Soul and Effort

There are some tasks we do that leave a hollow feeling inside. And then there are those tasks that, though exhausting while performed, fill us with a profound peace once completed. We understand this difference only when we work not just with our hands, but with our soul.

 Anything done sincerely completes the person. It is not merely a task; it is like a prayer—an embodiment of heartfelt intention turned into action.

Syriac wisdom says: “What you put your soul into does not abandon you.”

How true this is!

For every task performed with the soul touches not only the outcome but also the heart.

We learn from Saint Mor Ephrem (306–373): “Every work done with love is a hymn offered to God.”

Whatever task we undertake, if we infuse it with love, good ethics, and pure intention, it ceases to be ordinary. It carries the imprint of our soul.

In Syriac culture, there were master builders who laid stone upon stone. The hammer alone did not shape these stones; sincerity, silence, and effort were the true measures of value. Therefore, these structures were not just walls—they bore an invisible spirit.

Likewise, whatever we do, if we imbue it with the beauty of our heart, it returns to us. Perhaps as a word of thanks, perhaps as a deep joy blossoming within…

But it inevitably returns. The effort of the soul never goes to waste.

In Syriac, there is a word: ḥadutho / hadutha. Its meaning: joy that springs from within.

This joy is more than laughter; it is a state of the soul. When a person’s heart is at ease, when their inner self finds peace, this is true joy. Its source lies in work done with the soul.

If we perform a task merely to finish it, our body works but our soul tires. But if we act according to the heart’s calling, our body may fatigue, yet our soul grows.

Whatever we do, if our inner peace is intact, we are on the right path. Therefore, we must listen to the call of our soul. Only by following the voice within can a person find their true path.

Ancient Syriac wisdom states: “What is done by the hand of one who is not at peace with themselves gives no comfort to others.”

Hence, we must first make peace with ourselves, becoming friends with our own inner world.

For the work of one who gives their soul is not merely a task—it is also a lasting imprint.

This world is transient. But work done with the soul endures. The spirit that upholds life with positive values never carries corrupt motives or defects.

And let us remember: no effort born of the heart goes to waste. It is the very thing that makes us who we are.

Yusuf Beğtaş