A few months ago, I was invited to speak at a 2-days retreat. The host filled me in on the details three days prior to the event and offered me two time slots of two hours to interact with the participants. I was delighted and immediately accepted.
The interaction among the 25 participants and I let us discover and understand a little more about ourselves and each other. It was an amazing experience and I felt an immense gratitude towards them for letting me be a part of their lives.
So, you may wonder why, at the end of this retreat, when I was approached by a husband and wife team to speak at their upcoming 3-days and 5-days retreats, I turned it down?
I pondered over this one too.
I mean, they kept explaining how this was a GREAT opportunity for me. It would put me in the spotlight, increase my sense of value and YES, I’d make GOOD money.
The more they kept talking, the more uncomfortable I felt. Something just didn’t FEEL RIGHT!
That’s it. It didn’t feel right. So, I turned it down.
The whole package looked perfect, beautifully wrapped with the prettiest bow. But, a little voice from the depths of my soul kept nagging me, “don’t do it.”
This was not an illusory fear based dialogue in my mind keeping me away. This was my little inner voice in the pit of my gut.
Big Difference.
When fear is trying to stop you from doing great things, it will play illusory dialogues in your mind (I’m not good enough, I’m too old, not now, and I have too many responsibilities and so on). But, if you listen and pay close attention, you’ll always feel an inner energy of excitement nagging you to do it.
When a great looking opportunity or partner comes along that is not the right one for you, the opposite happens. Fear still plays illusory dialogues in your mind. This time it tries to convince you that you need this job or relationship to make you feel valued and secure. But, if you listen and pay close attention, your inner voice will show you and make you feel, IT’S NOT RIGHT!
We are all guided by our instinct. Many of us ignore it and let fear take control of our decisions and actions.
Fear that we may never get another opportunity. Fear that we may never find another partner. Fear of losing the perfect package with the pretty bow.
We sometimes end up making decisions and choosing things, jobs, relationships that look good on the outside or impress others or put us in the spotlight, but kill us on the inside.
It’s important to recognize, accept and face our fears to live a life true to ourselves. But, it’s just as important to listen, pay attention and let our inner voice guide us. Not be blinded and taken over by the beautiful gift wrapping.
By saying yes to the wrong things, you’re saying no to the right things.
You may not know or have all the answers to what the right things are. The uncertainty and confusion may pull you in to taking the wrong path, just for the peace of mind of having certainty and security.
There’s no peace of mind when you’ve killed your inner peace and happiness.
You must first clear the path by letting go or getting off the wrong one, in order to allow for new, fresh, RIGHT opportunities to come in.
I learned this valuable lesson a few years ago. You see, I stayed at a job that didn’t feel right for many years because the package came beautifully wrapped; a great salary, benefits, recognition and security. It was killing me a little more with each day I continued staying there. I ignored my own inner voice, my own soul telling me, “Let it go.”
When I finally listened and paid attention I was able to discover new things beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
So, a few months ago, when I felt and heard that inner voice, I was not about to let my inside die again. Of course, this had nothing to do with neither the retreats nor the husband and wife team. And, it wasn’t about whether or not it was a good or bad thing. This was about how I felt in the moment.
I am the only one responsible for being true to my own feelings, my own peace of mind and my happiness.
Now, in the last two months, I have been invited and given more conferences and workshops in Manizales, Santa Marta and Cali in Colombia. All of which FELT RIGHT!
I have met so many wonderful, inspiring people, working together on more events to come.
Don’t ignore your inner voice, that voice that has been and will always be there for you no matter what and knows you better than anyone. Allow yourself to be alone and connect with your inner voice (not the dialogues of your mind), it will reveal the truth, YOUR truth. Just because something looks good, doesn’t mean it is right for you. If you feel something is not right, let it go and walk away. You’ll make space for the RIGHT THING that will bring out your greatness to the world!
Ever have that nagging feeling that something just wasn’t right? It’s your truth trying to get you to listen.
