“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Have you ever had an inner knowing that it was time to make some life changes, but you felt too confused to make them?
I’ve certainly felt that way and currently do. I feel completely confused about what I am going to do with my life. I’m in the process of asking myself questions like: How am I going to find meaning in my life? What should I do for a career? How can I make my dreams a reality?
Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator
But what if you feel so confused about your life that you end up doing nothing?
It feels like daily I lay in bed and read fiction books for hours. I want to escape from the intense confusion and endless questions running through my mind.
The reality is, I am scared. I am scared to start a new job, but scared not to. I am scared to move away from the comforts of my home, my family, and my town, but deep down I can’t wait to get out. I am scared of the unknown, but also excited by the fact that anything could happen!
Fear-based confusion is when you have an inner knowing that things are “off,” or you want to make a major life change, but you feel too confused to take action.
It seems like there are too many problems, unknowns, reasons why-not, or decisions that are too difficult to make. So we stay confused.
Does this sound familiar? Maybe we are all confused about making a career change, or a move to a new city, ending a relationship, or about how to get your finances in order. I think we’ve all experienced this fear-gripping confusion in one form or another, and I know how frustrating it can feel
What I’ve noticed is that the awareness of fear as the base for your confusion can drastically reduce your stress about it.
You’re certainly not alone or helpless. And luckily, fear-based confusion is easy to move beyond. Below are my top ways to move through life confusions and finally get clear on what you want so you can take action toward it.
- Follow your excitement
- Decide on your direction
- Realize your expectations.
There is good excitement and scary excitement, this is both
If the fear runs deep, following you excitement will help. For example, instead of trying to answer the question, what should I do with my life, ask yourself, what excites me right now?
Make a list of all the activities and experiences that excite you, but try not to judge your list.
For me, going to the gym, and finding a good book are things that really excite me. It doesn’t matter if the things on your list seem small of insignificant
There are several benefits to following what excites you in the moment. One, you start to feel more excited about your life. And two, your excitement usually leads you to people and experiences that will help you set a direction for yourself.
Follow what excites you now, and know that your sources of excitement are going to shift and change as you grow. Following your excitement is much less daunting than trying to figure out your whole life. In addition, it leaves room for expansion and gives you the freedom to continually try new things.
Decisions....they're scary.
Decide very clearly on the direction you want to go in. Making a clear decision is the quickest way out of confusion. I know this sounds obvious, but sometimes we have insane inner thoughts that hold us back. Thoughts like, “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t deserve this.”
But you most definitely are good enough and you do deserve peace no matter what you’re telling yourself. Believe in yourself enough to make a decision and know that you will make the right one. Don’t worry about making a “bad” decision. In my opinion, making no decision at all is often worse.
The point is, it doesn’t really matter what you do. It was the initial decision to do something that gets you out of your confusion.
Once you make the initial decision, the universe will start to provide you with people and experiences that help you move forward. Breathe, become aware of how your decision feels in your body, and act on whatever option has a sense of lightness and openness to it.
Expectations are a killer, here's how you can defeat them.
Expectations lead to disappointment. Usually, when we finally make the decision to change, we proceed to come up with a detailed plan for how it should all go down. We immediately search for something that will make us feel secure in the face of change.
But the truth is, you can manifest much quicker when you open yourself up all the possibilities that you haven’t even thought of yet.
It’s perfectly okay to focus on what you want, but I like to try and leave the details to the Universe, and simple focus on what I’m excited and capable of doing right now. This allows you to feel joy now instead of making your joy dependent on a certain outcome in the future.
You are meant to be here. As you focus on following what excites you in this moment, the clouds of confusion begin to part and you can see your direction more clearly. Then, moving toward it with inner confidence becomes natural.
It’s okay to feel vulnerable in the process, but I know from experience that the vulnerability associated with change is completely worth it. You’re worth it. Don’t let the confusion hold you back a moment longer. Once you take the first step, everything else will unfold for you.
