Ever wondered how you can get in touch with your soul, connect with like-minded people, and support one another on your journeys? I’m excited that today my friend, Jodi Chapman, is “Speaking From the Heart” and soul, and sharing her experiences with all of us.

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.  Thank you Jodi for speaking from your heart and soul! Keep up the beautiful work you are doing! Read Jodi's interview below and find out about joining the sanctuary at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

Happy Start to Summer! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend celebrating its arrival.

When I think back to my summers as a child, the term ‘care-free’ comes to mind. Being out of school, you can sleep in, go to camp, and pursue more activities you enjoy outside the classroom. How do you have fun in the summertime?

Summer has always been one of my favourite times of year, as it makes people get outside more and enjoy the sun and warmth. Especially in Canada, summer is the season for refueling after a LONG winter.

A few weeks ago, a senseless act of violence caused three RCMP officers to be gunned down in Moncton, New Brunswick. Canadians across the country and around the world reached out to pay tribute to our “fallen heroes.”

Many turned to social media to show support. One message that really stood out to me was a music video with the same name, “Fallen Hero,” by Makayla Lynn. Makayla is a teenage musician who decided to express her thankfulness to the officers and their families through lyrics.

As you may know, songs that tell stories really speak to my heart. Music creates such a powerful connection between strangers – in this case, the song is uniting a nation. When I listen to Makayla’s song, I really think about the sacrifice these three RCMP officers and their families gave for protecting Canada.

Have you ever gone to an event where you didn’t know anyone? Did you think of backing out because you didn’t have someone to go with you?

Leading up to and following my recent conference, these were the initial questions people asked me when they realized I was attending solo.

Each asked: “So, do/did you know anyone at the conference in Vancouver?” My answer was: “No.”

My friends remarked that I was courageous to go somewhere unfamiliar and try something new all by myself. Years ago, I would have shied away from events if I had no one to go with me. I feared what people would think if I came alone.

Last night, I returned home from spending five days at a narrative therapy conference in the beautiful city of Vancouver.

Called Therapeutic Conversations, the conference was empowering. The souvenirs from my travels were a full heart, a journal filled with notes, and a camera of precious memories!

The word that summarizes my experience is: gratitude. Some conference goers (myself included) took part in an exercise on the first day about connecting with and appreciating our bodies. During this time, the facilitator asked us to focus our thoughts on our knees, and to thank them.