The Voice of Your Own Soul

Topic: Immanence & Transcendence

When you take the time to draw on your listening-imagination, you will begin to hear this gentle voice at the heart of your life. It is deeper and surer than all the other voices of disappointment, unease, self-criticism and bleakness.

All holiness is about learning to hear the voice of your own soul. It is always there and the more deeply you learn to listen, the greater surprises and discoveries that will unfold.

To enter into the gentleness of your own soul changes the tone and quality of your life. Your life is no longer consumed by hunger for the next event, experience or achievement. You learn to come down from the treadmill and walk on the earth. You gain a new respect for yourself and others and you learn to see how wonderfully precious this one life is. You begin to see through the enchanting veils of illusion that you had taken for reality. You no longer squander yourself on things and situations that deplete your essence. You know now that your true source is not outside you. Your soul is your true source and a new energy and passion awakens in you.

John O’Donohue

John O'Donohue, born on January 1, 1956, in County Clare, Ireland, was a poet and author recognized for his contemplative approach to spirituality and nature. His early years, surrounded by the stark beauty of the Irish landscape, had a profound impact on his life's work. He studied at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he completed his Ph.D. focusing on the philosophy of Hegel. O'Donohue was fluent in Irish, a skill that connected him deeply with his cultural roots and the literary heritage of his homeland.

After his ordination and time spent serving as a priest, O'Donohue shifted his focus to writing and public speaking. His works, including "Anam Cara" and "Beauty," reflect his commitment to revealing the interplay between the spiritual and the tangible. O'Donohue's philosophical background informed his writing, allowing him to present complex ideas with clarity. His books, examining the nuances of human relationships and the natural world, garnered attention for their depth and insight.

O'Donohue passed away on January 4, 2008. His contributions to the fields of philosophy, spirituality, and literature remain valued for their introspection and wisdom. His understanding of Celtic traditions and his perspective on the human experience continue to be appreciated by readers looking for substance and reflection in their contemplative pursuits.

(1956-2008) Celtic Spirituality

O’Donohue, John. Beauty : The Invisible Embrace. New York, Perennial, 2005. [Divine Beauty, 2003]

John O’Donohue

Theme: Our Soul

About This John O’Donohue Quotation [Commentary]

John O’Donohue writes, “All holiness is about learning to hear the voice of your own soul.” This voice, he says, is “gentle” and “at the heart of your life,” deeper and surer than the surrounding noise of “disappointment, unease, self-criticism and bleakness.” To hear it, we must draw on our “listening-imagination”—a form of attention that allows us to tune in to what is already present but often obscured. As we learn to listen more deeply, he tells us, “the greater surprises and discoveries that will unfold.” Holiness, then, is not something imposed from outside but revealed through inward attention.

This listening changes how we live. As O’Donohue puts it, to enter “into the gentleness of your own soul changes the tone and quality of your life.” Instead of being driven by the next event or achievement, we “come down from the treadmill and walk on the earth.” In doing so, we begin to see through “the enchanting veils of illusion that you had taken for reality.” This shift allows us to stop squandering ourselves on things that deplete us. The soul, he writes, becomes our compass: “You know now that your true source is not outside you. Your soul is your true source.”

This recognition brings clarity, respect, and renewal. When we listen to the soul’s voice, we awaken “a new energy and passion.” The focus turns from striving to presence, from depletion to what sustains. O’Donohue reminds us that the soul’s voice is “always there.” By choosing to hear it, we honor the depth within and uncover a way of living rooted in awareness, simplicity, and care—for ourselves, for others, and for this one precious life.

John O’Donohue, Divine Beauty [Excerpts]

Excerpts from his books: Divine Beauty (Europe) / Beauty: The Invisible Embrace (US):

“When our eyes are graced with wonder, the world reveals its wonders to us. There are people who see only dullness in the world and that is because their eyes have already been dulled. So much depends on how we look at things. The quality of our looking determines what we come to see.”

―John O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.

“What you encounter, recognize or discover depends to a large degree on the quality of your approach. Many of the ancient cultures practiced careful rituals of approach. An encounter of depth and spirit was preceded by careful preparation.

When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us. Our real life comes to the surface and its light awakens the concealed beauty in things. When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us. The rushed heart and arrogant mind lack the gentleness and patience to enter that embrace.”

―John O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.

“We have often heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is usually taken to mean that the sense of beauty is utterly subjective; there is no accounting for taste because each person’s taste is different. The statement has another, more subtle meaning: if our style of looking becomes beautiful, then beauty will become visible and shine forth for us. We will be surprised to discover beauty in unexpected places where the ungraceful eye would never linger. The graced eye can glimpse beauty anywhere, for beauty does not reserve itself for special elite moments or instances; it does not wait for perfection but is present already secretly in everything. When we beautify our gaze, the grace of hidden beauty becomes our joy and our sanctuary.”

―John O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.

“The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere – in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion and in ourselves. No one would desire not to be beautiful. When we experience the Beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming. Some of our most wonderful memories are of beautiful places where we felt immediately at home. We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful for it meets the needs of our soul.”

―John O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.

The Voice of Your Own Soul

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