When Life Knows Better Than All Our Thinking | Blog

2024 started with a new move to Asheville, NC, and ended with a move to St. Louis, MO.

This move was unexpected and not on my radar at all. While St. Louis is home to some of the people I love most, it has never felt like home to me.

Life has a funny way of putting us where we need to be. What looked like a temporary circumstance has morphed into a realization that St. Louis might just be home after all. At least for now, anyway.

As my mom likes to say, though, “Don’t unpack, Barbara. As soon as you do, you’ll be moving again.” She’s a bit superstitious and hopes that keeping a few boxes unpacked will keep me here longer. 🙂

After coming here for the summer, I planned to return to Asheville, but nothing was falling into place. I was spending a lot of time looking online for houses and trying to sort out moving details when I felt an inner nudge.

I started to sense that I was pushing the energy. I was forcing things – or trying to, at least.

As I paused and listened more deeply, I could hear my inner guidance telling me to slow down. At that point, I could only hear, “Not yet. It’s not time.”

As I took that in, I could feel my shoulders relax and the simple truth in that statement. I went from feeling unsettled to clear. The struggle and push immediately left me.

That’s how it works. When we listen for and align with the wisdom within, rather than our ideas of what we want or don’t want, we hear the deeper truth of what is meant for us.

Rather than trying to force the flow, we naturally experience more flow.

I had an idea of what I wanted and what was best for me. Yet, I was getting cues and nudges that there was another possibility.

Something unexpected. Something I had ruled out in my mind might actually have exciting new opportunities and gifts for me.

Since the moment I decided to listen and open up to the idea of staying in St. Louis, I have continued to be surprised by how much I’m enjoying being here.

That might sound odd, but my relationship with this city was based on old data. Most of my adult life has been in other cities and countries, so I’ve had to take a fresh look and get to know it today.

As a result of allowing and embracing the unexpected fully, I have experienced the riches of being close to family and good friends. I’ve had the chance to get reacquainted with friends from grade school, and I’ve even made a few new ones.

I’ve felt more energized, connected, and creative. I’ve experienced new potential and opportunities for my business and discovered the beauty of St. Louis with a few new hiking trails.

Most of all, I have felt community.

Which has been a big desire of mine – to experience more community where I live.

Once again, I am reminded that what the mind focuses on and drives us toward is often not aligned with today’s wisdom.

Our ideas of who we are, what we want, what works, and what strategies we should follow are often based on old data. It’s old conditioning or old formulas or what works for others.

We can hear the truth when we allow ourselves to listen beyond what we think we want, prefer, or what would be good for us.

We get in real time – the present moment – and hear today’s wisdom.

Where are you pushing the energy? Where does it feel like a struggle, or something isn’t clicking?

Can you let go of what you think you need to do, what you should be doing, or even what you think you want?

Let your mind settle and see where you’re being nudged. What is the still, quiet voice inside saying to you? Where is it pointing you?

Where is the natural flow for you?