How To Get Ultimate Clarity And Make Wise Decisions
We’ve all had times when we felt so overwhelmed and exhausted that thinking clearly or listening well to what was really needed simply took too much energy.
The big one for me happened when I had taken on a new position as an administrator for a school that was expanding from grades K-5 to grades K-8.
Everyone was working overtime, I was trying to get caught up, and not doing too well. I was working so hard that I was numbed out, unable to feel anything—and I was unclear about my life path at that moment.
Sadly, I was running on fumes. I could not even tell how exhausted I really was. This was my breaking point that pushed me onto a path of wanting greater clarity in my life. Not knowing what I wanted or needed led me to leave my position and begin to find myself again.
I am so grateful because at the last moment, I did listen to my inner wisdom, which was telling me I needed to stop, or I would not be around much longer.
Everyone who had the job before me had had health issues. I knew I would be next if I did not pull back. That got my attention!
Wisdom and Clarity are essential to living a balanced and connected life.
When you feel off-center and unhappy, it’s an indicator that your values and your actions are not in alignment anymore. You need to come back to yourself and update what has meaning for you in the present.
Feelings of separation or isolation are symptoms of not feeling connected to ourselves or to others. The predominant paradigm suggests that we must work hard, work long hours, take very little time off, compete with others as lone individuals—and feel lonely and depressed.
All my coaching, training and journals focus on awakening and becoming connected to yourself again. Sometimes we lose focus and disconnect from our innate wisdom and insight.
My biggest contributor to my balanced life is to feel connected. I don’t mean looking outside ourselves for that validation and connection. Your inner connection—listening to your inner desires and dreams and then respectfully voicing them.
Why Is Clarity important?
What I experienced as my major burn-out showed me that when I was unclear and not able to feel anything, I was not allowing myself to reflect on what I needed until it was almost too late.
I had lost track of all areas of my life—having fun, feeling like I had intimate and nurturing relationships, being of service, connecting to my spirituality, my health—as well as work.
Work was my only focus and I became extremely out of balance. I had lost the intricate flow of what nurtured me and what felt important. And so I started a journey to reclaim myself.
I found that when I was unclear in one area it ultimately leaked into all the other areas of my life. At some point everything seemed off and “muddy.”
For most people, the most important aspects to get clarity about are one’s vocation, health and relationships. This ultimately ties into feeding and nurturing a greater sense of purpose.
When my relationships were ignored, I felt the most impacted and lost. Relationships are primary for many people—family, partners, children, and friends. This is also true for my health.
When I feel out of balance physically, it dramatically impacts what I do and how I relate to myself and to others.
When I have to drag myself around due to allergies or headaches, that means I am not at my optimum or that clear headed!
I felt very tied to my vocation for a number of years.
I use vocation to expand beyond career, as many people have had the opportunity to leave their careers and are now pursuing other vocations that bring meaning and purpose to their lives.
The vocation is not what defines you, it is what inspires you. Therein lies the difference. When I could not release myself easily from my administrative role, it was because I feared losing my own identity.
Finding a correlation to your values, and to what has meaning, you can begin to see a path to your purpose—or purposes. This is when clarity starts to shimmer and shine.
Where do you need to get clear?
I have to be inspired by what I do in order to keep doing it, and it needs to align with my passions. For example, last year was when the pandemic started.
I found myself paralyzed by the idea that I could not work out as I had been going to the local gym and looked forward to these workouts tremendously.
So, I was taken through my passions from a facilitator (my husband) as I found myself not enjoying the way I had previously set my life up pre-pandemic. It was not servicing me when we all had to social distance from our homes.
I got clear that my passions had shifted. My health became my number one passion. Once I understood that, it was clear why I felt so disabled by not having access to the gym.
So, I asked myself what would inspire me? Very quickly I got that I could ask friends and neighbors to join me in an exercise program.
That way not only I but others could focus on maintaining their health and their wellbeing during a very trying time. It became a bigger service to myself and to my community as well.
I already felt comfortable using Zoom, so I did some research on training others and took the leap to ask friends to join me. It was an amazing success and now more than a year has passed, gyms are reopening—and I am still being asked to continue the exercise program.
I continue to listen to how I feel about this and notice I am energized and excited to continue on this journey. I believe that we need to continue to stay present with ourselves as we (humans) are always changing.
What happens when you have more clarity?
