I have a GPS map component that came with my car. It’s been very helpful to glance over and see where I am on the larger map as I’m learning new areas of Seattle. But occasionally, it gets completely off – the GPS locator isn’t working and rather than driving down the road, on the screen it looks as if I’m driving right through the middle of the lake. I notice it and try to reset the system, which may or may not work. I become a bit disconcerted as I realize I was relying on it to help me find my next turn.
I think this is an apt metaphor for life. I often wish for a map or blueprint which would provide me with a reliable way to reach my intended destination. Instead of “In a quarter mile, turn right,” it could tell me which classes to take to ensure success, where to go to meet my next partner, and where to invest my money to provide the best return. Wouldn’t that be nice? Instead, my life (and I hazard to assume yours as well) is more of a trial and error approach. Occasionally, there are helpful guides and teachers along the way who can answer some of the questions of which way to go next, but even their advice can be fallible when it comes to your life because YOU are unique. What worked for them may or may not work for you. And so, I find myself yet again with the often-frustrating answer of “the answers are inside of you.” (This occasionally makes me want to scream, “Then WHERE are they?!?!”)
If you find yourself in a place in your life where the GPS has lost your signal – you feel like you’ve gone off-road, have lost sight of your destination or are questioning whether you even want to continue to strive for that particular destination anymore – here are my tips for recalibrating your internal compass:
- Breathe. I always find this helpful. Of course, yes, I know our breathing is always on default and our brain happily keeps us from completely stopping our oxygen intake, but our breathing is also very sensitive to our emotions and stress response. Taking even 1 minute to notice your breathing, notice if you are clenching any muscles or if you can relax your stomach and take a nice deep breath, immediately helps you feel safer and access the higher processing parts of your brain.
- Shift your attention to what is working well. Our brains are geared to look for the negative, to find what needs improving. Actively shifting your brain to start collecting evidence of what’s going well – even if it’s small, simple things like “I’m breathing better right now” – gets your brain into the state of looking for those clues that you are on the right track. It starts tuning in to what’s Warmer in the Hot/Cold game.
- Notice what you can ditch. While you are actively working on looking for what’s working well, your brain still loves to serve up all that’s not working well. Notice if there are things you’ve been doing, activities or people you’ve been spending your time and energy on, that aren’t serving you. What can you let go of to give you back some of your attention to focus on what’s working well?
You really do have an internal compass, some call it their gut reaction or intuition, and it is always trying to steer you towards what’s best for you. The more you tune into it, the more trust you can develop in your own indicators, and you’ll find the episodes of feeling lost are shorter.
If you’re interested in learning more about intuition, energy and how to incorporate it into your life, you may want to check out my upcoming teleclass, the Magical Mystical Tour.