What If Your Next Chapter Is Joy? with Marcia Wakeman

Spiritual Red Flags: A Solo Episode with Jen Part 1

Let's talk about the Spiritual Red Flags nobody is talking about. Your spiritual awakening can be the most beautiful thing that ever happens to you and it can also quietly turn into the thing that makes you anxious, obsessed, and second-guessing every move. We’re getting real about the spiritual red flags that show up when you’re opening up fast, especially in midlife when everything seems to change at once: menopause and perimenopause, divorce, empty nest grief, aging parents, career pivots, chronic illness, and even late diagnosed ADHD. When old identities fall away, it’s easy to start hunting for certainty anywhere you can find it. We dig into the moment when every coincidence starts to feel like divine instruction. We talk synchronicities, confirmation bias, and the difference between urgent proof seeking and the calm simplicity of real intuition. We also look at how easily we outsource our inner knowing to tarot readings, psychics, astrology, angel numbers, and pendulums and how to use tools without becoming dependent on them. Then we go straight at the social and emotional traps: spirituality becoming your entire personality, losing humor and everyday joy, and slipping into spiritual superiority where “low vibration” becomes a judgment. We challenge the idea that certainty equals wisdom, and we question the way “soul contracts” and “everything happens for a reason” can keep you stuck in toxic relationships or workplaces. We close with a reminder that spiritual bypassing is real: your body still needs sleep, nutrition, therapy when needed, and medical care, especially during the hormone shifts of midlife. If you want a grounded midlife spiritual journey that builds freedom, discernment, and self-trust, listen now, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a five-star rating and review. What’s one spiritual red flag you’ve noticed in yourself lately? Halfway To Dead Podcast Website [https://halfwaytodeadpodcast.com/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559738033030] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/halfwaytodeadpodcast/?hl=en] email: Jen@HalfwayToDeadPodcast.com

Spiritual Red Flags: Part 2

“Love and light” can become a trap when it’s used to silence your needs. We’re digging into the spiritual red flags that show up for so many of us in midlife, especially when we’re trying to be compassionate but end up exhausted, overgiving, and easy to manipulate. I talk about why boundaries are spiritual, how compassion and distance can exist together, and what it really means to choose something as hard as no contact while still wishing someone well.  Then we get into a big one for midlife women with childhood trauma and chronic stress: confusing intuition with hypervigilance. Both can make you highly observant, but they feel different in your body. We break down the “urgent and racing” energy of fear versus the “calm and clear” tone of wisdom, plus a simple time test and a set of pause questions to help you separate what you’re noticing from the story you’re adding. We also talk nervous system regulation as a practical spiritual practice, including breathwork, walking, therapy, mindfulness, sleep, movement, and nature.  From there, we zoom out to the healing industry pitfalls: becoming addicted to healing, handing your authority to gurus, and staying stuck in constant courses, retreats, readings, and certifications without real integration. We also name the myth that healing means never feeling negative emotions, and why spiritual bypassing (“everything happens for a reason”) can block grief, accountability, and real validation. If you want a grounded spiritual awakening with humor, discernment, and self-trust, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a five-star rating and review so more women can find this conversation. Halfway To Dead Podcast Website [https://halfwaytodeadpodcast.com/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559738033030] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/halfwaytodeadpodcast/?hl=en] email: Jen@HalfwayToDeadPodcast.com

