Why We Lost Touch with Our Inner Compass

From an early age, we're basically trained to second-guess ourselves. “Are you sure about that?” “Maybe you should think it through more.” “I (adult person) know more than you and you should listen to me.” “What would (insert random authority figure) do?" While well-meaning, all this outside input can slowly turn down the volume on our own inner wisdom. We train ourselves to be externally oriented rather than hearing our own wisdom.

How many times have you had a gut feeling about something, ignored it, and then later thought “I knew I should have listened to myself!” That's what I'm talking about.

Getting Back in Touch with Your Inner Know-It-All (In a Good Way!)

Here's the cool thing: reconnecting with your intuition is actually pretty simple. It's like tuning into a radio station - at first there's static, but with practice and refinement, the signal gets clearer.

Next time you need to make a decision, pause for a moment. Close your eyes if you want to get fancy about it. Notice what your first, instinctive response is before your brain starts overthinking things. That immediate thought? That’s your intuition saying “Hey, I've got you!”

Notice how quickly you can override that instinct with doubt, making lists of pros and cons, or seeking out external advice. Step one is just practicing to listen for that inner voice. That’s it!

The “Try Before You Buy” Approach to Self-Trust

You wouldn't buy a car without a test drive, right? Same goes for trusting yourself. Start small. Maybe you have a hunch about reaching out to a friend, or trying a new coffee shop. Follow these little intuitive nudges. Don’t overthink it, just take small actions. Keep track of how things turn out - you might be surprised at how often your gut instinct was spot on.

Making the Big Moves (With a Safety Net)

Once you’ve practiced with the small stuff, you'll start feeling more confident about trusting yourself with bigger decisions. We’d like to think we’ll just know the absolute final correct answer about the bigger stuff. Sometimes it works that way, but often our inner voice is more a navigation tool than a one-and-done decision.

Get ready to be ready.

Tune into the inner voice, and take a step toward your big move. Want to switch careers? Start by talking to someone in your new field. Listen to podcasts. Thinking about moving? Try visiting a new area for an extended trip first. Join social media groups for find resources to learn more about the area.

Remember, trusting yourself doesn't mean you have one big correct answer every time. Trusting yourself means you’re willing to listen to your own wisdom and give it the respect it deserves.

The Plot Twist: You Can Always Change Your Mind, or Take A Different Step Forward

Here’s the best part - trusting yourself also means trusting that you can adapt if things don't work out. Made a decision that seemed right but isn't feeling great anymore? Cool, make a different one. Having the freedom to change your mind isn’t flaky - it’s actually a sign that you're still listening to yourself. Sometimes the nudge we get is only a step forward, not the final destination.

The Bottom Line

Think of self-trust like any other skill - the more you practice, the better you get. Start paying attention to those gut feelings, test them out in low-stakes situations, and gradually work your way up to the bigger stuff. Before you know it, you'll be wondering why you ever needed to poll your entire contact list before making a decision.

And hey, if reading this article made something inside you go '“Yes, this!” - maybe that’s your intuition telling you something too. Just saying! 😉

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