Google+1Twitter0Facebook0When Jodi Chapman, the creator of the Soulful Life Sanctuary asked, “What does your soul want you to know?” I just smiled. My soul happens to be an active little…er…soul and keeps me busy with her endless wants. I love it. Never a dull moment. Sometimes, my soul takes on different personae and speaks to me via my son and my husband. I worry and fret over mundane stuff in a happy way. I like the joy of getting things done. Sometimes, when I go through that overwhelm brought on by too much to do and too little time, they tell me to slow down and do what makes me happy.
As long as my Mom was with me, she always gently encouraged me to stretch a little, walk a few steps out of my comfort zone and explore my strengths. Soulful living, to me, implies:
- Being true to myself and those I interact with
- Practicing a sense of humor in everything I do
- Trusting those I love, and those who love me
- Having the courage to do the things I want to do
- Being grateful for all the little things that fill my life
- Following my heart
- Doing what makes me happy
- Opening myself to receive love
- Being present and mindful in all I do
One of my favorite ex-bosses would tell us, at the end of our meeting every evening, where we ranted and raved about our day and learned from each other’s experiences, to ask ourselves these questions when we went to bed at night “Am I satisfied with my day? Can I name three things I am proud of, of accomplishing today? Do I have a plan for tomorrow? Am I looking forward to it?” If we could say yes to at least two of these questions, he advised us to consider it a day well spent.
I’ve followed through on his advice for over two decades now and it has helped me stay focused.
The power of a mentor, someone we can look up to and emulate, is a great thing. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. They see abilities we have no idea we possess. They make us believe in miracles, and gently push us forward, encouraging us to follow our heart, our passions.
And if we are lucky to have a peer group where everyone cares about each other and delights in lifting each other up, life doesn’t get any better than this.
I’ve been that lucky person along my rather bumpy journey through life. It is true that as we cruise along, we tend to remember the good bits and learn from the not so good.
So when my friend Jodi Chapman, bestselling author, award-winning blogger and an inspirational community builder announced the launch of the Soulful Life Sanctuary, I knew she must have come up with something amazing. And she has.
A little more about Jodi, first. She wears her heart on her sleeve and seems to attract others who do the same. Her mission is to help others reconnect with their soul and plug back into their life and here’s why.
In October 2010, she experienced a spiritual awakening that transformed her from being a complete skeptic to a believer in miracles. She now lives her life with love and faith in the driver’s seat, and she hopes to leave a trail of inspiration wherever she goes. She believes that we each have the ability to hear our soul’s whisper and create our best lives.
Jodi Chapman is the author of the award-winning blog, Soul Speak, the creator of the Soulful Life Sanctuary, and the co-author of the bestselling Soulful Journals series, which she wrote with her husband, Dan Teck.
She lives in southern Oregon with her beautiful best friend/soulmate Dan. They share their lives with three wonderful cats: Biddle, Buncom, and Elsie.
Let’s talk to Jodi about the Soulful Life Sanctuary, shall we?
Welcome, Jodi! So happy to have you back here!
Jodi, I absolutely admire how you constantly inspire via your Facebook presence and love how you focus on community. What inspired you to create the Soulful Life Sanctuary?
It is good to be back here, Vidya! I created the sanctuary for a few reasons: to give each of us a sacred community where our hearts could share openly and expand with others who are on a similar journey, to create a loving space where we could slow down from all of the DOing and simply BE, and to bring together soulful tools to help each of us along our journey.
I have found in my own life that it’s sometimes easier to disconnect from our true voice – our soul, our purpose, the deeper meaning of life – than it is to stay connected. Life gets so busy, we’re all driven by our to-do lists, and DOing sometimes seems to be given more priority than BEing.
I found that when I was connected with my soul, to others, and to the universe, I could appreciate everything that happened in my life much more easily.
