Is this you?
You love to explore new frontiers without holding back from the unknown… even if that means you must leap tall buildings with a single bound. You know that traversing the distance between “here” and “there” takes a courageous heart, one unwilling to settle for “just enough.”
And yet…
In a quiet moment you find yourself wondering if your life is on the right track. You want it to be dynamic and fulfilling. You’re tired of looking to others for approval. You imagined your choices and actions would, certainly by now, have brought more inner peace… sustaining intimacy… less self-judgment.
Where the rules don’t apply:
If you are brave of heart the adventure of self-discovery awaits. You need bravery because the external world rule books don’t apply. They just get in your way, muddying the clarity of your vision.
Why? Because they require you to look outside yourself in order to measure your adherence to the rules.
If I didn’t have the ability for inner inquiry, I would never have known it was time to leave behind my career as a psychotherapist. Let go of my livelihood? What I had trained for and been doing for years? What would I do?
Inner inquiry? My own answers?
Discovering that I could trust my own answers meant that I stopped doubting my inner senses. I took on bigger challenges, and discovered my own source of guidance.
Living from the inside – out:
You want to be free to discover? First, set aside any expectations or thoughts of limitation. You know how those sound.
I have to stay with this job because my career will suffer if I change direction.
I can’t run this project; they don’t think I have the experience.
Hold on! That’s not the right way to do this.
Take a few breaths. Tuck these thoughts into a box and set them aside. If other thoughts of expectation, judgment or limitation show up, add them to the box.
You won’t find what you’re looking for outside of you. That’s why inner research requires curiosity about yourself. Being judgmental just gets in the way. If you really pay attention, you’ll see that judgment shows up as self-criticism as much as it does expectation of someone else.
Make space for something magnificent to happen. Oftentimes there are greater gifts than you could have imagined. You won’t know unless you begin.
The answers are not found on Google:
When you have a question about something or want more information, the first thing you do is to Google it, right?
What about when the question is: Why am I feeling like this? Or, how did I get myself into this situation? What’s going on here?! And, is this the right direction? What do I need to do now?
When you are faced with making a decision, how do you determine the next step? Once you gather information from external sources, you still have to decide on a course of action and commit.
Do you realize that there is a reliable resource within you that is available to help guide you?
The good news: You don’t need to go back to school to learn how to access it!
Accessing this resource requires learning to connect with the wisdom already within you. Your own inner research reveals this path of connection. Inner research takes the reins of self-discovery away from external sources and places them into your own hands.
Instead of asking for answers from an outside source, be it Google or your best friend, try directing the questions to your inner self. By using inner dialogue, you begin to build an intimate relationship—you with yourself. This relationship brings a profound sense of inner knowledge and self-trust.
Quiet time and patience:
Your body needs to feel relaxed so that your inner compass—what I call the feeling body—can provide you with direction. Asking questions in this quiet, relaxed space connects you with true inner guidance. It helps to sit and write your questions as a dialogue or to journal. Let the answers come as answers to the questions you’ve posed to yourself. Keep your breathing relaxed. Let your writing flow without trying to direct it.
Writing helps you discover new pictures. It supports you in manifesting them.
Building your inner network:
Building this inner network brings the outer world into fresh perspective. You can align your actions with your inner truth, learning to discern with confidence your next steps in life.
When you realize that guidance is available, you may find your next steps taking you into unfamiliar territory. Take a deep breath. Unfamiliar territory is why you put on your adventurer’s hat!
You might notice a new way of thinking and communicating. Expanded pictures or unique possibilities often come to you with new dimensions that take you beyond your boundaries. Your body may feel some shakiness in the newness. Trust that this partnership of inner knowing will carry you forward.
People rely on Google to gather information and make decisions. Knowledge comes through your inner connection. Wisdom is realized in the dynamic relationship of Self—your personality—with Self, your Inner Teacher.
If you are the adventurer ready for greater self-discovery, inner research becomes your new way of moving forward. Aren’t you ready?