This is the journey...

 

Ask for Guidance

“Trust and act on the guidance you have now, and more will come.”

Melody Beattie (Journey to the Heart, p.149; Harper San Francisco, 1996)

          Listen to your heart, your gut, the urging of your intuition. Conventional wisdom is usually safest and will garner congratulations from friends and family, however, your soul may want and need something completely different. What happens when we follow conventional wisdom that goes against the longing of our heart is that down the road, after we’re hip-deep in whatever we’re “supposed to do,” we wake up one day and say, “I can’t do this anymore.” If you’ve had this experience, then you know it’s at this point that all hell breaks loose. It’s like lighting a stick of dynamite and tossing it into the middle of your life. At least, that’s been my experience.

          If we are courageous enough to listen to our hearts early rather than late, we may avoid the disintegration of our conventional life. That stick of dynamite feels, to those who love us, to those who depend upon us, and even to us, simply terrible. To be sure, charting one’s own course by following inner guidance feels risky and pushes us outside our comfort zone. It will lead to challenges of its own, and there may be fewer people around to cheer you on. You may hear, as I did, voices of people you love saying things like, “Have you lost your mind?” and “Get down off your high-horse!” and “Who do you think you are?” Try not to listen. These are the voices of fear; fear of losing you, fear of not being in control of your decisions. It’s love, but from a fear perspective. In her poem, “The Journey,” Mary Oliver expresses it this way:

“One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began

though the voices around you

kept shouting

 their bad advice—

though the whole house began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles

‘Mend my life!’

each voice cried…”

 

          As Melody Beattie advises, keep going back to your heart. Ask for guidance. Listen. Ask yourself, does this feel right? And, then act accordingly. Action may be something you do immediately, or it may mean waiting until you are clear about what to do. It’s important to be loving in this process—with yourself, and with others. Conventional wisdom is unlikely to give you the green light, and it’s equally unlikely that you will not run into obstacles. You will. That’s part of the process. Consider yourself an explorer setting out to see the world. Remember that this is your journey. The more you ask for guidance, and follow it, the more you will come to trust it. Chart your course and go. Bon voyage.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane