Trust Your Heart: Stop Second-Guessing Yourself
We are increasingly living in an almost police-state society, where we are told how to look, what to buy and who we can like and not like. So it’s more important than ever, to tune out from politics, celebrity and monarchy obsession and the media, and live true to your own values.
Trusting your heart feels hard when overthinking takes over, but finding confidence in your own feelings can bring more peace and better choices. When you listen to what your heart tells you, life seems to fall into place more easily.
You have permission to walk away from anything that doesn’t feel right. Trust your instincts and listen to your inner-voice – it’s trying to protect you. Bryant McGill
When we trust and follow our instincts, we are living authentically. We are making choices that are aligned with who we are. Fran Sorin
Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows. Native American Proverb
Notice what feels right?
Start by paying close attention to how situations make you feel. Take note of when you feel energised or calm, as this usually means you’re in line with what matters to you. If something feels uncomfortable or heavy, don’t ignore it.
Your heart often speaks with subtle cues, like a sense of ease or tension. Over time, you’ll spot these signals faster.
Understanding yourself helps you trust your gut. Spend some time reflecting on your values, likes, and dislikes. Write down what matters to you. Notice patterns in your decisions and how they made you feel after.
Tune off outside noise (other people!)
Other people will always have opinions, but only you know what feels right for you. Limit time spent seeking advice from too many sources. Social media and even well-meaning friends can cloud your judgement.
Learn to spot when outside noise is drowning out your own voice. Trusting your heart grows easier when you give it room to be heard.
Doubt is normal (learn from past choices)
Even the most confident people feel unsure at times. Doubt doesn’t mean you’re wrong; it’s a part of making choices. When you notice yourself second-guessing, pause and reassure yourself that it’s okay to feel unsure.
Think about times when you followed your heart and what happened. Even choices that didn’t go to plan can teach you something. Looking back can show you how strong your intuition is and build trust for next time.
Practice making tiny decisions
If big choices make you freeze, start with small ones. Pick what you want for dinner without overthinking. Choose a weekend activity based on what feels good, not what should be done. Each decision where you trust your heart adds up, making bigger decisions easier later on.
How loving others (help you receive love!)
It’s quite sad these days that many people in England seem to hate each other! If it’s not people bickering in the street, you turn on the TV and find MPs shouting at each other, and reality programs that seem to be just about egging people on to be nasty to one another.
Read our post on reasons to avoid bullying TV shows like Big Brother, The Apprentice and The Traitors – all just encourage nastiness and lying in society. We’re better than that.
It’s no secret that in order to receive love, you have to give out some love. Or as Aussie writer Andrew Matthews puts it more bluntly:
If you smack someone in the mouth, someone else will smack you back in the mouth.
Compassion is not a pie!
In her animal welfare book Thanking the Monkey, Karen Dawn writes that ‘compassion is not a pie’. Love is not a big tart, where if you take a slice out to love animals, it means you don’t care about children with cancer.
If you don’t love yourself, how will anyone else love you? Figure out why you hate yourself first, fix that. Then give love to others, and you’ll likely find more love comes back to you!
If you don’t love yourself, you won’t be happy with yourself. If you can’t love yourself, you can’t love anyone else. You can’t give the love you do not have. You can’t make anyone love you without loving yourself first. Kemi Sogunle
