There is this myth out there (and I’ve probably helped perpetuate it at times, I’m sorry.)
June 2023
The myth is that listening and acting on your Still Small Voice will solve everything and it will all be easy.
HAH!
Usually, listening and acting on your Still Small voice causes frustration, sadness, anger, chaos, disruption and all around panic. (Aren’t you so excited now? Can’t wait?)
We live in such times that it is easy to be buried in and overwhelmed by choices and ideas that we never consciously chose. Trying to be conscious can be by itself an overwhelming task. (Why do I need to pick between 18 brands of peanut butter? Shouldn’t I be using my time and brain space for something else?)
The Still Small Voice does lead you to the next right step. It’s usually not asking you to go out and build the bridge to join Africa and South America tomorrow. It’s usually not asking you to do complex things.
It’s usually asking you to do the seemingly simple things, so the complicated things later on will be LESS complicated. (Because if it told you what the end result was you would be hiding under your bed in a panic. The Still Small Voice KNOWS you would lose your mind if it told you the whole story. Which is why it doesn’t.)
It usually sticks to giving you small, simple things. Sometimes simple things that feel anything but simple.
Because they are simple. But not necessarily easy.
(Cue collective groan.)
It usually asks for things you would rather not do. It may point out things you would rather not see. Those things that if you truly saw them or did them, would alter your worldview and life immensely. Possibly forever. There is no turning back even if you wanted to.
So of course we don’t want to listen or act on The Still Small Voice! It’s not rocket science.
There are those who say it is simple and to just do the next right thing.
Those people are crazy. But those people are also talking from a place of wisdom. A place where they already did those simple but not so easy, death defying things.
Because it is simple, just do the next right thing.
Just do that next paradigm-shifting, world-altering, chaos-bringing thing. (Come on. You can do it!)
Things get messier when you are cleaning before everything is clean again. It is no different in our lives when listening to The Still Small Voice. There usually is some destruction and pain before the results are clear and livable.
It’s not always easy. It’s not always as simple as it seems. Sometimes the decision that you know needs to be made is downright heartbreaking, soul-crushing and life-altering that you imagine you will end up living on another planet before you can pull this off.
But it’s the right decision. And you know it.
It may take time and energy (you may not have). Doing lots of things you don’t want (hard conversation anyone?) It may take people and things you love away from you. It may feel like the world is ending and you will never be able to get out of bed again (how many people have their collection of T-shirts from this experience?)
However, The Still Small Voice is nothing if not patient.
If you aren’t ready to turn your world upside down, it gets that. It will try to give you courage, strength, perseverance and confidence for when you are ready. Maybe some smaller steps to get to that next one…
Following The Still Small Voice is NOT rainbows and butterflies…it’s anything but (unless you are bothered by rainbows and butterflies in which case, it will likely be that way).
Following The Still Small Voice can be heart-breaking, soul-rattling, seemingly life-crushing, and panic-inducing along the way.
But you do it anyway. We do it anyway.
Because we all know, at the end of the day, there is not anyway else to be.