How do I live my life as both body and soul

Living for around 18 years on this earth has its fair share of monotonous and sometimes ungrateful moments. Now reaching this age highly capable of self-awareness, it is really a daunting task to sit and rethink what living is really for me and breaking from the routine lifestyle. I am confused with the notion of me as a human being, as a walking matter on earth but at the same time a being who is also an “I”, who is also capable of transcending from its own body. Reconciling these two facts became my personal celebrated philosophical journey that was even more pumped up because of the lectures on these truths in my philo of man Class. How do I live my life as a body and as a soul? I have somehow animated this dualist idea with a lifestyle which is grounded on self-awareness and community service. I treat and view self-awareness as more than an Ignatian exercise but it also as a basic human capacity that needs to be practiced constantly. This focuses on the very “I”, my very soul. Self-awareness translated as a practice is often called examination of conscience. In my present life, I constantly calibrate my thoughts so that it is in tuned with the workings of my soul. I sit, close my eyes, and pause 15 minutes every night with a pen and my journal notebook. I review the events of the day and try to see myself from a third person examining my every response and my actions towards others and events and write about it. This practice really contributes a lot in my personal development and spiritual growth because it creates a virtual evaluation report at the end of every day and a resolution to be better the next. Now as a body and as a matter walking on earth. With this “inward” living which dwells more of “I” now needs to be unleashed to my surroundings for it to be fully useful. This is where my body comes in. My body expresses those deep positive realizations about life through the community service I give with my hands and brain. I am presently a KKP volunteer. Going to barangays tutoring school children is a clear manifestation of my body at work fuelled by the contemplative lifestyle I practice.