The Answer Was No

I’m an auntie to a 2 year old girl. A few days ago she had a full-blown, ten minute toddler meltdown because she was given a blue spoon to eat with. She wanted a red one. 

Ha! Toddlers know what they want, don’t they? 

We’re born with a sense of what we want and what we don’t, what feels right and what doesn’t. 

Somewhere along the way, most of us learn to connect less to our own intuitive voice and more to what we hear from other people. And by the time we’ve grown up, we may find it hard to hear our own voice at all. 

I’ve got good news. With some practice, you (and me!) can learn to hear our own voice again and to trust it. 

The first step is recognizing what our intuition “feels” like. Our bodies give us information that our subconscious minds know to be true.  

This week I was in a meeting with an Agora team member discussing a significant decision we needed to make about the business. She laid out the upside and downside of both choices we had in front of us. 

As I listened, I quieted myself. I sat straight in my chair, two feet on the floor and placed a hand on my heart and a hand on my belly. I felt my breath move through my body. I felt my pulse.

I focused less on what I thought and more on what my body felt. 

This practice is helping me recognize what a “no” and a “yes” feel like in my body. I’m using it as often as I can in decision making, from big decisions to small decisions

“Val, do you want oatmeal for breakfast?” Quiet, hand on my heart. 

“Val, do you want to wear these pants?” Quiet, hand on my heart. 

The more I practice, the more in tune I am to the ways in which my body tells me yes and no. Even when the decision is small.

In this meeting, it only took a moment and I knew. It was a no. I didn’t feel settled thinking about what a yes would mean (even though my brain kept reminding me a yes would make things easier). My body wasn’t at peace. 

It brought me back to my message: When you trust your Inner Leader, you will lead with an unshakable knowing that you are enough and you will awaken your impact.

What decisions are in front of you to make? Where do you feel stuck? 

I invite you to try it: Quiet, hand on your heart and belly. 

Let’s see what your Inner Leader says. 

In your corner,
Valeyne