DEEP LIVING LAB BLOG ENTRY: Big Trust Comes from Tiny Choices

Written by Pamela Johnson for Deep Living Institute (now Deep Living Lab). Follow this link to the actual Blog Entry for DLL.

There is a natural rhythm to our lives that is built on trust.

When we trust, we grow, and to grow, we must shift from old unconscious patterns, which no longer serve us, to conscious choices that do. As we try to hold onto old patterns, we can feel lost, fearing the great unknown. It takes a courageous act of trust to fully step into the space between those outdated patterns and the new choices.

Guidance can help us along this journey, stirring an inner awareness that is needed at just the right moment. Guidance may appear subtlety–-in a word, a dream, a song, an animal sighting, an unplanned diversion, a stranger’s smile.

As I was writing this piece, I asked for guidance. The song, “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” by U2, began playing in my head. It reminded me that once, as I shared snippets of musical guidance I had received, a spiritual director said to me, “I’m always curious about what is playing in your jukebox.”

Subtle forms of guidance were always present in my life, but I wasn’t always listening.

For example, at one point I craved a deeper spiritual practice but wasn’t doing anything about it. I had outgrown my current practice, was in a loop of overdoing, and was irritated with many things. This irritation included feeling out of touch with my authentic self.

It wasn’t until I finally humbled myself and asked for guidance that I heard the inner jukebox playing. Songs spoke to me about what was happening during a particular time of my life. They led me back to the reality that, no matter how much I want to give, I cannot be anything to anyone unless I meet my soul where I am being asked to meet it.

With this clarity, I was able to make a change in my spiritual practice, in turn developing a deeper, more intimate and authentic relationship with myself.

It’s one thing to receive guidance; it is another to act on it.

No matter our Enneagram type, we are called to trust even though we cannot always see the bigger picture. We are built for guidance and for trust. Paying attention through the eyes of our soul is a profound and subtle shift. We begin to notice dreams, synchronicities, and a sense that the flow of our life is moving in a new direction.

Over time, these conscious choices add up and our confidence grows. Even the smallest choice can generate big, soulful confidence. What small choice could you make that requires trust? I invite you to make a decision that allows you to shine more of your brilliant light.