We hear a lot about "following our gut" or "trusting our instincts", phrases used to characterize the idea of going within ourselves for feedback when there are questions in our spirit. This concept encourages us to process and deeply consider what we think or feel about something and then trust our resulting perspective. It suggests that we move forward with this "knowing from within", despite the fact that we may have no external evidence to support our initiative or even, perhaps, that our environment is operating in direct contradiction to where our inner compass is pointing us. It summons us to follow ourselves into the unknown.
For many of us, however, venturing into the gray areas of life without a map, GPS, navigator or downright guarantee of exactly where we will end up is more uncomfortable than the chronic, gnawing feeling that we are supposed to be or do something else. It's just too scary. We need all of the steps between point A and point B to be defined and layered in perfect harmony to allow us to take that first one...yet we still hear the call. To counteract this invisible call to action and it's gravitational pull on us, we spend our time assembling a well constructed theory of why what our heart is leading us to just can't be right. "I feel I am supposed to leave my career and begin something I am really passionate about...but that is crazy, etc.", "I know that I want and need to leave my girlfriend, but it only makes sense to me...and I can't even explain it, and...", "I feel that my time is done with this place, that I am to move on and start a new chapter in another place...but I have always been here, this is what I know, plus...".
The truth is, yes, it takes a lot of courage to trust our inner guide. Leaps of faith are not always easy. However, here is the key. We may THINK that there is no map, but there IS. It is imprinted on our hearts and it unfolds as we encourage it to do so. We may not have any idea, yet, how things are going to work out. We may not know exactly what the final big picture will look like. But life isn't about the destination, it is about the journey...and when we are urged by ourselves to change course it is to enhance that journey. As it has been said before, we do not have to know where we are going to be moving in the right direction.
Amen
Posted by: patrick | January 13, 2012 at 05:59 PM