.

For a more permanent happiness, we look to the soul. Our soul dictates what we truly want in this life. The quieter our minds are and the closer we listen, its message becomes more and more evident. When we nourish the soul, we find happiness where it matters most; a sense of fulfillment. When we tune into the desires of the soul as opposed to the ego, we find happiness that stays. We stray away from superficiality and remove toxicity from our lives. We live more simplistic, carefree lives. The ego brainwashes us to believe it holds the key to our happiness, but it actually holds the key to our demise. Learn to say no.

The ego is temporary; the soul is not.

What do I mean by soul? It's your compassion for others, your internal wisdom, what you see as your true purpose. It isn't simply your career or your bank account. It's not what you identify as. Those things can, and more often than not, do eventually fade. You need to search deep within yourself to see what your soul desires. It's often more complex because they aren't tangible items that you can see or touch, but they're the few things in this life that cannot be taken from you. That's what's so special about it. They're yours to keep.

So how do we nurture the soul? We meditate. We do volunteer work. We take five minutes out of our day and self-reflect. We have alone time and enjoy the solitude. We think about our purpose. We find our passion and find a way to make a difference. We journal. We ask ourselves how we're truly doing. We work on ourselves.

That's why we need to learn to nurture the soul; so it continues to grow and give us more of what we need.