Welcome to Everything Speaks if You Listen with Jen CobbleWorks where we befriend our humanity and the Sacred through story, soul questions, and every day life.

In this week's episode, we talk about FOMO (fear of missing out) and also jealousy, imposter syndrome, and feeling like we've missed our boat. We explore these by first noticing seeds and sparks within us, those active longings and desires that stir within our being, but sometimes seem really vague. We want to do *something*, we feel an urge to create, to make, to risk...but we aren't sure exactly what that would look like or where to start.

And then we admit that we can sometimes notice other people's work and expressions in life and overlook any resonance and jump right to jealousy or fomo. We notice how quickly we can douse our own inner sparks and seeds and conclude that someone else got to the manifested idea better than we did. Or maybe they simply did it faster. And then we tend to just feel awful.

But what if the point is not to be the first at something, be the best, or be the most innovative..or the *only* one doing something? What if that flies in the face of the beautiful diversity our universe is created (and is creating) with? What if iteration is naturally gorgeous? And what if what we're resonating with outside of ourselves is not a sign of competition, but an invitation for us to join the party so to speak? What if it's resonance, encouragement, and a midwife that helps us birth our own sparks + seeds in the world?

What would it feel like if we noticed something stirring in us, saw someone or something out the world doing something similar and felt encouragement and a sense of belonging from that rather than a sign we were too late with our ideas?

With seriousness and silliness, we let roses, soup, and cookies lead the way on this new outlook. And we visit with the spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson and his lovely, but infuriating essay of Self Reliance as friend and foil for our discernment.

I'm Jen Cobble Willhoite, a contemplative storyteller, spiritual tool designer, and life-long soul seeker. My path is formed and framed by questions more than answers. I'm more comfortable wondering and wandering about things spiritual than I am in ideology, religion, or dogma.

My soul language and connection with Spirit is primarily grounded in Celtic Spirituality, science, nature, seasonal cycles, myth, folklore, and stories of all kinds. I do have roots in progressive Christianity that I sometimes speak from. My tap root, though, is ordinary life. I believe enlightenment is rhythmic, unfolding, and found in our everyday experiences and selves. I also offer tools and courses on my modern interpretation of the examen: a daily ritual of looking back, looking within, and looking ahead to cultivate a rapport with your inner wisdom and the Sacred as you understand it.

Every week, I share an episode from my own spiritual explorations, offering invitations for you to explore these themes on your own. Thanks for journeying with me!