"My Soulful Life" with Laurien Meutier

Welcome to our monthly series, “My Soulful Life”. Through 13 life-affirming questions – inspired by the points on The Art of Soulful Living compass - we ask one luminary we admire to reflect on and reveal their true self

Laurien Meuter never set out to "change the world", but when a trip to India changed her life, she decided to listen to her instinct and take the first step to help those in need. With determination and boundless dedication, Meuter stepped into the role of creating a holistic charity with sights set on empowering 1 million people to find a way out of poverty by 2030. Her impactful ambitions came alive with the creation of Tiny Miracles. Tiny Miracles is a foundation within India focused on helping those in need to get out of poverty and stay out of poverty through education, healthcare, skills training, awareness and celebration. A decade later, the results of Meuter and her team's work have impacted many lives. Meuter advocates how "big change starts with one tiny action. One small step. Just take the first step". Rituals have been proud supporters of Tiny Miracles since 2011. Read more about Lauren Meuter and Ritual's collaboration with Tiny Miracles in The Book of Rituals.

1. When in the day are you most reflective? 

“5 am in the morning is when I get up. In stillness, nobody is there and I get a lot done between 5-7 am. Nothingness around me it is dark and nobody distracts me.” 
   

2. Which one person, place or thing is guaranteed to give you joy? 

“When my plane lands on the tarmac at the airport in Mumbai.” 
 

3. Do you think it’s more important to forgive or forget? 

“Forgive. We are all human. Wholeheartedly forgive and never look back.” 
 

4. Which moment in your life are you most grateful for? 

“I am grateful that I have found what makes me come alive. What an experience that once you have found your life’s calling, so many things fall into place and dissolve. The ego dissolves, as you don’t need to seek external approval from anyone. You understand that you are enough. You feel fulfilled and good about yourself, which makes you radiate whole different energy toward other people.” 
 

5. Have you found your life’s purpose yet? 

“Yes. It’s very simple, my life's purpose is to create impact. My experience with getting closer to my purpose has been to take the first step towards something I was passionate about, in my case figuring out the true source of poverty.” 
 

6. Do you believe you can teach compassion? 

“I think you can be an example to others.”  
 

7. What do you wish you could do more mindfully? 

“Put away my phone a little more and be in the moment. Recently I had a phone detox.” 
 

8. How would I know you love me?  

“By being present with you at the moment.” 
 

9. What was the last random act of kindness you did or witnessed? 

“When I call or take my 100-year-old neighbour out for dinner.” 
 

10. Which 3 words describe your authentic self?  

“Direct, passionate and joyful.” 
 

11. Are you faithful or fickle with your passions? 

“100% faithful.” 
 

12. What is always guaranteed to grab your awareness and keep you in the moment? 

“The energy of others, if I am feeling good energy between myself and others then I am guaranteed to be in the moment.” 
 

13. When in your life have you most needed a positive mindset? 

“Back in 2017, when my 1.5-year-old son drank poison and we were in the ICU for many days hoping that he would survive. After 6 weeks he was given the all-clear. That was a close call.” 

To learn more about the 13 points of The Art of Soulful Living compass, and how you can use them to boost your personal wellbeing, click here.