Trust Your Gut

Day 8: "A piece of advice you have for others"

One thing I have learned, is to always trust my gut. I think it took me about 25 years to really trust it, and always listen to what my heart is telling me. 

For the most part, I've always listened to my gut instincts, and it has lead me in the right direction.  I've always been a rule follower, it makes me way too nervous thinking about getting caught and what the consequences might be. However, there have been a few times I have ignored my instincts, and it usually ended with an outcome that wasn't favorable.

I think this advice can be applied to all areas of life, both big and small. Here are some of my experiences from following (or not following) my gut:

Moving to San Francisco was a big leap of faith for me. There were many people telling me it wasn't the right thing to do. But deep down, I knew it was. It's turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Traveling through Italy with my best friend for 3 weeks. I probably shouldn't have, but the experience was absolutely worth the credit card debt that took over a year to pay off. I wouldn't trade those three weeks for anything.

Skiing down a black diamond run my first time skiing in 4 years was not a wise choice. I knew I should just take a different run and meet my friends at the bottom. But peer pressure (and trying to impress Andrew) won out. And what did that get me? A torn MCL, ACL and surgery. Not my finest moment.

These are just a few things that came to mind. I know there were many times when I was younger, mostly in high school, when friends would do things that I didn't feel comfortable with. Saying no or not going to those parties was always hard. But I think it is because I have listened to that little voice inside, and let my instincts help guide my decision making, that I've grown into someone with qualities I am proud of.

So my advice today is to always stay true to yourself and follow your gut. To trust in your heart, believe your instincts. Because if we stay true to ourselves, we can always be proud of the decisions we make and the people we are. 

I am posting a little late, but I've been having so much fun reading all of the other posts linked for the challenge today! What good advice!

xoxo,

Theresa