It’s my intention that the Soulful Life Sanctuary will be a space for all of us to go when we’re ready to reconnect with our soul, connect with each other from an authentic space, and breathe a collective exhale.
Jodi, who is the sanctuary for?
The Soulful Life Sanctuary is for those who are:
- feeling called to slow down and reconnect with their soul, their purpose, and their place in the world.
- tired of feeling like they’re walking through life alone and are wanting to connect with others who are on a similar journey.
- excited to immerse themselves in a loving community that offers soulful tools to help them become more grounded and connected to both the physical and spiritual world.
- ready to show up authentically and openly, ready to get real (with themselves and also with others), and ready to be in a supportive, safe space where they can take off the mask and share their true self.
- open to spiritual growth and want to feel free to explore through ecourses and live classes.
- ready to step into their soul’s purpose (or at least explore what that purpose might be).
- ready to give themselves permission to Do less and Be more.
- ready to love and be loved, to give and to receive, and to stay open to the magic.
How cozy it would be to experience this sense of belonging, especially when most people are running after such hectic lives today! I love that you have included 12 Soul Guides in the Soulful Life Sanctuary. But tell us, Jodi, what does soulful living mean to you?
For me, it means being connected to our soul – to that magical, never-ending part of ourselves who is so wise and loving. It’s so easy to walk through life feeling disconnected, and so this would be the first part of living soulfully – plugging back in.
It also means that we’re open to giving and receiving love, and we’re open to allowing ourselves to embrace our life. We open to the possibility that the world is for us rather than against us, and we see our life through a lens of expansion and possibility. We open ourselves up to miracles.
It also means living authentically – bravely sharing our true selves with the world – letting our uniqueness shine through.
Living soulfully means living a balanced life. It means taking time for ourselves as well as supporting others.
It means saying yes to our soul’s whispers – acting on them and honoring them, even if we are afraid (especially if we are afraid).
I believe that a soulful life is a life filled with so much love.
I absolutely agree with that, Jodi. Love definitely makes the world go around. Now one question I am sure is on everyone’s mind. Why should anyone join the Soulful Life Sanctuary?
First, I would say that the biggest benefit for anyone who joins is to know that they are a part of a loving community of like-minded souls where they can show up authentically and soulfully and be completely supported and accepted.
Second, joining means that you are letting your soul know that your connection to this wise part of yourself matters to you, and you are committing to making space to honor and expand on this connection.
Third, you’ll have access to so many tools to support you in reconnecting with your soul, slowing down, and embracing your life. You’ll receive access to all of my ecourses immediately when the sanctuary opens, plus there will be classes offered frequently, which are free to the members!
Great! Is there anything else you would like to share?
I know that we’re all busy. I know that life seems to be speeding up. I know that we think we don’t have time to join one more thing or put anything else on our plate. I get that – I really do. But here’s the thing: all of these to-dos mean nothing if we aren’t connected to our soul, to ourselves, to each other, and to our purpose. I don’t want any of us to spend even one more day running around and saying that we’ll put ourselves on the list “someday.” The time truly is now. You’re worth slowing down for. You’re worth taking time to get grounded. You’re worth living a life that feeds your soul and brings you joy. And it’s up to you to say yes to yourself and yes to your soul. I can’t wait for you to join me in the sanctuary. We’re going to have so much fun together!
Thank you, Jodi! I think the Soulful Life Sanctuary is a wonderful gift!
♥
What’s included in the Soulful Life Sanctuary?
The Soulful Life Sanctuary includes a supportive community, a virtual classroom/retreat center, and a set of tools/resources to help you live your most radiant, authentic, soulful life! More details here. Jodi is offering $100 off to those who sign up in June. Hurry!
P.S.: This post contains affiliate links. Should you be so kind as to use these links to sign up for the wonderful Soulful Life Sanctuary, I will earn a commission. All my blog earnings go towards supporting my local welfare home. Thank you. ♥
Namaste!
I am glad you are here. May your day be filled with smiles!
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