The Soul’s Imperative

“Our very beings cry out for a way of being in the world—for something that makes our lives more than just our own.”

When Parker Palmer was approaching his seventies, he turned to a group of trusted friends to help him understand “what it meant to grow older in this particular dimension of life.” The process birthed one of my favorite questions he asks… 

What do I want to let go of? And, what do I want to give myself to? 

Despite articulating it in his seventies, Parker has devoted his life to it as an acclaimed author, teacher, and the Founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal. It’s why, after completing his PhD in 1969, he felt called to respond to racial injustice as a community organizer in Washington D.C. rather than pursue the secure academic path expected of him. 

“It was a job that met the challenge of my soul and gave that soul a chance to grow,” he says. “People would often ask me: ‘Why are you doing this?’ I remember saying: ‘I can't really explain it to you. I can barely explain it to myself, but I can tell you this: I can't not do it.’  

‘I can’t not do it’ became a mantra for me. I started to understand that this is what one calls the soul's imperatives. This is a path that I'm walking because something in me understands that if I don't walk it—if I don't respond to some of the deepest yearnings of my soul—I'm going to lose my soul in the long run.

I think [the soul] has something to do with the ‘being’ in human being; And, that our very beings cry out for a way of being in the world, for a service to the world, for something that makes our lives more than just our own. It’s a voice we all need to be listening for.”

Parker has been honored with countless accolades. Still, I’ve described him in two ways since our conversation. First, and most importantly, as a friend—His spirit and wisdom make him a true companion. Second, as a ‘model human being’—an embodiment of who we can be when we “aspire to the best of our human possibility.” 

Our conversation is an exploration of how to connect more deeply with ourselves and each other. We delve into how to hear what Parker calls our “inner teacher” as well as the incredible practice he teaches for trusted friends to support each other in that process. It’s that process that birthed his quote that I’ve carried for years: “The human soul doesn’t want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed.” 

Parker’s reflections at age 84 offer a series of invitations to listen to our hearts as we answer his question: What do I want to give myself to? May his wisdom accompany you on your journey. 

With gratitude,
Jenna