Rick Jantz, Writer

With courage look out at all you can be if you first trust the heart that knows.

We hear so often to trust your gut or your instincts or your heart.  But what does that really mean? I want to first touch on why we don’t.

How many of us find it easier to “follow the crowd” and do what they do?  I suspect we do it more often than we’re willing to admit. But isn’t it easier to “be like everyone else?”  Then we don’t stand out and we’re accepted.  These are very important but not the way we should live our lives.

Beyond the trappings of life are other things to be gained.  Go deep in your search. Answers await the seeking heart.

I think we all try to live up to the expectations of society: the career, the family, the house, and the stuff.  This is all fine but far too often we forget that our inner needs are greater than our outer needs.

“I am good.”  Say this today, even when you think otherwise.  Know you are good – it matters.

I’ve written about negative self-talk before and how it harms who we are wishing to become.  I think it’s important to remind ourselves that we are good people. But it’s so easy to listen to the wrong voice.

When we keep putting ourselves down we remind ourselves that we are not good and wonder how anyone could possibly like us.  And then we get into this repeating cycle and bury ourselves deeper and deeper into despondency.

As we look forward to what might come in the New Year, even the New decade, I think it’s important that we remember to stay true to the self we know we are inside.

Too often we let other people and external events dictate our path and decide what we should do.  I think it’s important that we know what we value, what we believe, and remain true to those, regardless of external pressures.