How can you know when you’re avoiding something because you just don’t want to address it or because you’re afraid to deal? Is it either/or or maybe both? Regardless of the underlying cause, you are being asked to drop in and listen. If you make space to hear, feel and see what’s really going on (without illusion), you might uncover what you need to do.

We gain clarity when we trust our gut and follow our intuitive hits. We can get into trouble when we ignore those uncomfortable feelings we don’t want to look at or face. You know how it goes. An uncomfortable issue comes up or something you don’t want to do and you get up to make coffee, do the laundry, rearrange your desk or head out for a walk. That last one is probably the smartest option – to get some fresh air. But more often than not, we side-step what’s going on to distract ourselves from the discomfort (guilty!).

But here’s the thing, whenever there’s something we think we “should” be doing, there’s often an underlying hidden voice prompting us. And often, that voice isn’t actually ours. It’s more than likely the guilt-inducing voice of someone else running in our heads (our parents, religious organization, society, our may our conscience).

While I’d like to chalk up the pressure we feel to capitalism and the push to constantly be doing more, better, faster – and of course, that’s part of it. But truth be told, I think we experience resistance to doing things when our body experiences misalignment.

TRUTH = CLARITY. When we know what we want, how we feel, what’s important, then it becomes easy to take action. When we’re conflicted about something or someone, little red flags popup warning us “Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!” Our gut instinct is advising us that it’s not safe to move forward or our intuition tells us we really don’t want to move forward because your hearts not in it. So who are you going to listen to?

Your Head or Your Heart?

When our head and heart disagree a battle ensues and guess who’s likely to win out most of the time? Our heads are smart, particular for high achievers who already don’t think they’re doing enough. Our sneaky brain is fantastic at rationalizing to win arguments because that’s what it’s trained to do.

Now don’t get me wrong. Sometimes we need the voice of reason to help us overcome procrastination and other ways we might wish to distract ourselves from the things that we actually need to do. The key here is recognizing what are you forcing yourself to do that you don’t want for legitimate reasons and what are you avoiding out of fear. Being afraid of the discomfort of facing choices you’ve made that no longer align with who you are.

Your heart operates slightly differently. If’s beating to keep you alive and will try to send you messages through your body. First it starts with some listless ness, a certain sadness. Then maybe you notice some shortness of breath or tightness in your shoulders. As you continue to ignore these more subtle hints, it starts asserting itself. You get some palpitations and pain.

Sadly our hearts are used to being beaten down and suppressed in the world of rational thought and achievement. Who has time or energy for love? That’s so sensitive and idealistic of you! The good news is that your heart, and your soul, are persistent and won’t give up on you. They want you to notice how they feel – how YOU feel.

Your Money or Your Life

When I considered the choices we face on a regular basis whether to follow our heads or our hearts, this dramatic analogy came up. Like a thief pointing a dangerous object at us asking us to choose – which do we care more about, our money or our life? When we think about in that context, the decision becomes more clear cut. We want to live fully, and completely. Yet too often, we’re driven by the money.

So the next time you’re faced with an uneasy feeling that you’re not sure you want to address, how will you respond? Will you slow down and listen to what’s really going on under the surface or will you distract yourself out of guilt, obligation and denial?

I have so much more to say about about this, but my invitation in this moment is to consider putting one hand on your heart and asking it how it feels. When you take a beat to see how you really feel, then you can choose whatever feels like the most practical, necessary and loving thing to do.

Make Space for Clarity

If you find yourself wanting more spaciousness, join me this evening (Tuesday, July 15 at 6pm EST) for the CLEAR Master Class. You can register HERE. I’m excited to guide you through some personal reflections and exercises to help you consider what you most want to create in life and work.

This is the first phase of my Authentic Alchemy Path framework, where you PREPARE for change. You will have an opportunity to be intentional about what matters and then create a plan to move forward with more ease and confidence. Our goal will be to align your head and your heart, so when you say you want something, you are committed to making it happen.

This Master Class incorporates powerful feng shui tips that will address your outer environment, while we’ll also look at your inner landscape through personal rituals to implement immediately. It’s all about shifting your energy, mindset and perspective to give you the motivation you need to move forward. We start tonight and the recording will be available if you can’t make it live (register HERE).