You might have noticed, Shandra and I can’t help but write in a way that relates to what is happening in our world. We believe all of the concepts in our Substack are best held in context with our lived experience. With this reflection, we’ve slightly adjusted the mission of this space. We will continue to write about the inner compass and authenticity but also why and how to do so amidst the chaos and uncertainty of our times. Because living authentically means turning toward, rather than away, from how we feel. If you have questions or ideas about self-led living and the challenges of our time, let us know! We would love to write about topics that are on your heart and mind.
During the early weeks and months of the pandemic I, like many people, was glued to my phone. I checked the news, yes, but I was also searching for something else. I couldn’t quite name it at first. A plan? A forecast of how things would go? A roadmap for the days ahead? I didn’t just want to know what was happening, I wanted to know what smart people thought would come next. I wanted to be prepared.
I have a deep desire to be prepared. My ancestors must have left these traces of preparedness in me. Though I’ve had the privilege of always being homed and fed, I have also always found a deep level of satisfaction in stocking the pantry or buying pounds of dry beans. My grandmother, despite not being much of a cook, stocked her pantries with food. Even in the final decades of her life when she lived alone, she went to Sam’s Club (similar to Costco) and bought large quantities of food she would likely never eat. After her death, her remaining Patriot Meals were up for grabs by the grandchildren.
My idea of what it means to be prepared for chaos and uncertainty has changed overtime. And lately I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be prepared from an inner place. Not just the physical preparedness for a natural disaster or lost job, but being prepared in my own mind, soul, and body.
In the US, I have felt the last few months as waves of increasing chaos and uncertainty - major floods, fires, confusing executive orders, threats to world health systems or funding strings for things like early childhood education. This time through, I’ve been noticing how the past few years of developing my inner wisdom and sense of authenticity has shifted my response to chaos. Yes, when things in the world feel big and scary I still look to the internet to know whats happening and maybe read the assessment of a few people I trust. I also feel scared and unsteady at times. But thats not all that happens. I listen inward. I ask, what do I sense is happening? What do I feel like I need? What is asked of me in meeting this time? How will I navigate if things keep getting worse or change in ways no one is expecting? These questions are all a process of connecting to my intuition.
What is intuition?
Before I get into a definition, there are some fundamental beliefs that my conceptualization are rooted in. I believe that we are all inherently good inside. That we are largely pro-social beings, who want to love, be loved, and belong. For the most part, behaviors and habits that are inherently hurtful, violent, or harmful come from our conditioning, trauma, and unprocessed unrecognized or suppressed emotions. This belief is the essential foundation of trusting your intuition, because you need to believe that you are inherently good and worthy to trust yourself. Self-trust is grown through a belief that though you are imperfect, there is a core part of you that is wise, loving, compassionate, curious, and kind. Perhaps this is your first step, to consider what your core belief about humans is.
Intuition is often thought of as a gut response. It think this definition is a bit oversimplified because our gut response can also be influenced by our past, our fears, our conditioning in ways that are harmful. For example implicit bias can be a gut reaction triggered by messages involving race and gender. But, we also have had times when our intuition or gut response was wise and helped us make a good decision. Moments when we tap into a wisdom that is beyond the cognition we most often rely on. Or times when we practice Deep Listening to make our way.
Learning to trust your intuition isn’t easy, but it is incredibly important. Sensing your emotions, embodied and gut feelings is the first the first component of trusting your intuition. Get to know your inner landscape. Then, you can begin to do the work of understanding which gut feelings to trust and which to investigate. Do you feel connected to your gut responses? Are there emotions or stories attached to these responses? Do you know what truth feels like in your body?
in order to harness our intuition skillfully, we need to be notice and be able to interpret our emotions and bodily sensations. to think of these parts of us as signals, pieces of information. and to use discernment to understand what they are trying to tell us
Intuition as a guide through chaos
Meeting the challenges of these times can feel overwhelming and even paralyzing. In order to move past this stuckness, we have to be able to intuit what we are feeling, name it, and figure out what its trying to tell us. Then, we can check this story or feeling with our values system and our wisdom. What are we called to do, or how are we called to be right now? What do we most need to stay steady through uncertainty? For me, this looks like several things:
knowing what supports my spirit and emotional health and engaging in those practices
touching into the work I most love and feel connected to and asking how that work can meet this time
finding and connecting with community that holds space for all of me, where I can be myself, be witnessed and held
recognizing places where I feel afraid to name or stand up for what is just and compassionate, and working with that fear or setting it aside
Not sure if you are connected to your intuition? Here possible signs of intuitive living:
Recognizing which fears should be honored and which should be worked through
Interpreting your body’s signals about what you truly want and need
Recognizing when you are being dishonest or performing
Recognizing when someone else is being dishonest or performing
Noticing when you in a reaction versus a response
If you don’t see yourself in any of these, offer yourself compassion. Trusting your intuition is something many of us were actively taught out of. If we have trauma or chronic pain, trusting the messages of our body can feel murky, uncomfortable, or unsafe. It’s ok to seek support or help from a professional if you’ve lost your sense of intuition because of your experiences. Doing so may vital to your well-being, as we navigate increasing chaos, misinformation, and uncertainty.
How can you practice connecting to your intuition?
Start telling the truth about how you feel. It can be in your journal or with a friend or professional support. Let your truth be heard and held.
Embodied yes and no: my friend Amanda Boerboom came up with this practice. Make a list of things someone might ask of you, for example make cupcakes for a bake sale, or go to an evening work meeting. As you list each thing silently to yourself, feel into your body - ‘does my body say yes or no to this ask?’ See what you find out. Also, Amanda is a gifted guide for working with the wisdom of your body (also called somatics). She would be a great person to work with if you are interested in going deeper into connecting with your body.
Read Martha Beck’s book Way of Integrity, or download the exercises for free.
I wish you the freedom of feeling your truth,
Sarah
Leave a comment, let me know what it feels like to be connected to your intuition. What has helped you grow that connection?
Go to the Limits of Your Longing Written by Rainer Maria Rilke Translated and read by Joanna Macy Listen God speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us silently out of the night. These are the words we dimly hear: You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing. Embody me. Flare up like a flame and make big shadows I can move in. Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final. Don’t let yourself lose me. Nearby is the country they call life. You will know it by its seriousness. Give me your hand.
Feeling stuck? You have a power and wisdom inside you that knows how to move forward. Lets unlock that wise self together! Send me a message to set up a complimentary coaching session.