In my last newsletter, we explored the idea that we only fear forces that play in the same realm that we inhabit. Mountain climbers need not fear sharks, and divers need not fear avalanches. I suggested that we have been operating in a transactional world where we our very existence is challenged by AI. However, humans are not designed for the mechanical, transactional world alone. We are designed to operate in two parallel worlds simultaneously: The mechanical world and the world of the soul. If we operate in the world of the soul, there is no risk of AI threatening our jobs, professions, or our existence, because AI cannot operate in that world.
But how do we move beyond this transactional, metrics-driven world and its never-ending quest for efficiency? How do we access the soul dimension while functioning in the here-and-now of our day-to-day lives?
The answer came to me recently while talking to my eleven-year-old granddaughter, Ayala.
Ayala told me quite simply that she often has conversations with her soul. Intrigued, I asked her what they talk about.
“When I’m not sure what to do,” she said, “I ask it for advice.”
“Does it ever give you bad advice?” I asked.
“No, never.”
“What is it like, talking to your soul?”
She thought for a moment and then said, “It’s like talking to my babysitter.”
The Difference Between “Believing That” and “Believing In”
Ayala’s insight is profound because she isn’t just believing that she has a soul; she believes in her soul.
In our data-driven world, we spend most of our time “believing that.” We believe that the market will turn, that a strategy is sound, or that a person is competent. This is intellectual assent. It is transactional. It is based on evidence and probability, not on intuitive certainty.
But “believing in” is something entirely different.
To “believe in” someone or something is to place your weight upon them. It is an act of the soul, not just the mind. When you believe in a colleague, you aren’t just acknowledging their resumé; you are committing to their potential. Their resumé is data. Their potential is a belief. The belief that God exists is informational. Belief in God is a character trait. What you believe in, becomes a component of your identity. It is non-negotiable. It defines you. It resides at a soul level.
“Believing that” is about what we know; “Believing in” is about who we are at the deepest level.
Listening to the Silence
To move from knowledge to being, we must develop the capacity to listen to the silence of our inner selves in the way Ayala does.
We live in a world of clatter bombarded with emails, notifications, news and social media content. Inside our own minds, there is the constant chatter of judgment directed at everything we experience and everyone we encounter. This noise drowns out the “babysitter.” To access our soul, we must find—and hold—the silence between our thoughts.
In this inner silence, our true beliefs reside. Not the beliefs we say we have, but the ones we actually live by.
The Essence of Who You Are
Consider what are the things without which life would have no meaning for you?
These are your core beliefs. They are completely non-negotiable. If you were to trade them off for a profit, a promotion, or a short-term win, you would lose the essence of who you are.
When you operate from this core, you are no longer a machine responding to inputs. You are a human being acting with Authentic Intelligence. You aren’t just making a move; you are making a difference.
Your “Inner Prophet”
Like Ayala, we each have an “inner babysitter”—a soul that is present and protective, and that possesses a perspective far deeper than our daily anxieties.
This week, I challenge you to stop and listen to the silence. Don’t just ask what you believe. Ask what you “believe in.” When you find your non-negotiable core, you have found your soul. And this is where your greatest leadership begins.
