“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Right now, here on retreat, my goal isn’t just to teach my participants new things. Instead, my goal is to help them uncover and live more fully as they already are.
It’s the same for everyone. Inside you, there is already someone magnificent. There is already a whole and comprehensive soul, with gifts to share, and wisdom to express.
You didn’t come to this life broken or incomplete. Sure, we’re all a work in progress, and we evolve and grow in response to the circumstances around us, but fundamentally and energetically we have this core essence that remains constant. Our best life becomes the expression of that essence.
That essence makes itself known to us through our preferences. From an early age we enjoy certain things more than others. We excel at, or stay focused on, particular things. It expresses itself through our personality, and it speaks to us via our intuition.
Intuition is lightning fast. The thought comes to us. The idea arrives fully formed in our minds. We instinctively want one thing, but not another. We feel good about that thing. Something about it calls to us. The knowing or the answer sits inside us. We feel it. It fills our cells with certainty.
But we live in a culture that values reason. That prizes the intellect.
From the earliest age we are taught to doubt that knowing.
Mumma, I want this beading kit.
Why do you want that one, honey?
I don’t know. I just do. (There are no words. Just desire. Inside, the creative energy of the child is fired up. She can see herself making patterns and designs. The colours are so pretty. It’s calling her.)
That’s not a good reason. This toy’s a bit young for you. See, it says here on the box Ages 3 and up. You’re six now. A big girl. Which one do you really want? Don’t you like the doll in the yellow dress better?
After repeated episodes of others influencing our decisions, or questioning our choices, we begin to question them ourselves. Instead of trusting this guiding force within us, we begin to run everything past our conscious mind. We think about it. We reason it out. We find facts for and against.
We are no longer in the realm of feeling, and knowing. We are in our heads. We are thinking, and over-thinking. Our confidence in ourselves and our choices is shot. We begin to look to others for validation and approval…
Our essence is always here, inside us. Our intuition is always here to guide us. There is a great power to be had in allowing ourselves room to simply be. Space to sit with ourselves and what is. Time for letting that intuitive wisdom bubble back up to the surface after having been suppressed so long.
How we tune back in to ourselves? Here are a few simple things you can try:
- Keep a journal. Write regularly, then read back over it and look for themes. Your true interests and passions will shine through.
- Spend time on your own in nature. Nature soothes, and strips away all the head talk, leaving you alone with your true, wise self.
- Seek out activities and hobbies that you enjoy. Spend time doing them, and feeling that sense of joy and being absorbed in something meaningful to you.
- What made you happy as a child? If you’re not sure. ask someone or look at old photographs.
- What music, interests or hobbies make the hours fly past?
- What did you always enjoy doing in the past? (That might mean quite a long time ago!)
- What things came easily to you? Skills, talents, behaviours.
- What things do you REALLY not enjoy doing or experiencing? (This show you clearly who you aren’t!)
- Around what areas do you have the most doubts? Where do you seek the most validation or approval, rather than trusting yourself and your abilities? Where do you hold yourself back? (This is a BIG sign that this thing is very important to you, and part of your natural talent.)
I encourage you to start tuning in, and getting a stronger sense of who you already are, and always were. The authentic essence of you is a beautiful and powerful force, waiting to be expressed in your life.
If you’d like to do more work with developing your intuition you might enjoy this free, short series of eight lessons:
Strengthening Your Intuition – A Program of Exercises
