Tapping the Muse Within:

Connect to V n' I in Soul Vibe - Venerate, Initiate to Embrace the Life Deserved

Every single second we stand at the threshold of an essential decision …

Will I listen to a world, way, people who think they know what’s best, often overlooking their own limitations, to seek and find validation by influencing another - no matter how well intentioned?

OR

Will I learn to trust myself?

One or the other. Not both.

It really is that simple.

The day my mother had a stroke, I called her from San Diego; the nurse was kind enough to put the phone to her ear. The doctors told us she was lucky to be alive - 85% of the good side of her heart was blocked and the stroke had been severe. She now had something called aphasia - while her intelligence may still be intact, her ability to speak, understand speech, read, and write, were all affected and they couldn’t really tell what she could remember or comprehend. As she struggled with sounds and I tried to sound light and positive, my stomach fluttered. I had to figure out if she was alright; if she needed me to fly home to Canada immediately from my new job.

She and I had a Pooh thing and so, I thought I’d stick with our ritual of reciting some of the lines from “Us Two” by A.A. Milne, a favourite of ours over the years.

As I began …

“Wherever I go, there’s always Pooh,
there’s always Pooh and me.”

She began to quietly hum the intonation.

“It isn’t much fun for one,
but two, two can stick together
said Pooh said he, “That’s how it is,” says Pooh.”

The words were missing but the song in her voice was unmistakable, and yet shaky. She was scared. I knew it. And she was alone.

I had just landed a permit to work in California the year before. My PR career was soaring; I had an apartment, friends, and my sister and her family and I were getting so much closer.

But one night shortly after that phone call. I heard the whisper I’d learned to attune to, I’d learned to trust.

“You need to go home now Jenni. You’ll find a way.”

The shift was extreme; family members were worried that I’d lost my mind, was tossing in my career, would regret my decision. My boss offered me the world, and by that I mean a better position, a car, and to fly me home every month to Canada.

But the nudge from within was crystal clear, this wasn’t a visiting kind of situation, this was a calling back to care for a woman who loved me dearly, no matter how her mental health had affected so many of our years as a family. I could not really explain it to anyone, but not one shred of doubt remained. I knew I had to go, no matter how mad others thought me, no matter what it may mean to my career. I never questioned that if this is what I was called to do that the Universe would conspire to help details come together. She’d never failed me before.

I took a 90% pay cut, a ‘serendipitous’ job as a camp director for Easter Seals and as a respite coordinator so that while I was hiring 75 staff for the camp in the summer, I could have a flexible schedule to stay with my mother and see her through her rehabilitation.

We connected in a way we never had before. She couldn’t tell her stories any more - and oh what a fascinating life she’d lived - but I knew them and would tell them for her and she would nod. I would tease her that it was finally other peoples’ turn to talk and she would laugh, genuinely, something she hadn’t been able to do for years. When she would grip my hand under the table at speech class because she was scared, I would squeeze back and reassure her. We connected the dots of pictures to speech, and she tried her best, and in all this the feistiness she was known for mellowed. She became gentle, contrite at times - something she had certainly never been in years past - and I got the chance to know the little girl she must have been when my Papa doted on her and called her Curly.

It was a privilege that would not have been afforded me if I had listened to the world - those who wanted to pay for my expertise and even those who loved me dearly and thought they knew what was best - and not myself.

I arrived to take care of her in January and she died in July that summer. Those seven months were the healing gift my soul, her soul, knew we needed.

There are countless stories I hold within my heart that match this; I’m sure you have them too. But even so, we can forget the power of listening, above all else, to the Voice within. And sometimes we need a little reminder. Perhaps this is one for you.

…

Continuing along with our SOUL VIBE theme of late - this desire to cultivate our conscious connection to our wise and wondrous Soul, to God/the Divine/the Universe and play out our lives from this place of intention and harmony - this week we hone in on the energy V.I.B.E. - the “V” as Venerate and “I” as Initiate.

Venerate is about honouring our soul, the muse, knowing that when s/he surfaces by way of inkling, whisper, (or shout) in ear, mind, body or gut, we do well to recognize and never dis the great gift of that presence.

Herein lies the wisdom of our wandering on this mortal coil, the signs of where to go to live out our soul’s purpose, to love well and honour our voice, our creativity, our designs on a life of abundance of which we are so innately deserving.

And to Initiate is to ask. We merely need Ask the question to stir the consciousness of the beyond, to grab hold of the golden thread of our soulful connectedness. My mother’s soul knew and spoke to mine. I feel and know this, truly.

