What Lies Ahead

In this episode of The Written Willow, we explore what it means to trust your intuition when outside voices get too loud. Through poetry, reflection, and personal storytelling, Dominique invites you to reclaim your creative compass—and protect what's sacred. If you've felt pulled in too many directions, this is your reminder: you already know the way.

Thank you for resting beneath the Willow.

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Transcript

 Dominique Maria: When you begin to walk in your calling, something subtle, but powerful happens, you become visible, and with visibility comes noise. Some will echo your ideas with admiration, even if they never say your name. Some will offer advice, they swear as helpful, but only steers you off course and a few with no clear reason will root against you simply because they can. 

What lies ahead isn't just applause. It's confusion, it's contradiction, and it's distraction, and that's why the voice you learn to trust most must be your own, not the crowd, not the trend, and not the well-meaning advice from someone who doesn't carry your burden. Today's episode is about learning how to anchor into your intuition, especially when the path ahead is foggy.

Because no one else can walk it for you. So let's talk about it. That and more on today's episode of the written Willow.

Welcome back everyone. I can't believe we're already here. Episode six. Thank you so much for walking this journey with me. I'm Dominique Maria, and this is the Written Willow, A space where poetry becomes a compass. And reflection becomes your guide. Before we begin, I just wanna say I hope you had a peaceful and restorative Memorial Day weekend.

Whether you spent time resting, remembering, or reconnecting with the people you love, I hope it gave you what you needed and to those who've served and to the families who've carried that sacrifice. Thank you. You are honored here. So this weekend I made a very last minute decision to take a little getaway with my family, just a spontaneous shift in scenery.

And even though I'd never recorded outside my usual space, I decided to pack all of my equipment and set it up in a new location. So if the sound feels a little more open or echoy today, that's why I'm in a room that isn't soundproofed like my regular space. But I didn't want that to stop me from showing up because this message was meant to come through.

Now. If you've been navigating creative growth, personal transformation, or just the decision to show up more honestly in the world, then this episode is for you. Because what lies ahead isn't always clarity. Sometimes it's noise. Sometimes it's someone telling you what they think you should do. Sometimes it's advice that feels supportive on the surface, but drains you when you follow it.

And sometimes it's praise that quickly turns into pressure. But the good news is. Your body, your spirit, and your intuition always knows. You just have to keep listening. To open us up today; Here's a poem titled Arsenal. They'll smile and say, inspired by then trace your steps in silent, stealth. But still, you rise and still you try.

Your art was never built for wealth. They'll study what you softly spoke, then shout it loud as if brand new, but mimicked words sound like a croak because the origin was always you. They'll mirror tone and borrow light, adjust your truth to fit their molds, but even dressed in colors bright, a copy dolls and never holds.

So stitch yourself with quiet grace and proudly show the scars you bear for not one soul can take your place. So go on now. You've much to share. There's something sacred about intuition. It's quiet. It doesn't force, it doesn't push. It just nudges again and again until you finally stop and listen. I. And in a world full of strategies, trends, and to-do lists, learning how to trust your intuition can feel radical because intuition doesn't always have proof.

It doesn't need data. It often won't make sense to the people around you, and yet it's the most honest compass you'll ever have. I've been led astray by good advice before, not because the people meant harm, but because they were speaking from their lens from their fears and from their expectations, and even their love at times.

I. And I've also watched people adopt parts of my work and reflect it back in their own way. And if I'm being honest, that used to shake me. It made me second guess whether I should have shared it at all. But the more I return to my center, the more I realize what's mine is mine, and what's true for me will always rise back to the surface no matter how many voices try to cover it.

So in this season, I've been reminded that I can't always quiet the outside world, but I can learn how to tune it out long enough to hear what my body is whispering. You know, that small inner voice, that knowing, that gut feeling, that's your arsenal, that's your truth, and no one can wear it like you do.

So before we close today, I'd love to leave you with a few reflective questions, some gentle invitations to check in with your own inner compass. So feel free to pause, grab a journal, or just carry these with you throughout the rest of your day.

When have you followed advice that led you away from yourself, and how did you know?

Whose voice are you hearing the loudest right now? And is it helping you grow or is it making you doubt? And how does your intuition speak to you and what helps you trust it more deeply? Thank you for spending this time with me today. It means the world to know that you're out there listening, reflecting, and walking alongside me on this journey and whatever you're building, becoming, or letting go of.

Remember, you already hold the tools. Others may try to guide you. Some may even try to imitate you, but no one else was given your map. That's all for today. Thank you truly for resting beneath the willow with me today. And if this episode made you feel something or simply give you a quiet space to breathe, I'd love if you'd subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who might need it.

And if you feel called to support this channel, any amount helps. You can find a link to do that in the episode description below. Until next time, may the wisdom of the Willow be with you.