We’ve been talking about some of the ways your body and emotions are paths to finding your calling. Once your inner gps is calibrated – meaning you’ve been tuning in and are learning how your own body and emotions guide you, which sensations lead toward or away from your own true north, etc. – this warmer colder system works great. But if you’re like most of my clients (and myself), when you’re just getting started it might work better to reverse engineer your compass signals.

Say your body’s tired, worn down, heavy. Or you’re experiencing random symptoms, like an ear ringing, or eyes tearing up all the time.

Maybe it’s brain fog, Normally, you’re sharp, quick-witted, you can solve problems that come at you. But lately you’ve been foggy. You can’t seem to access the answers.

Or maybe the signals are emotional. Generally you’re upbeat, but lately there has been an underlying anger or crankiness or sadness.

Most everyone I know is inclined to override these kinds of sensations. They push through their fatigue, fight through the fog (aided by caffeine, perhaps), or try to pretend nothing’s bothering them. Heck, lots of people might not even notice the sensations in the first place.

What if these symptoms were signals?

Here’s the thing. You’re always receiving guidance. You receive information from the world around you, then your senses, body, emotions, subconscious, and who knows what else provide guidance on how to interpret that information. You might have been taught to rely on your conscious rationale above all. But what if you paid close attention to your intuition, the ability to understand something beyond conscious reasoning?

My approach to physical and emotional signals is this: By all means check any medical reason and get medical support for them, if that’s indicated.

And?

Notice them. Acknowledge the pattern.

How long has this been going on? It might have started as a whisper and now it’s gaining momentum. Did something happened in your life at about the same time the sensation began?

Ask your body, your mind, your emotions, “What message do you have for me? Is there anything that you’re trying to tell me?”

You might not get an answer right away. That’s okay. The important thing is that you’ve opened up a line of communication, that you’re paying attention. Your intuition loves to be in the loop and will reward you for asking. Simply go about your day. Maybe you’ll get an image while you’re doing the dishes or going for a walk. Maybe an thought will come next week. Keep asking. Keep tuning in and you’ll begin to notice the messages that are coming to you through your body, emotions, or simply intuitive hits that seem like random thoughts or images.

Calling comes in all shapes and sizes.

A note: Guidance, purpose, and calling isn’t always about a grand career decision or the greater meaning of life. Often it comes as little breadcrumbs. Maybe your body really does need rest or a good cry or to hear something in a new way. Or you’re juggling too many plates and you need to drop a few. Or there’s something or someone in your life that needs to be defended or released.

One client sometimes feels a deep heaviness in her body if she sits at her desk for more than a few hours, especially when she’s working a complex problem. At first she was afraid that she was getting sick, but it never seemed to progress past the heaviness. She decided to walk around the block whenever the heaviness hit. Low and behold, an approach or solution often comes to her on her walks, the moment she forgets about the problem.

Sometimes those little breadcrumbs, when acknowledged, line the path to eventually recognizing your greater purpose. So go ahead and start small. The first step is to pay attention to the patterns.

Tuning in to the body and emotions can be subtle, nuanced. I’d love to invite you to schedule a free 20-minute Discovery Coaching Call with me! We can explore your calling and whether we’re a good fit to work together to tap into your internal guidance to create your meaningful, authentic best life.