BONUS CONTENT With Marcia Wakeman

Your job title, your relationship status, your “role” in the family, even your reputation in a community can feel like an identity, until life changes and suddenly you are asking, “Who am I without that?” We go straight into that uncomfortable question with Marcia, pulling lessons from her book Soulfulloy and the “10 things I wish I’d known” that can save you years of stress, people pleasing, and self-doubt. We talk about staying in your power when work or friendships get messy, and why holding onto grievance quietly drains your energy. Marsha shares the inner shift that happens when you stop defending yourself and start answering with grounded truth, even if someone else does not agree. We also get honest about approval seeking, pedestalizing “gurus,” and the importance of spiritual discernment so your intuition stays stronger than any trend, teacher, or course. Then we move into practical tools: forgiveness as freedom, comparison as fear, and why your life force energy does not age even if your body does. We explore “the art of allowing” (letting people be without condoning harmful choices), plus high-vibration habits that actually work on a Tuesday, like music, a two-song dance break, sunshine, and a quick reset before a hard task. The anchor idea we return to is simple and sharp: if it’s not love, it’s fear. If you enjoy real-talk spirituality, personal development, emotional resilience, and mindset tools you can use immediately, hit subscribe or follow, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a five-star rating and review so more people can find the show. After a rewarding thirty-plus-year career in financial services technology and consulting, Marcia Wakeman transitioned from an intrapreneur to a passionate entrepreneur helping others find more joy.  Marcia embraces the truth that "if it's not love, it's fear"—yes, even in the corporate world.  Marcia offers personalized workshops tailored to your unique corporate or personal needs and provide limited coaching to support your growth. As a speaker, she is available to share the wisdom she has gained through her healing journey.  For over three decades, Marcia has helped hundreds of clients, colleagues, and friends to unlock their potential, achieve success in their careers or businesses, release deep-seated fears, and embrace a life filled with meaning and joy.  To those feeling crushed by the corporate grind, shadowed by the weight of oppressive religious upbringings, or simply yearning for a brighter spark of joy in their lives, Marcia is eager to walk alongside you, sharing light to guide your journey toward freedom and fulfillment. Let's Connect! Soulfulljoy.com [https://soulfulljoy.com/] Buy Marcia's Book, SoulFullJoy HERE [https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0H31J9284] Halfway To Dead Podcast Website [https://halfwaytodeadpodcast.com/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559738033030] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/halfwaytodeadpodcast/?hl=en] email: Jen@HalfwayToDeadPodcast.com

What If Your Next Chapter Is Joy? with Marcia Wakeman

Fear can be loud, especially when it’s been dressed up as “faith,” “being good,” or “just how life works.” I’m joined by my new friend Marcia Wakeman, author of SoulFullJoy: A Better Path and her story hits on something so many of us carry into midlife: the moment you realize you’re done living by rules that crush your spirit. Marcia grew up in an oppressive, cult-like religious environment and still found a way to trust her inner knowing. We talk about what religious deconstruction really looks like over decades, how she rebuilt a personal relationship with God (and why words like Source, Spirit, Universe, and Creator can be stepping stones), and what it means to choose “love vs fear” in everyday decisions. We also get into the corporate grind, being the only woman in the room, and the weird mix of accomplishment and emptiness that can show up when your life looks successful but your soul feels underfed. Then we go deeper into healing tools that actually move the needle: Reiki and the reality of stress stored in the body, meditation and mindset shifts, and the kind of curiosity that makes the right teachers and books “randomly” appear at the right time. We also share stories from a small women’s retreat where we experienced ceremonial psilocybin with clear intention, plus what it feels like to be witnessed without anyone trying to fix you. Marsha closes with what’s next, including workshops, group work, and her exploration of Tantra as a path to boundaries, authenticity, and wholeness. Check out Marcia & Jen's Bonus Content to hear what 10 things Marcia wishes she would have known sooner!  If you’re craving a midlife spiritual awakening that feels grounded, practical, and real, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s rebuilding her life, and leave a review so more women can find us. After a rewarding thirty-plus-year career in financial services technology and consulting, Marcia Wakeman transitioned from an intrapreneur to a passionate entrepreneur helping others find more joy.  Marcia embraces the truth that "if it's not love, it's fear"—yes, even in the corporate world.  Marcia offers personalized workshops tailored to your unique corporate or personal needs and provide limited coaching to support your growth. As a speaker, she is available to share the wisdom she has gained through her healing journey.  For over three decades, Marcia has helped hundreds of clients, colleagues, and friends to unlock their potential, achieve success in their careers or businesses, release deep-seated fears, and embrace a life filled with meaning and joy.  To those feeling crushed by the corporate grind, shadowed by the weight of oppressive religious upbringings, or simply yearning for a brighter spark of joy in their lives, Marcia is eager to walk alongside you, sharing light to guide your journey toward freedom and fulfillment. Let's Connect! Soulfulljoy.com [https://soulfulljoy.com/] Buy Marcia's Book, SoulFullJoy HERE [https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0H31J9284]   Halfway To Dead Podcast Website [https://halfwaytodeadpodcast.com/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559738033030] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/halfwaytodeadpodcast/?hl=en] email: Jen@HalfwayToDeadPodcast.com

