In most modern conventional belief the notion of a “Soul,” if considered at all, is seen as a timeless nonmaterial property of a human being. New Age thinking generally talks about the soul expressing or manifesting throughout one’s life, and then one returning to an ethereal soul state upon death.
In this context no effort is required or sought and everything simply happens at it should—“everything happens for a reason.” This is often tied to Eastern concepts of great cycles and it is thought that simple acceptance of “what is” is sufficient for a life well lived.
Then the more motivationally minded of New Age philosophers tend to suggest that “alignment” with the needs of a soul will lead to greater achievement, but in modern material terms. Books like “The Secret” provide a roadmap for “success” in worldly terms based on a belief that there is a Soul (or sole?) purpose that leads to abundance – but this abundance is generally seen in terms of productivity or material success.