This week in our SoulFull Session LIVE we will dive deeper into the stories that bring us to this knowing and the questions to pose to unleash the guru within, to take the hand of the divinity that you are and make glorious friends with the muse of you.

Such fun is stirred when we open to the majesty that is our life, ask and listen and follow and play. It turns down the chaos and up the calm; it inspires us to believe in magic and goodness and purpose and peace no matter the swirl of the world about us.

And we can all use a little more magic and peace and trust in these days we face.

See you Sunday … let’s Play.

This Sunday Dec 21st in our Soulful Session LIVE - we’ll be speaking about …
Venerating the muse, learning to trust again and again and initiating contact with questions, in all aspects of our deLIGHTfull lives. And if you don’t feel this just yet, trust me, hope lives in these conversations of connection, of re-membrance, together. Would love to have you round the fire.

✨jenni

Looking for a Holiday Gift to Bring More Bliss into the Lives of Those You Love?

✨Get your Copy of “Just One Soulful Thing: A Simple Adventure in Reclaiming Your Wild Wisdom”. On Amazon Canada / US

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A Conversation with a Friend

This book feels like a warm conversation with a wise friend. Just One Soulful Thing doesn’t tell you who to be it reminds you of who you already are. Quietly powerful, beautifully written, and the kind of book you’ll return to when life feels noisy.

Join In the Conversation …

💫Subscribers get an email with a Direct Link when we book/go LIVE💫

Come with your own stories, your own questions?
Let’s engage in a conversation worthy of our eternal souls. 💫 😉
I’ll be posting a prompt in The SoulFull Way Chat and I’d love to have you chime in.

Now for a ….

Recap on the Gems of this Past Week

💫Video of the Week:
Snippet from our Dec 14th SoulFull Session Live: U in SOUL = Unifying the 5 Facets of We - all parts of ourselves. As we consciously consider our Body, Brain, Spirit, Soul and Heart, we find our way to wholistic living and BEing in Unity with that Source - for our hope, joy and limitless living.

Find the recording for the whole SoulFull Session on Unifying - right HERE.

💫 Post of the Week from The SoulFull Hub on Facebook:

✨🎁Just WoW !! Incredible outpouring of generousity and support for our Holiday Cheer Gift Bag campaign this year. Wowowowow!❤️🎄

In 2 weeks, friends kindred and new - pitched in with donations … from cash and new and gently used items to taking the time to attend our little Assembly Gathering at our home this Saturday.

This started out as our Maki family wanting to do just a little something for this precious place we call home and our little goal, either just as a family or - we thought - a few people last minute - would lead to about 33 bags.

🎁Wellllll I am thrilled to say - our home was overflowing - beyond Anything I could have imagined - we filled !!!75 bags!!! to the brim for women, men, teens to toddlers and babies.💝

Our Maki fam has decided to make this a yearly thing it was so wonderful.

I share all this because it moves in theme with our doing Just One Soulful Thing for Heart (community-those we love and strangers in need) and my posts, newsletters and links of late.

A little idea, conjured a lot of help, was stress free and fun filled and made my holiday and the holiday for our family and perhaps for so so many others.

Whatever you are drawn to do for others, simple or grand, do that my friends … it puts everything else in perspective … during this season and in our lives. In these acts, of our conscious loving doing we are reminded of the power of hope and the magic that comes within and in the world when we spread love.

Happiest of holidays and all best wishes to you all and those you love.

Much love j ✨❤️😌

#justthis #thesoulfullway #thesoulfullhub #treelovers #treestories #soulfullsessionslive

Connect with The SoulFull Hub HERE.

💫More Along The SoulFull Way …

If this reflection stirred something in you, I’d love to stay connected.

Through The SoulFull Way newsletter, I share insights on reclaiming wild wisdom — in life, relationships, business, and mindful leadership. As the author of Just One Soulful Thing (and the upcoming Guided Journal), I also offer SoulFull workshops, talks, and coaching experiences for entrepreneurs, non-profits, and teams ready to elevate how they live, love, and lead ~ from the inside out.

And if you have an insight to share on how you wildly attune to life, I delight in hearing and answering every message. ~ jenni

Author, speaker, retreat facilitator, and coach Jennifer M. Maki guides entrepreneurs, non-profits, and changemakers to lead from inner wisdom ~ inspiring meaningful change in the way we live, lead, and serve. Drawing on over twenty years in communications and leadership across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, she is the founder of The Mad Hero Project and Mad Hero Productions and author of Just One Soulful Thing.