Sanity Notes #041: The Most Important Voice in the Room

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This morning at 7 a.m., I was standing chest-deep in the Pacific Ocean, gray fog all around me, waves breaking at the shore, saying out loud to no one in particular:

I am free and powerful!

I am free and powerful!

I am free and powerful!

Yes, a bit unhinged.

I was repeating it because this is what came through in my morning check-in. I try to start most days with a swim and a check-in.

The ocean swim is a newer part of my routine—and I miss some days. The check-in I don't miss. It’s how I receive the message I most need to hear.

I picked up this practice at the Hoffman Institute. (Note: if you are navigating change in your life, it is the number one place I recommend spending a week.)

They teach a simple but powerful tool. You check in with each part of yourself: your body, your intellect, your emotional self. And then you ask your wise self (or spirit) for a message.

That last part still amazes me. I was super resistant at first to asking my wise self for a message—but after keeping this practice for four years I can attest the results are deeply helpful.

I have historically been resistant to seeking internal guidance. I’m wired to look everywhere else for answers first. Advisors, friends, coaches, books. Anyone but me.

Somewhere early on, I learned I couldn’t trust myself. And like most of us, I was never really taught how to hear my own voice.

This practice changed that.

It’s simple. Close your eyes. Check in with your body, your mind, your emotions. Notice what’s there. Ask each part what it needs. Then ask your wise self for a message. No prompting, no forcing. Just listen.

Trust whatever comes.

For me, the message comes in different forms:

• A word
• A sentence
• An image
• A felt sense
• A memory

Today, it was this simple phrase: I am free and powerful.

And it was exactly what I needed to hear today.

If this sounds a little out there, you are not alone. It did to me too.

Skeptical? Give it a try.

Whatever you’re seeking guidance on today, by all means, ask the people you trust. But don’t skip the most important voice in the room.

Your own.

If you do 'take the plunge' and give this a spin, drop me a note. I'd love to hear about your experience.

And wherever you find yourself on your own journey today, you are not alone. Sending you a huge hug from my desk in LA.

-Matt

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