Decolonizing our Inner Knowing | ep193
Intuition is one of my favorite things to talk about. I truly believe it is the key to transformation. When we really start to listen to ourselves and hear that deep inner knowing that all of us contain, that’s when things change.
That’s when we start to create a life that is a reflection of what you truly desire.
But there’s something that keeps us from listening to that inner knowing and today, we are going to name what that is. In the correlating podcast episode, I take you through one of my favorite and simple exercises to show you what exactly has held you back from listening to your intuition.
Before we dive in…
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Embracing Your Inner Knowing
Here’s a truth, love: You Know Best.
When it comes to you and your life, you have always known best and nobody knows better than you.
We all have this superpower. It’s our intuition, our inner GPS. It’s the part of us that knows what we should do and what we shouldn’t do.
Even though all of us have an intuition, a lot of folks think they actually don’t or that’s not strong enough to tap into. Our intuition is like a muscle and for a lot of us, it’s one that’s been underused.
So, just like with any muscle that goes unused, it’s weak. That’s all. And it’s not weak in how much it knows. It’s just weak in volume.
And a lot of us feel so much guilt and shame around this. We criticize ourselves when we don’t listen to ourselves or we feel we never know what we’re doing. But love, you are not to blame.
There’s a phrase that I’m sure you have said before: I knew better.
This phrase shows that at one point, you knew what was best for you. At some point, there was a voice inside that spoke up and said to do this or to do that, to say yes or to say no.
This shows that you do indeed have that intuition, that inner knowing, love. So, instead of thinking “I don’t have intuition,” let’s reframe it to “I don’t listen to my intuition.” I know, I know. That may not be where you want it to land, but this now gives us the chance to ask why.
“I Knew Better” Exercise
Let’s try out this exercise to figure out why you don’t listen to your intuition.
Think of a circumstance where later on you said the phrase, “I knew better.”
This can be a recent circustamnce, a very memorable circumstance. But, at some point in time, when you wanted to do something because something deep down was telling you to do so, and you decided against it.
And, later on, you said, “I knew better.”
With that circumstance, can you go back in time to the moment when you decided to go against that inner knowing?
Take a moment and pause.
What kept you from doing the think you knew was actually right for you?
Write down the beliefs, the thoughts, the worries, and the fears that come up for you.
Once you have your list, review it. What stands out to you? Are there any overarching themes? Are there things on this list you can identify in areas of your life today?
This list is so key because THESE are the reasons why you don’t listen to yourself.
These are the reasons why you talk yourself out of listening to your inner knowing.
Reasons We Ignore our Inner Knowing
I have done this exercise countless times with coaching clients and in my group workshops and there are certain themes that always come up:
Letting people down or disappointing others
Fear around starting all over
Fear of the unknown
Limiting beliefs like “I’m not enough” or “I’m not worthy enough”
We have been taught to not trust ourselves (this is the big one)
This is where we need to decolonize our inner knowing and intuition.
Our intuition has been conditioned and socialized out of us. Our society values facts, logic, and reason over our feelings, instincts, and our truth.
How do systems like capitalism, white supremacy, and the patriarchy dictate how decisions should be made?
They tell us that we need to make decisions based on fact, statistics, and outside proof. They do not value the ancient wisdom that exists within us, that so many of our cultures were founded on.
So many cultures esteem intuition as this silent knowledge. It’s a knowledge that can only be backed up by you. And, unfortunately, our society doesn’t hold our innate knowing with the same reverance and respect as a 10-page study or highly-acclaimed book.
Tune into the podcast to hear the full episode — 193 | Decolonizing our Inner Knowing
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About your host, Shirin Eskandani
Hi, love! I’m Shirin.
Coach, speaker, writer, and life alchemist.
I teach you how to listen to your intuition again, tune out all the BS, and let your heart lead the way.
Because once you strengthen your inner GPS, decisions become easier, boundaries become clearer, and belly laughs become a daily thing.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME:
I’m a certified life coach (accredited through the International Coach Federation)
My husband and I met on Instagram and we live in Brooklyn, NY with our plant babies
I have a masters degree in Music and was a professional opera singer for twelve years. I worked all over the world singing on stage at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera (more on that later…).
I believe in the woo just as much as I do the work (internal and external). No amount of crystals and affirmations will make up for a lack of a healthy mindset and aligned action.
I love all the Real Housewives franchises. Don’t make me choose one… seriously, don’t.