Do You Trust Your Self?

“Trust your dreams. Trust your heart and trust your story.”

— Neil Gaiman

#1. Do you trust your dream/s?

Do you even have a dream? If so, are you working towards it? If so, great! If not, why not?

#2. Do you trust your heart?

I know you have a heart 😊 but do you trust it? If so, wonderful! If not, why not?

#3. Do you trust your story?

Do you have a story? If so, is it serving you…or holding you back?

I’ll go first…

#1. This is my dream: to write literary, theatrical, and cinematic works that challenge and empower people to effect positive change in themselves and the world around them.

#2. Yes, I trust my heart…I know it will continue to lead me where I want to go. Although I am not getting where I want to go as quickly as I would like, I know the process of doing the work, day in and day out, is teaching me everything I need to know.

#3. This is my story (in the screenwriting world, this is known as the “Pixar Pitch”):

Once upon a time there was a young woman who was married to a police officer. They were very much in love. He always told her that if she wanted to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer, she would have to work at it. But she thought she had all the time in the world. Then, one day, he went to work and never came home again. Her heart was shattered. Until one day…she began to pick up the pieces. That was the day she began to write.

How to trust yourself?

STOP. Sit down. Be quiet. Put your phone away. Now tilt your head slightly and lean in…as if you’re listening to a very soft-spoken and wise old sage – because you are. That’s your soul. And it knows what you need to do next.

If you don’t listen to this advice, the whisper will likely become louder and louder…and then one day, it will stop. Or rather, it will grow so faint that you will have difficulty hearing it…possibly because of the roar of your world collapsing around you (sometimes fast and sometimes slowly, depending on the level of wake-up call needed).

And in my humble experience, stopping on a frequent basis (every morning for me) and taking a moment to listen to the soft whisper of my soul – and heeding its advice in a timely manner – is a far more enjoyable way to live than waiting for The Wake-Up Call of All Wake-Up Calls.

Trust Yourself Daily To-Do List

#1. Make time for solitude – first in the morning is probably best because you can review your goals for the day, which ideally were determined the day before

#2. Get quiet and listen to your soul

#3. Hear what your soul is trying to tell you

#4. Seriously considering taking that action sooner rather later – this may require a slight tweak in your plans for the day

#5. Take the action…when it is appropriate for you to do so

#6. See what happens

#7. Learn what you need to from the feedback of that action

#8. Repeat steps #1 through #7

“Solitude is not an absence of energy or action, as some believe, but is rather a boon of wild provisions transmitted to us from the soul. In ancient times, it was used as a way of listening to the inner self to solicit advice and guidance otherwise impossible to hear in the din of daily life.”

– Clarissa Pinkola Estés, “Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype”

In our crazy busy world of today that is chock-full of distractions – the biggest one being in the palm of our hand i.e. our phone – we are in grave danger of losing our most important inner guidance system.

But remember:

“It is deadly to be without a confidante, without a guide, without even a tiny cheering section,” writes Clarissa Pinkola Estés. She’s right. Choose wisely who you surround yourself with. Cherry-pick your cheering section. You don’t need twenty-seven likes on Instagram. You do need one or two people in your real life who care enough to help you learn to trust yourself.

Maryanne Pope is the author of “A Widow’s Awakening.” She also writes screenplays, playscripts and blogs. She is the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and a co-founder of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. To receive Maryanne’s blog, “Weekly Words of Wisdom,” please subscribe here.