When your soul is gone, feelings become nothing. It is akin to an empty can tumbling down the street; the sense of emptiness betraying the life force in your lungs. I would like the reader to pay attention to this article—maybe some of my thoughts will ignite your clarity and well-being.

Ultimately, I hope to communicate the true meaning of being SOUL GONE. In the hearts of many, persistent and troubling questions often arise, making you doubt your worth and significance before God and in the world. But take heart; change will come. What truly matters is coming to understand your divine predestination.

Let me tell you about a young lad I met. He had elegance; his laughter and sense of reasoning caught my attention; he sat alone in a corner, reminiscing about his life. I could see the turmoil in his mind. He had a lot going on, but could not express his worry for fear of being ridiculed by the world. Who could he trust? Who could he depend on?He was the brightest spark in every room. His eloquence, humour, and hearty expressions were a thing of joy to everyone around him. His gait was enviable, and his heart was larger than life, extending even to strangers and people he had yet to meet. Despite this, his soul was gone.

He had expressed through many silent actions and with parables, but everyone continued to think that all was well with him. Still, his soul was gone.As he sank deeper into his thoughts, he shared many ideas—so many that people were often drawn to him, enriched by his wisdom and uplifted by his words. Yet, in the midst of it all, he repeated to me, ‘My soul is gone.’ Gently, I asked, ‘Is this something you wish to share with me?’ He answered, ‘Yes.’ And I said, ‘Then please, go on.’

The succeeding paragraphs will attempt to divulge the musings of his heart, scattered across the expanse of his mind. I have gathered and arranged these in the form of subtopics. This article is meant for those who can read between the lines, as it is based on a true-life story, not a made-up one. If you look around, you’ll see how truth often shows up in moments of laughter and then sudden solitude—moments that can lead to what I call ‘SOUL GONE.’ I hope that this message reaches God.

These are not my words, but his. In moments of quiet, he poured out his heart—each one a window into his soul. Listen, not as if you are reading a story, but as if he is speaking directly to you.

LOST IN THOUGHTS

When my soul is gone, it is easy to drown in the pool that has become my thoughts, the weight of which challenges the very consciousness of my life’s purpose. How might I differ from a wandering lunatic if I lack purpose? Happiness feels like a fleeting mood that pierces through my very being, only to be lost again. I only hope that one day my lost thoughts will be restored and brought back to life. The time to listen to my exegesis is not when I am gone, but now, while I still walk among you. There is no echo in the land of the dead, so remember me before the silence of the grave.

SPIRITUAL OR NOT?

Seeing as life is so spiritual, let me step into the arena of paranormal concepts. I often wonder, ‘if life is not a spirit, why then can she not be seen?’ This alone convinces me that life is indeed spiritual. When I look around and truly take in all the goings on of the world, from the dreams I experience to the intuition I have always felt and could never shake off, I see the spiritual nature of life all around me. Sitting on the fence without choosing where you belong is a dangerous game; to pick a side is better, but no one will compel you to make a choice. So, I ask: are you conscious of the spiritual, or is your soul gone? The world is full of chaos, and everyone has a price. But when you undervalue yourself, it becomes dangerous—often leading to rejection. So, know your worth, and set your value wisely.

APPEARANCE IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

I have often heard people shower others with platitudes—calling them “rich guy,” “my oga boss,” “olowo,” and the like. But over time, I’ve realized that appearance is never the full reality, and a man’s look does not always reveal the truth of his character. Many present themselves only to impress, while others live authentically. Sadly, the prevalence of pretenders has made it increasingly difficult to distinguish the genuine from the fake.When an authentic person lacks material possessions, society often renders them invisible. Such people are easily dismissed as introverts and usually end up with only a handful of friends. Outwardly, they may laugh and chat, but true joy is far from them. Who will rescue them? Who will save them? Not every problem shared is solved; sometimes it only becomes ammunition used against you. Who, then, can truly be trusted?It is like a prince who appears stunning and elegant, yet secretly walks around with constant suicidal thoughts. Look around you: some are happy, some are sad—yet both carry deep, hidden pains in their hearts. And in the silence of those pains, the soul is gone.

GOD IN MY APARTMENT

I know God exists, and I believe this with all my heart, yet I still hope my message reaches Him. As I speak these words, I long for His awareness, not His silence. At times, I have cried out, “Are You here? Where are You?” Though I have never seen Him physically, I hold on to the hope that one day I will. Until then, I desire His rescue—from this phase I am in, from the calamities both known and unknown that cloud my life.Dear God, my soul is gone.Baruch Spinoza once asked: How can the creature be greater than the Creator? If no human being can save me, then surely God can. He who created mankind and everything that exists must be capable, must He not? I will not bargain away my trust in Him for fleeting things, for He is everywhere and untouched by evil. This is why, even in the silence, I hold to the thought that God is here—in my very apartment.

EXISTING OR LIVING?

Sometimes, it feels as though I am only existing, not truly living the life I was meant to live. I feel dejected when I think about myself, as if there is no hope left for me, as if my life has already come to an end. There is, indeed, a clear difference between existing and living. To merely exist is to drift through the world without partaking in your environment or engaging with what is happening around you. In that state, people see you as nothing more than an entity created just to pass the time. But how can a creature, formed with purpose, be shut out from the fullness of real living?To live, on the other hand, is to be present, aware, and conscious. Living gives weight and meaning to your existence and shapes what you add to the world around you. It means you were created for something, not for nothing. You cannot live without existing, yet you can exist without truly living. And so, I ask myself: am I living, or am I only existing? And what about you—has that thought ever crossed your mind?

AN OPEYEMI AKINRULIE CONCLUSION

I appreciate how he asked me to break his thoughts into segments so that the reader could take them in more clearly. When a person is lost in thought, vision becomes blurry and life feels stagnant—especially when poverty or struggle weighs heavily. In such moments, words are easily lost, and morale drops quickly.

If a wealthy man were stripped of all his possessions, his thoughts would be shaken. Now imagine the mind of someone who has never known wealth at all—it would be overwhelmed, drowning in restless thoughts.This is why spirituality matters. In a world filled with uncertainties, one must take a stand. Spiritual backup is not optional—it is essential.

Who you choose to serve determines who will fight for you. Sitting on the fence leaves you unprotected, because when the battles of life come, no one will defend you.And yet, society is quick to judge by appearances. Many assume that what you look like is who you are. If you appear comfortable, people envy you. If you appear poor, you are dismissed. But envy is unavoidable—it clings whether you are real, fake, rich, or struggling.

Sometimes, under the weight of all this, it may feel as though the only escape is death.But still, there is God. He oversees all things with justice, existing outside of time, eternal and unshaken. He created all things for His pleasure, both good and evil, and because of this, He can be called upon anywhere—even in the quiet of your apartment. Some may argue that Africans abandoned their deities under foreign influence, but debates aside, the truth remains: God exists.

Even so, the question of existing versus truly living remains pressing. Reality collides with reality, survival with struggle, and many are caught in between. On the surface, people laugh and appear fine, but inside, the soul is gone. This young man’s reflections reveal that tension—when a cry begins to sound like laughter, when sadness hides behind a fragile smile. His story is not only his; it is the story of many in society. Souls gone, yet bodies moving—existing, but not truly living.And so, we are left with the painful truth: soul gone.