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healthy living W hen we want to improve our health, we often start by changing our diet, exercising more, or maybe practicing relaxation to reduce our stress. These approaches are all valuable, but they nec- essarily fall short because they are only small pieces of a much bigger puzzle. Ultimately, your well-being is linked to the innate hu- man drive to search for Divine truth. To make the leap into genuine happiness and wellness, you must refl ect holistically on your life. Where might you be suffering from disconnection from the Divine? How might you be living out of alignment with the truth? Physical, mental, and emotional health all rest upon the foundation of spiritual well-being. True health arises when the three primary needs of the soul are fulfi lled. The fi rst and most important need is to fi nd and connect to the Divine. Second, the soul needs to discover its authentic ways of being in the world, its own particular spiritual states such as joy, love, gratitude, compassion, and freedom. The soul is then ready to meet its third need: fi nding its true purpose by expressing its unique gifts and talents. Once the soul's needs are met, it can freely give its fruits, nurturing the world in return. How, exactly, does meaningful living improve our well-being? Why does it matter that we know our purpose? A sense of meaning brings us into balance. If we dismiss the spiritual dimension of our lives, we strip everything we witness of its sacredness. We run in circles trying to fi x, control, and manipulate our life and the lives of others. This is a fundamentally imbalanced state. Your journey in understanding your true nature enables you to live a more meaningful and balanced life. If things are not working out for you, that's a sign that your soul is seeking balance in order to meet its needs. Nurture yourself on each of the three levels. Seek truth and learning in every situation presented to you. Meaningful living reveals the Divine purpose of our creation. You become stronger from the inside as you know who you really are and what you want to do in this world. You fall into your own vibration that allows you to ful- fi ll the intention of your creation as you express your natural talents. We humans are by nature inquisitive, and we strive endlessly to fi nd answers in order to align ourselves to the truth. As you move deeper into the mystery, issues and problems play a smaller role in your life. It becomes your mission to feed your soul with truth. Our purpose reconnects us with the world and with other people. When we dissociate from our true selves, we cannot live to our fullest potential. Disconnection is the root cause of all suffering; it can lead us to harmful attempts at self-soothing, such as overeating or even addiction. Our inner disconnection not only affects our own physi- cal health, it also ripples outward, leading to more pain and suffering for those around us. We are by nature spiritual beings who long to connect with our world and the other people within it. Everything 5 Ways Purposeful Living Improves Your Health and Well-Being By Eiman Al Zaabi YOUR AUTHENTIC LIFE 14 wholelifetimes.com