Episode 179: How Do We Know When We're Accessing Wisdom?

Psychology Has It Backwards

Many people struggle with decisions. What to do, what to do? The usual approach is to mull it over; consider all the options, think carefully, solicit a lot of information. Our tendency is to engage our intellect in analysis of pros and cons, advice and considerations. This kind of thinking is exhausting and frustrating. For every pro, we can think of a con. There are always new ways to look at an issue. We easily forget to depend on the gift we have for natural insight and clarity: a quiet mind and confidence that from that state of mind, we'll get the answer we need. We'll "know" and the answer will be obvious. When we trust our innate wisdom, the experience of decision-making is simple. We approach life with a clear head and recognize common sense when it occurs to us. Experience with quieting down and waiting for inspiration when we face new challenges teaches us that answers will always come to us, and the feeling of certainty we get when they do assures us that they are right for us. We all have what our colleague Christa Campsall calls "our guide inside" — the ability to listen for our own wisdom.

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