subscribe“You should…you shouldn’t…you’re crazy…”
Stop listening to other people! It’s time to get a life!
Our mothers, fathers, spouses, friends, colleagues, gurus all have opinions that they’re usually happy to share in abundance. It’s hard to hear your own internal guidance system under all those voices.
Certainly there is nothing wrong with considering what other people have to say – we can learn a lot, get some good ideas. But it is dangerous to take other’s opinions to the exclusion of your own deep wisdom. When that happens, you can find yourself traveling far down the wrong path trying to fulfill other people’s visions for your life.
Tama J. Kieves, a Harvard-trained corporate attorney turned writer ( This Time I Dance ) speaks of finding slowed down moments of inner knowing that helped her find the right path. These small still moments are an unwaivering internal GPS. Enjoy your conversations with well-meaning family and friends, but know that ultimately the only person who can guide you on the road less traveled is you.
What did you say?
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Jeri of Salisbury, MD, dreams of taking her 6 kids to Disney World. Let's help her fulfill this wish.
3 Comments
I love your analogy of your wisdom being your IGS (form of GPS?). Looking outside of ourselves for our answers is a way to avoid taking responsibility for what we do want for our lives. I just noticed your adopt a dream category. Tell me how you started this? What motivates you? I am very interested…I’ll go read.
Great title for the contest! I totally agree that we have to learn to listen to ourselves. I think to do otherwise is to set yourself up for failure. With respect to my business venture I get a lot of skepticism so I keep everything to myself and share once I start achieving success. Then I don’t even get the negative comments!
Great wisdom in these comments. Looking outside ourselves IS a way of avoiding responsibility for our own lives. Beautifully put, CK!
And kudos to Laurie for keeping focus despite skepicism. That takes courage and confidence.
Also, want to share a post that embodies the still moments I speak of: Idara writes of taking gulps of healing silence here: http://onelightmessenger.blogspot.com/2008/08/taking-gulps-of-healing-silence-like.html. The writing on this blog is calm and peaceful. Just read to feel the tension melting.
(Also, Idara graciously cites my blog on hers, which is how I was introduced to it. She also uses the analogy of GPS which is fascinating to me: did I pick that up without realizing? It’s possible! It’s such an apt description that it may have just bubbled up for me later. In that case, THANK you Idara for the inspiration!)
If you like the writing on this blog, you’ll find complimentary thinking on Adventures on the Journey: http://onelightmessenger.blogspot.com/
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