What I discovered after searching for direction outside of myself
Getting into my head and spinning in circles for answers has been a theme in my life. And whenever I searched outside of myself, the answer was never there.
One particular catalyst was the loss of my mother. For over 52 years, she was often the glue in my life that kept me “together.” Looking back, her presence was like a lighthouse in a storm.
I was fortunate to have her grounding presence as long as I did. And ironically, many of the experiences that I was going through, she had experienced herself.
Divorces, moving from place to place, work challenges, etc. Her stories of struggle—and then coming out the other side—helped me to see there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
Later in life, I could share my struggles with her, and she would offer wisdom that was comforting. There was a connection that felt like the ultimate, understanding friend.
And after she passed, I lost that grounded feeling—the light that helped me to feel centered. So I searched elsewhere:
- I moved around, including going back to where I grew up, as though I would find comfort there
- I searched in religions, thinking that a church would offer that inner peace I longed for
- I looked for it in relationships, but didn’t fully find it
Ironically, the truth finally hit after so many years of helping others in this area. But apparently, I had to go through the process myself in order to fully understand it.
And here it is: That grounded presence comes from within. It’s when we go inward, not outside of ourselves, that we find that Divine presence—that unconditional love we’ve been searching for.
That grounding is the basis for finding balance in our life and getting unstuck from spinning in our heads. What’s strange is I already knew this on a mental level, because I was trained in clinical hypnotherapy, which is all about grounding and going within.
But when I truly experienced it in every area of my life, I fully embodied what it meant. And isn’t that the purpose of life? Experiencing things for ourselves, so we can know what it’s really like?
We find ultimate freedom in going within, because it frees us from being on the treadmill of looking outside ourselves. We stop spinning in circles and learning the hard way that a person, place, or thing is not the answer to feeling lost.
And the true beauty of it all is that we don’t have to go far to find it. As empaths, we get a taste of that grounding when we:
- Go outside in nature
- Spend time with our animals
- Get into water—through the ocean, a lake, a river, or even a bath
Those things are helpful in our day-to-day lives, but when we’re really stuck and searching, it’s time to go deeper. The simplest solution is guided meditation.
Yet simply sitting and trying to go deep within ourselves can be hard, because we can slip back into our heads, where we get lost. So having a mentor to guide us inward—to connect with our intuition and inner guidance—can help us reconnect with our true selves.
It’s when we connect with our heart and soul that we discover peace—and the true answers we’ve been searching for. Lately, I’ve been creating companion guided meditations for each article I write.
There will be a grounding meditation for this article on Thursday in the Animal Empath Journal (subscribe to get it delivered to your inbox). You’ll also find the guided meditations on my YouTube channel.
By going within, we discover who we really are and find an inner peace and knowing that only comes from our heart and soul. It brings us into balance in our lives and allows us to become aligned with who we truly are in every area—relationships, career and life purpose, the place we feel most at home, and more.
And best of all, it’s never too late to find ourselves again. After all, we were born with that inner knowing—but life can get in the way, until we find our way back to ourselves.
If you’re feeling stuck, searching, or unsure of your next step, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
You can book an Animal Angel Clarity Call here. This is a space to gently explore what’s coming up for you, reconnect with your inner guidance, and receive clarity on what’s ready to shift.
Subscribe to the Animal Empath Journal for ongoing insights, support, and guided meditations.
