Posted on November 11, 2019
Don't Ignore the Pings
What is it that you daydream about? What is it that you wish you could learn or wish you were good at? Always had an interest but never pursued it? Is there something that keeps coming up for you and you don't know why? Do you ever ask yourself why you have those inclinations? Why you are drawn to certain things at a particular time in your life?
These "pings", and I am not talking about your text and Instagram notifications, are not accidental and we are always well served when we follow them. The Universe and our guides use what is already inside of us, our intuition, to guide us to our purpose and the path of our greatest joy.
This doesn't mean that following these pings will lead to instant gratification as many of these pings have an incubation period called life experience. Sometimes, you are simply being guided to take the next right step. However, being in alignment and allowing your path to be guided will bring a sense of gratification and peace. The ability to bring awareness to our intuitive insights and taking a leap of faith to pursue them without any ulterior motive - this is what we mean when we say "trust the process".
What Stops Us From Following the Guidance We Are Given?
Limiting Beliefs And Social Conditioning
Often what gets in the way are the stories we tell ourselves. Stories that are rooted in fear, limiting beliefs, social conditioning, and excuses. These usually sound something like this:
- Who am I to deserve a better life / partner / job etc.?
- I don’t have the money.
- I am too old.
- What will my parents, my church, my community think or say?
Most of us grow up with limiting beliefs that we either learned from our parents, culture, religion, or society. This conditioning can be a huge barrier to living our true potential unless we do the work to unlearn what does not fit. As we go through the process of self-identification and gain more self-awareness, there are many stories and beliefs that might not actually resonate with who we are becoming or could become. Unlearning and growing into one’s own takes courage and personal responsibility as it is not always an easy path but it is worth it when you can stand in your own power, unaffected by the limiting beliefs of others.
Limited Imagination
Limited imagination is another aspect that can get in the way of us not following the guidance we are being given. Once you have learned to tap into your intuition you might be shown things that you can’t even logically conceive. The trick is not allowing your ego to get in the way of this intuitive vision in that moment but to notice how this vision makes you feel and letting that guide you. If something excites you, makes you feel expansive, and rings true in your body – chances are you are being shown what is possible even if you can’t understand the why, where, how and when. Even the most intuitive of us will admit that there is so much more that lies beyond our wildest imagination but we believe that if we follow the pings or breadcrumbs of guidance, we are on our way to finding out what that might look like.
“Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations. If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won't exist because you'll have already shut it out...You can hear other people's wisdom, but you've got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.” ― Mae Jemison
Let’s Bring All This To Life With A Few Real-life Stories
J.K. Rowling
I love her story because it illustrates everything I mention in the intro of this post. She always had an affinity for books and is a self-proclaimed bookworm. She always dreamt of publishing a book and when in 1990 she got the idea for Harry Potter while sitting on a delayed train (random thought / idea = intuition), she didn't dismiss it and she also didn’t overthink it. She followed the thought, stayed curious, and didn't rush the process. In that moment on the train, she had no idea what this would ultimately lead to. She was simply doing what she loved, writing stories. In the process of aligning with her intuition, she was able to map out all 7 books over a period of 5 years. But during those 5 years, she had many things happen in her life that could have been considered valid excuses to let go of this probably pretty "silly" book idea. Between 1990 and 1993, she moved to Portugal to teach English, got married, had a child and got divorced. She moved back to Edinburgh with her daughter, a suitcase full of notes, and a dream. She spent many years struggling to make ends meet but she continued to pursue what she felt most aligned with and never stopped writing and pursuing her dream. It wasn't until 1998 that she finally got published and the rest is history.
Vera Wang
Vera Wang was an Olympic Figure Skating hopeful but didn't make the team and instead went to college and took a job as a Fashion Editor at Vogue. There she worked for the next 15 years before leaving to be the Design Director for Ralph Lauren. It wasn't until 1989 at the age of 40, when she designed her first wedding dress - her own. Frustrated with the limited options of bridal gowns that matched her streamlined and sophisticated aesthetic, she sketched her own and commissioned a dressmaker to tailor the gown. After her experience in the fashion industry she saw the opportunity in the bridal gown market and opened her own bridal boutique but it took a few more years of honing her skills as a fashion designer before she launched her own collection. While pursuing her career in fashion, she never lost touch with the skating world and actually first received international attention during the 1994 Olympics when she designed a dress for figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. Vera's story is great cause it illustrates the point that it is never too late to reinvent yourself or take a different path if it feels right. I also love how figure skating propelled her to international fame, not as a skater but as a designer. Everything comes full circle.
On A Personal Note
My Latest Intuitive Ping Was To Take Singing Lessons.
Now, I had this thought come up a few times as I was thinking about learning a new skill or picking up a new hobby. I enjoy singing in the shower, the car, and in the privacy of my own home but I didn't give this anymore thought. But like with any intuitive nudge or guidance, it will continue to come up until you take action. In Universe-fashion, I would continue to receive messages and intuitive impressions of speaking to large crowds of people and having to project my voice and that I needed to work on my throat chakra.
One day in conversation with my spiritual teacher, I mentioned in passing how I had this vision of speaking to a large crowd and needing to take singing lessons. Without any hesitation, she told me that sounded like a great idea and I should go see her dear friend Bill whom she has been taking lessons from for over 25 years. First of all, I had no idea my teacher even sang nor that she had performed all over NYC and second of all, I can recognize a synchronicity when I see one. There are no coincidences or accidents in life. This was the only sign I needed to call Bill and schedule my first singing lesson, with no other goal than to follow my intuition, learn a new skill, and help strengthen my throat chakra.
I still do not have a particular goal or I still can't conceive the whole reason behind this nudge but I believe that this step was a necessary one on my journey. I realized when I first started how hard it was for me to project my voice, hear my own voice, and take up space by making noise. This was probably the hardest and most uncomfortable thing to let go off in the process. And after almost a year of lessons and only singing in the comfort of my home or at my voice lessons, I sang in front of about 100 people at my ordination and actually enjoyed it (check it out on my Instagram @iamsiobhanclaire). Anyone that knows me knows that this was a huge step in the process of owning and sharing my voice and I can't wait to find out what the next step on this journey will reveal.
Let the Pings Guide You
Just remember that these thoughts, ideas, and synchronicities are not random especially if they keep coming up for you. These pings show you the way, or at least the next step and it is OK to not understand the reason or see the whole picture. However, I can guarantee that looking back you won’t regret having followed your intuition.