The Unexpected Shaman with Shannon Keef

Forty-two shadows in the house, voices overlapping in the dark, and a nurse practitioner seriously wondering if she’s breaking down. That’s where Shannon Keef’s story turns from unsettling to unforgettable and it’s also where so many midlife spiritual awakening stories quietly begin: at the edge of exhaustion, when you just want peace and sleep and a normal life. Shannon joins me to talk about what happens when spiritual gifts refuse to stay “turned off.” We track her path from an unusually open childhood through frightening encounters that made her shut everything down, then into a divorce season where the activity ramps up fast. She shares the night Archangel Michael appears and the calm that follows, plus the surprising way a metaphysical mentor helps her clear entity attachments and reclaim her energy. Then it escalates again: a near-death experience after flu and COVID lands her in the ICU, cracks her intuition wide open, and changes how she sees the world including auras, spirits in hospital spaces, and the reality of deathbed moments. We also dig into tachyon chamber meditation, meeting the Grim Reaper, learning what it means to be a shaman, and how she balances shamanic healing, Reiki-style energy work, sound healing, and medical ethics while still practicing primary care. If you’re curious about shamanism, mediumship, near-death experiences, spiritual protection, and grounded energy healing in midlife, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s waking up, and leave a five-star review so more people can find the show. Shannon Keef is a full time nurse practitioner specializing in adult and geriatric primary care for the past 14 years. She received her Master’s Degree in Nursing from Vanderbilt University. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Pathology. She was born and raised in eastern Michigan. She moved away from the cold weather in her 20’s to Atlanta, Georgia and lived there for almost 18 years. She now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.   Although she has had metaphysical experiences since childhood, her psychic and mediumship gifts resurfaced while going through a difficult divorce. Within just a few months after these abilities resurfaced, she had a physical near death experience (NDE) after contracting the flu. As a result of the NDE, she underwent a spiritual phenomenon referred to as being born a Shaman, chosen by GOD. She was further blessed and received many more, if not all, the remaining metaphysical gifts at that time.  Essentially thrown into a fast track of learning by her spiritual guides, within less than a year’s time, she became certified as a Shamanic healer, Reiki Master, and Sound healer. She has taken numerous courses from world renowned energy healers, Shaman and Psychic Mediums. She is in several practice groups honing her psychic and mediumship skills along with her healing abilities. She helps lead a Spirituality Circle and even finds time to mentor others in her community to harness and awaken their spiritual gifts.  She is currently enrolled in The Four Winds Shaman Master Healer Certificate Program. She takes clients for energy healing, psychic and mediumship readings, sound baths and more. None of this would have been possible without the grounding effects of her amazing family, strong tribe of women friends she has had essentially since kindergarten, and the amazing mentors put in her path along the way. Let's Connect! Shannon's Website [https://unexpectedshaman.com/] The Unexpected Shaman Book 1 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9KJCKK4?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_6KKN459N5SN0P6BS88KE&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_6KKN459N5SN0P6BS88KE&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_6KKN459N5SN0P6BS88KE&bestFormat=true] The Unexpected Shaman Book 2 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNM6YKC7?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_87DFNVJF5GFK7AJHKKNN&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_87DFNVJF5GFK7AJHKKNN&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_87DFNVJF5GFK7AJHKKNN&bestFormat=true]   Halfway To Dead Podcast Website [https://halfwaytodeadpodcast.com/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559738033030] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/halfwaytodeadpodcast/?hl=en] email: Jen@HalfwayToDeadPodcast.com