Listening for the Quiet Signs

-Stathia Orwig

Earlier this week, I listened to a conversation between Jay Shetty and Laura Lynne Jackson, and something she said stayed with me long after the episode ended: “The universe is always communicating with us—but it speaks softly.”

Now, I've read 2 of her books and completely loved them, but, it's been a hot minute since I've read them. Hearing that line stopped me in my tracks. Life gets so noisy with decisions, schedules, expectations, and the rush of everything happening at once- especially these last few months. Yet the most important guidance often comes in the quiet — the subtle nudges, the coincidences, the moments that make you pause and think, “That can’t just be random.”

Lately, as I’ve been moving through a season of change at Music SO Simple, this idea feels especially true.

A few days ago, I was sitting in my office after a long day of meetings, reviewing schedules, and handling the usual swirl of decisions that come with running the studio. I felt mentally full — that “too many tabs open” kind of feeling.

Right then, one of our students walked by the window, completely lost in their own world, humming the melody they learned earlier that day. It was simple, sweet, and completely unprompted.

And it stopped me.
It was such a tiny moment — just a kid humming.
But in that instant, it felt like the universe whispering, “This is why you’re here. You've got this- keep being you!”
Not the logistics.
Not the stress.
Not the behind-the-scenes chaos that no one ever sees.
Just the joy.
The magic.

The reminder that music finds its way, even when everything else feels loud.

That moment felt like one of those “quiet signs” Laura Lynne Jackson talks about — the kind you only notice when you slow down enough to see what’s right in front of you.

Laura talks about intuition, signs, and how answers often appear when we’re finally still enough to notice. I whole-heartedly believe this.

For me, running MSS has always been a mix of structure and instinct. Yes, I plan, budget, hire, and organize. But the deeper decisions — the ones that shape who we are — tend to come from paying attention to the softer voice inside:

• This is the right direction.
• This change is necessary even if I don't like it.
• This is a letting-go.
• This is an opening.

And when I look back, some of MSS’s most important growth moments started with something unexpected — something I didn’t plan for, but something that made sense later.

The biggest lesson I’m sitting with right now is trusting the unfolding. Not everything has to be understood immediately. Not everything arrives neatly packaged, right?

Sometimes we only understand the “why” after we’ve lived through the “what.”

So I’m practicing letting go of gripping tightly.
Being open to what feels aligned.
Making space when a season ends.
And trusting the timing of the things — and people — that show up.

Music SO Simple has always been rooted in intention, and intention doesn’t always mean control. Sometimes it means allowing. Listening. Trusting that what is meant for us will stay, and what no longer fits will gently drift out of our orbit.

If you’re navigating your own shifts — in work, in parenting, in relationships, or in your creative life — here’s the reminder I needed this week:
The answers might already be right in front of you.
You just have to be quiet enough to hear them.