A few years ago, I visited my parents in Chile—a place they escape to for six months every year to avoid the cold German winters. It’s also the country where my father grew up and where I attended high school in the 1970s.
During that visit, I had the opportunity to spend time with my aunts, both well into their seventies and women who have lived full and fascinating lives.
“What advice can you give me,” I asked them, “about living a meaningful life?”
“Always do what makes you happy,” Aunt Ilse replied. “Life is too short to spend on worries and fears. Besides, things usually work out in the end.”
Then Aunt Grete added something that stayed with me.
“You know those moments when an opportunity appears, and you hesitate?” she said. “Don’t wait. Don’t overthink it. Say yes.”
Her words stuck with me.
Recently, while listening to an audiobook by Caroline Myss, I was reminded of that conversation. Caroline Myss speaks about what she calls the capacity to say yes.
“The power to create,” she says, “is a living discipline, a wheel that is always in motion.”
She goes even further, suggesting that moments of inspiration are messages from our soul guiding us forward—and that our best course of action is to follow them.
How Do You Recognize the Voice of Your Soul?
Many of us wait for a grand revelation—a dramatic sign from the universe that confirms we’re on the right path.
But those big aha moments rarely arrive.
More often, what shapes our lives are the subtle whispers of the soul. Small nudges. Quiet impulses. Simple desires that gently pull us in a certain direction.
When we learn to notice them—and trust them—our lives begin to shift in unexpected and wonderful ways.
Sometimes these messages are surprisingly simple.
You may feel the urge to call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
To finally clean out that cluttered closet.
Start a morning practice.
Take a walk.
Begin writing.
Or to spend an afternoon immersed in a beautiful novel.
Small things.
Yet those small impulses often carry a deeper meaning.
Follow the Voice of Your Soul
Those quiet messages are invitations from your soul.
Follow them.
Say yes.
Stop postponing what you feel drawn to do. Take a break. Meet your friend. Spend time with your children. Dive into that book that’s been calling your name.
Life has a way of distracting us from what truly matters. And when we ignore those inner nudges for too long, we often end up feeling frustrated, restless, or exhausted.
But what if listening to your soul actually led you toward greater happiness, freedom, and abundance?
Would you follow it then?
There is only one way to find out.
That’s why my husband and I once decided to try a little experiment. For one week, we would say yes to the inspirations that came our way. At the end of the week, we compared notes to see what had happened.
Instead of brushing opportunities aside as unimportant, we took action right away.
The results were surprising—and delightful.
Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder, took a similar approach. She committed to saying yes to life for an entire year.
In her book Year of Yes, she describes how saying yes—especially to things that scared her—transformed her life in extraordinary ways.
A Simple Invitation
If you feel curious about the quiet voice within you, try this:
For one week, say yes to the small inspirations that appear in your life.
Follow the gentle nudges.
Take action when something calls to you.
See where it leads.
You might be surprised how much more alive life begins to feel.
And if you do try it, I’d love to hear what happens.
Want to share your experience with me?
Simply write to me, I’d love to hear from you.
As always, thank you for reading.
Karin
Continue the Journey
If this post resonated with you, you may enjoy exploring these next steps:
ALIVE: A Practical Guide to Get Out of Your Head and into Your Heart.
Or explore more from the blog:
How to Find Your Gift
Is Pushing Hard Getting You Nowhere? Relax & Let Go
Make Yourself Happy First: A Simple Exercise
Each of these dives into other aspects of living with courage, clarity, and aliveness.