3 Inner Shifts I’m Seeing in People Ready for a More Soulful Life

Over the last few years, in my work with leaders, whether through executive coaching, facilitating leadership development in FTSE100 companies, or hosting silent meditation retreats in the mountains, I’ve seen something quietly powerful unfolding.

People are beginning to reach for something deeper.

• Not more achievement.

• Not better performance.

• But something more meaningful. More soulful.

It’s not just something I’ve seen in others. It’s something I’ve lived.

My own shift started with a diagnosis: an incurable disease and a 12-month window. That was five years ago. I’m still here.

And in that time, I’ve been learning what it means to live from depth - to lead, love, and work from something more soulful, more honest, more alive.

Shift 1 - From Status to Soul

I’ve seen people move from chasing titles and promotions… to finding reverence for where they are. They’re no longer only asking “What’s next?” They’re asking, “What’s real? What matters?”

Prompt:

Pause before your next big decision or milestone moment and ask yourself:

• What am I really longing for here?

• If no one else knew I’d done this, would it still matter to me?

This helps shift from external validation to internal meaning

Shift 2 - From Productivity to Integration

The obsession with output is giving way to something softer, something wiser.

People are asking not how to do more, but how to feel more whole. How to bring the pieces of their lives back into alignment.

Prompt:

At the end of your day, don’t make a to-do list, make a “what mattered” list.

• Write down 3 moments that felt real, connected, or meaningful It could be a deep conversation, a moment of peace, or simply being present.

This rewires your attention toward integration, not just output.

Shift 3 - From Following the Script to Trusting Themselves

This one is perhaps the most radical. Letting go of the rules. The expectations. Trusting that your own voice is enough, your gut instinct is real and actually, it always has been.

Prompt:

Next time you feel unsure, pause and ask:

• “What do I know, deep down, that I’m pretending not to know?”

Then, sit with it. No need to act immediately.

Just noticing is enough.

This builds the muscle of inner trust without needing to leap.

These shifts don’t arrive all at once. They tend to begin quietly, like a whisper, or a knowing that something no longer fits. And once they begin, they change everything.

Maybe something in this is familiar to you and something here is already unfolding.