The beautiful thing about clarity is that it is ever evolving and once you have it, things can change! You need to stay connected to what is meaningful to you and know that you are committed to attaining clarity.
When you have clarity, you can experience happiness, satisfaction, and an overall sense of well-being and better health. When you put meaning to what you are doing, you can then also experience a deeper sense of purpose.
Alignment with what has meaning to you can change, so maintaining clarity is always a process. Clarity is something you commit to which builds your self-confidence and core self-esteem.
What are ways to get clarity?
Doing something different than what you have done and are doing will be the biggest help to find clarity. For example, if you have not done any inner reflection for some years, then that might be the ticket to change. Or it could be going on a retreat, traveling, journaling, talking with a coach or therapist.
Perhaps going through The Passion Test process or doing SoulCollage cards for visioning could be the right tools to help you achieve clarity. Doing something out of the ordinary and then sticking to this new process can allow clarity to bloom.
When I was a burnt-out administrator, I gave myself permission (finally) to go traveling for a year. That was way out of the ordinary for me, and I did many of the things I had wanted to do but had not felt I could do while working. My spirit felt freed and my heart and soul began to open again.
I took many classes during this time to help myself open up. I filled myself up while exploring what I enjoyed.
Clarity and next steps naturally revealed themselves to me during this time. I was very focused on finding clarity for myself during these months and it really paid off.
A step-by-step process to get clarity
I have used many tools that have helped me to find and maintain clarity. I am trained as a Passion Test facilitator (created by Janet Attwood) and love the simplicity of finding your top five passions and then making your decisions based on them.
This process helps you prioritize and make decisions based on what you feel is most important to you. I also love that this process is not written in stone, it is ever changing.
You begin the process by writing down 10-12 things that are important to you. You might enjoy making that list of what has meaning to you right now as well!
Alternatively, you might explore artwork and use the subconscious as a tool to explore what is bubbling up to the surface and pay attention to what that might be saying to you.
The most important thing to remember is that clarity is an ongoing process of discovery to determine what has meaning for you.
How clarity and wisdom relate to one another
Clarity is the awareness of what is meaningful to you. Wisdom is revealed when you use your clarity and insight to integrate and learn from it.
Wisdom is trusting your inner intelligence so that you learn, grow, and experience a deeper knowing of yourself.
Clarity will always be an ongoing process. Wisdom also evolves with new understandings and deepens as you grow and mature.
How does clarity help with wise choices?
I experience clarity helping me with decisions. Often the bigger the decision, the scarier it is to make a choice or action. I often experience a sense of “knowing” that I now trust. I used to shove it over to the side and let my head talk me out of a lot of things. Now, when I have the clarity, I find ways that will support me and help expand me.
I might have to find creative ideas and solutions to get out of my old thinking when making wise choices. I am not advocating, for example, spending all your money and then not having any. That would not be a wise choice. Find the way to take a loan or do some creative financing to be able to do the project you want in a way that is best for you and your family. Ask if you will be of service no matter what happens. Then you will know you are on the right track.
How wisdom impacts your life
Wisdom is deeply held inner “knowing” that only you can experience and trust. When your thoughts, behaviors, and actions align, then your wisdom is serving you.
Wisdom impacts all areas of your life. Most importantly, you perceive your wisdom as a way to trust yourself—and you will see others trusting you as well. Feeling self-connected like this is a goal many people strive for. Finding the tools to help you stay connected to yourself allows you to expand your heart and soul for a lifetime.
An Evolving Path
The path to clarity continues as you dream and change and evolve. Things happen around you and you realize that what you found inspiring before might not give you juice it once did.
Change is natural—it is a signal to remind you to check in with your clarity inventory and explore what is new and what you need for yourself now. Self-connection is the key factor.
When you disconnect from yourself you will lose your clarity. That is why recovering your clarity is vital. Find the tools that best support you to stay connected to yourself in a kind and compassionate way. Staying open to learning and new growth is a great way to begin.
Find the self-connection you need right now.
What will encourage you to explore what you need and want today? Write it down.
I find that journaling, writing lists, visioning, and reading materials like this encourages me to take new action to deepen my magical journey of clarity and wisdom.
Don’t walk around in a fog or depressed and anxious by not knowing what is next for you in your amazing life. Join me and others as we use the power of guided journaling to help you hone your clarity and wisdom!
