Do you get inner callings? Inner nudges?

Do you get inner callings? Inner nudges? Do you hear your heart speaking to you? Or do you experience synchronicity inviting you to move in particular directions?

My inner callings always pull me in the direction of greater beauty, freedom and self-expression in my life.

A few year ago I found myself on the beach in Orange County in the middle of the workday. I had a funny  sensation for the first time in my life that I might actually enjoy living in Southern California.  Two months later, my life radically changed and I was regularly commuting to L.A. One year later I’d completely relocated. It wasn’t easy. It also wasn’t logical. There were clear messages though that a move in this direction would be my highest choice. Feeling this guidance, I bravely said “yes,” rearranged my affairs, and moved.

Sometimes new directions come in the form of synchronicity in my life, like when three  different people from different walks of life told me to read the same esoteric  book, Autobiography of a Yogi. I moved through my resistance and bought the book. It opened my eyes in ways that are too great to explain, yet it was exactly what I needed to read at the time and it began cutting a new pathway for  me.

Another  turning point was when I felt the calling to move in a new direction after  I returned home from a trip abroad. Suddenly my job felt too restrictive, even though if I stayed another 13 years I could retire with a big pension. It became clear that this job was killing my soul, so I leapt into the world of solopreneurship. This was a difficult move too, yet absolutely worth it.

Calls to new directions are not always clear. Sometimes I get the sense that a new  direction is coming, but I don’t know what it is yet. And that can feel  frustrating. It can feel as though I’m standing around with a broken compass in  my hand staring at it and waiting for it to start working again so I can find my true North. In these moments, I know the answer is to just keep breathing, meditating, and noticing where life flows and where it is blocked. I also know to  listen to my heart in smaller ways because sometimes the direction comes in a simple, subtle preference for one thing over another.

Where are you being called? Are you feeling drawn to do something new or different?  Are you getting an inner nudge or are you being pulled in a particular  direction? Are you making time to listen to your heart?

Today, go on a heart walk. This is a meandering kind of walk where you just let your heart lead the way. I recommend doing this in nature because it’s easier to listen to our hearts when  we are in nature. However, you can also do this exercise in a suburban or urban area.

The key objective is to slow down and let yourself feel what your heart is calling for. Getting into your senses also allows you to get into your heart. Stop when you want to stop, be curious, and notice what’s around you. What direction is your heart calling you to?