6 Ways to Shift From Believing to Knowing

We live in a time when we are overwhelmed with information that influences our decision-making processes. We study facts, research on the internet the best we can, and defer to experts we think know more than us to guide us. Then we believe.

However, there is another path, a more elevated form of guidance that we must consult if we are to live our best lives. I’m referring to our sense of knowing.

Knowing comes from our inner self, a place beyond social conditioning. We feel our knowing. No thinking is required nor do we need to corroborate anything.

If we can learn to quiet the external voices and go inside ourselves, we will discover that we are always innately aware of the best course of action for ourselves.

Many years ago, I was introduced to Dr. Ken, a Japanese master healer. Dr. Ken, who is gifted at reading energy and balancing the body for optimal health, also has a knack for making seemingly insignificant comments that turn out to be profound later on.

“Everyone should do what they love,” he said during my first acupuncture treatment.

“I agree,” I replied.

“You believe it or you know it?” he said.

Hmm. At this point in my life, I didn’t fully understand the distinction.

“I know it. I’ve always followed my heart,” I replied, feeling proud of my life choices.

A while later, he asked if I was an artist, designer, or writer.

“I do all of those things in my free time. They’re my hobbies, not things I can make a living with,” I replied. At the time, I was a banker. I wondered how Dr. Ken had picked up on several of my secret passions.

“You believe or you know?”

Now I felt annoyed. It was like Dr. Ken was performing acupuncture on my soul, not just my skin. He must have sensed my discomfort, because neither of us said anything more for the remainder of the session.

A decade later, I was lying on a massage table in an open-air hut in Tulum, Mexico. Fabian, a local shaman, recited a Mayan prayer over me and proceeded to do some hands-on energy work. I wasn’t prepared for what came next:

“Do you believe or do you know, sister? I feel you can know, that you can be more in your knowing. Live better.”

I knew that this wasn’t a coincidence. The universe sends us messages, and I, by then, had learned to listen. I was being called to develop my sense of knowing, and returned home committed to connecting with this superpower. Over time, I honed my ability to know rather than merely believe. The sense of grounding and stability that comes with knowing is a great gift.

Not all things that are right for you have a logical basis. Can you rationalize why you ultimately chose one equally capable service provider over another, decided to hold off on that optional medical procedure, adopted that old and injured dog, purchased that home when there was a more practical option, were drawn to live in that city or small town with all its unique challenges, or married your spouse with their distinctive idiosyncrasies?

Some things just feel right. You know they are a fit for you.

Connecting with your knowing takes practice. Here are six ways to help you to cultivate your knowing in order to make the best decisions for yourself:

• Meditate. Meditation helps clear the residue of your past and eliminate anxiety about the future. Meditation is a shower for your mind. Wash it.

• Retreat. Create distance from all people, patterns, and organized systems that influence your life negatively. You will be amazed at how much your sense of knowing will increase when you do this.

• Nature. Nature carries an electromagnetic charge that balances our own. It’s nice to look at nature, but better to physically connect with it. Touch animals, trees, the sea, and the ground (yes, dirt!).

• Yoga. Yoga teaches you not to look sideways, not to compare. It also encourages you to be present and leave anything that is not “of you” on the mat. Yoga gets you closer to you.

• Play. Doing what you love shuts off your mind and puts you in flow, the positive mental state of being entirely and happily absorbed in the present task. Play connects you with your soul.

• Body. When learning to hone your intuition, take your senses inward and notice how your body feels. What do you sense when you place your attention on an issue, idea, or person at hand? You may feel a “yes” or “no,” or some type of a directional pull. Your body is your own pendulum.