Have you caught yourself throwing away this damaging phrase?

I’ve been hearing a phrase quite a bit lately, and it’s been on my mind. It’s a short, simple phrase that you might recognise, often used casually. But it’s really bothering me because it seems to touch on something deeper that we should be mindful of.

The phrase is ‘soul-destroying’.

I’ve noticed that people often use it when talking about work-related activities or environments. It can refer to physical environments, like rooms without windows, or cultural environments, such as oppressive leadership styles.

I’m really concerned that people might use this phrase so lightly. What it describes is the erosion of our essence, our soul, our humanity. To do something that could potentially threaten who we are regularly, due to expectations, requirements, culture or necessity.

It’s quite possible that people don’t mean anything as upsetting as this. They might be using it as a way to say, ‘I don’t really enjoy this part of my job, but I can put up with it’. Which might be better described as ‘a bit annoying’ or whatever phrase works for you. We use it to self-deprecate ourselves and apparently put others at ease with a shared sense of misery at work. Well, that sounds unhealthy.

Because if we say it and mean it, that’s dark. That’s acknowledging that we are choosing to do something that destroys our soul. That turns us into automatons, lacking in humanity, joy, love and care. Ugh. I don’t want that.

Compare this phrase with an expression I saw the other day at the park. On a morning walk through the park, I saw a car pull up. Out came two people—a small toddler and, I assume, a grandparent. The child, seeing the park, literally jumped for joy, pumped his fists in the air and cried ‘YAY YAY YAY!’. Unbridled joy. Soul-enhancing delight.

To catch those self-deprecating phrases that undermine who we are and what we offer as humans, and instead, spread a little soul-enhancing delight.