You Need wayfinding Support in spurts — Not Standing Appointments

Your inner guide is wise, and one of the most foundational aspects of our work is to access her/them/him. I call my inner guide La Que Sabe, The One Who Knows in a nod to Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés masterpieace Women Who Run With The Wolves. Similarly, we’ll personify your inner guide by anointing her/them/him with whatever name most resonates.

Your inner guide communicates with you all of the time, whether you recognize it or not. Many clients come to wayfinding having never given much thought to this, and even sometimes in disbelief of the notion that they can count on “themselves” to guide them well. The thing is that your inner guide isn’t actually you — it’s deeper than that. It’s like a collective soul wisdom that gets filtered through the lens of your unique human incarnation. By personifying this wellspring of wisdom, I’ve found that it becomes more intuitive to revere and rely on it.

And so, part of my work — especially early on — is to help you to recognize how your inner guide communicates with you. For most clients, this happens via palpable physical sensations. For many clients, there is also an energetic shift or intrinsic knowing. And for those times when we want a yes/no answer, I have tool that can be used in the moment and in virtually any situation.

When we think in binaries, we limit our options. But when we approach things from a place of deep curiosity, we find a multitude of paths we can take when faced with many given situations. When we lead with curiosity, we ask ourselves questions like I wonder what would happen if I tried this? And then we find out, knowing that it’s not the end of the world should things not go the way we want.

Even when we do face binaries — say when we have to either do or not do something — and the choices induce stress, we can get curious about our response to both our stress and whatever lies ahead. Insights gleaned from getting curious in such circumstances can invite opportunities that are deeply soul-aligned.

When you tune into your inner guide and let curiosity guide you, you begin to move into deeper integrity with who you truly are — with your soul. And living in deep integrity with your soul is what is going to bring you the most richness, fulfillment, and purpose in life. The greatest capacity for joy. The feeling of being wildly alive. This is what liberation looks like.

And so, we look for more opportunities to move into deeper integrity with who we truly are. And at some point, we find that we are simply living this way naturally. This doesn’t mean that everything is glorious and that we never face stress! But it does mean that we have equipped ourselves well to navigate even the most challenging, liminal times without losing ourselves in the process. And let me tell you, it’s a helluva way to navigate hard stuff like divorces and existential crises and even — no, especially — the fuckery of our times…

I used to call them turtle steps (as my mentor does) to signify the ease in taking steps that are tinier than baby steps. But sometimes — especially for those of us who work best in sprints — turtle steps aren’t as motivating as, say, cheetah steps (because, hello speed!). Or for when we’re faced with risks, baby steps (because babies are willing to fall down). Or for times when courage is needed, honey badger steps (because honey badgers are ballsy enough to do things like attack cobras).

Speaking of, here’s a link to that viral YouTube video about honey badgers.

While mindset work is an important element of wayfinding (and probably every kind of coaching there is), it isn’t always appropriate. In fact, there are circumstances when certain popular thought work tools can cause harm. As such, I’ve come to use them from a place of deep discernment.

For starters, we cannot “think” our way out of social injustices, inequities, or trauma, etc. Nor should we attempt to bypass these travesties via a “high vibes only” mentality. Instead, we benefit from leaning into the discomfort (when appropriate) or onto a highly trained professional competent in navigating trauma.

But there are times when thought work tools are freaking amazing. Again, it’s all about exercising discernment.