There is a way to know if you are heading in the right direction, a guidance system that will help you get to where you want to go.
The best navigation system is the emotions, the feelings we get deep within that are always present, but often ignored.
When I look back at some of the decisions I made in my life, the ones that led to challenging outcomes always seemed to spring forth from ignoring the discomfort that I felt at the time. There was always a slight sense of unease, but I would ignore it and plunge ahead anyways.
Whatever I subsequently went through was ultimately necessary for my growth, but at the time I wished I could have learned the lessons in an easier way.
Strong emotions like anger or excitement aren’t the ones I am discussing here. Those are usually tied in heavily to our preconceptions of a situation and how we feel things should be.
The more subtle ones, those that sit deep within the solar plexus, are usually the ones that matter the most. They may signal us to slow down and take a moment before we forge ahead.
When I am thinking of starting a new project, if I am filled with the slight sense of butterflies in my stomach then I know that I am going in the right direction. If I feel nothing, or almost an emptiness, then I refine my thoughts and try again.
It’s a learning process to recognize what your feelings signify and which direction they are telling you to go. I suspect that not everyone has the same feelings, as it is likely to be a very individual thing.
By making decisions and noticing the feelings associated with it and then seeing how everything turns out, we can begin to build a guide for future reference, an emotion map so to speak. As you become more conscious of the feelings, they become much easier to notice.
By paying attention to something, it tends to increase. Having an emotional navigation system that you trust can save you a lot of time and energy as you move ahead.
It all comes down to trusting yourself. By believing that there is wisdom inside of you, and knowing that you have the ability to access this at all times, you can begin to chart the course that leads you in the direction of your dreams.
The most important thing in this process is to become aware and to be present. If you are living your life solely in your mind, lost in thought, then it is very difficult to access this inner wisdom.
We tend to have repetitive thoughts every day. The majority of them are counterproductive and do not support us in the direction we wish to go, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Spend some time in quiet reflection every day. Even five minutes can be enough. Turn off your thoughts, go within, and focus on the breath. If thoughts spring up, which they likely will, just notice them and then let them go.
Finding the stillness within gives you access to another level of wisdom that can’t be found through thought. When you are dealing with a difficult decision, sometimes just walking away and doing something completely unrelated can be a big help.
Inspiration can be found while doing the dishes, driving a car, or taking a shower. When you can disengage from thoughts for any length of time, it becomes much easier to access the guidance within.
Emotions tell the stories of our lives. They are an intimate part of who we are, and they can become an important part of who we wish to become.