What If You Already Know the Answer? Trust Your Intuition
Gwen Peterson 
Learn to recognize your inner knowing, trust your intuition, and notice when you're seeking guidance—or simply seeking confirmation.
What If You Already Know the Answer?
Have you ever asked for guidance from Spirit/God/ the Universe, received an answer…and then immediately started looking for another one?
Maybe you asked for a sign.
Then another sign.
You talked to a friend.
You searched online.
You pulled a card.
You asked someone whose opinion you trust.
And somewhere along the way, something interesting happened.
You weren't really looking for an answer anymore.
You were looking for confirmation.
Because deep down, you may have already known.
When Knowing Doesn't Feel Like Knowing
I think sometimes we expect spiritual guidance to be unmistakable.
We want the flashing neon sign.
The perfectly timed synchronicity.
The unmistakable message from Spirit that leaves absolutely no room for doubt.
And yes, sometimes guidance arrives that way.
But often it is much quieter.
It may be a thought that keeps returning.
A subtle feeling.
A little nudge.
A sense of peace around one choice and resistance around another.
Or simply a knowing that you can't quite explain.
The challenge is that quiet knowing has some pretty stiff competition.
We live in a world filled with opinions.
Friends and family have opinions.
Social media certainly has opinions.
Experts have opinions.
And thanks to the internet, within approximately three minutes we can find someone who will confirm almost anything we want to believe. 😂
With so many voices available to us, it can become surprisingly easy to stop listening to our own.
Information or Permission?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking advice.
Other people can offer experience we don't have, information we didn't know, or perspectives we haven't considered.
Sometimes asking for help is exactly the wisest thing we can do.
But there is an interesting question we can begin asking ourselves:
Am I looking for information—or am I looking for permission?
The difference can be subtle.
When we're looking for information, we're open to learning something new.
When we're looking for permission, we may already know what we want to do but aren't quite ready to trust ourselves enough to do it.
And sometimes we don't discover the difference until someone gives us an answer we don't want.
Have you ever asked someone what they thought you should do and immediately found yourself explaining why their suggestion wouldn't work?
That reaction can be illuminating.
Maybe you weren't asking them to make the decision after all.
Maybe you were hoping they would confirm the decision already forming inside you.
How We Learn Not to Trust Ourselves
Most of us have had plenty of practice looking outside ourselves for answers.
From the time we're young, other people tell us what is right, what is expected, what is sensible, what is successful and even what we should want.
Some of that guidance is necessary.
But somewhere along the way, we can begin believing that other people know us better than we know ourselves.
Then when an inner knowing doesn't match what everyone else seems to think, doubt appears.
What if I'm wrong?
What will people think?
What if I make a mistake?
Maybe someone else knows better.
The problem isn't that we've lost our inner wisdom.
We've simply become very practiced at questioning it.
Your Soul Doesn't Need to Shout
Your connection with your Soul isn't something you have to earn.
It isn't reserved for people who are more spiritual, more intuitive or better at meditation.
Your Soul is already part of you.
The relationship grows as we become willing to notice it—and eventually trust it.
That doesn't mean every thought that pops into our head is Divine guidance.
It doesn't mean we should never seek advice, gather facts or reconsider a decision.
Discernment matters.
But discernment is very different from automatically assuming that the answer outside of us must be more trustworthy than the wisdom within us.
Sometimes the practice is simply creating enough quiet to notice what was there before everyone else's opinions entered the room.
If creating that quiet space feels helpful, my Listen to Your Soul's Wisdom channeled meditation was created for exactly this kind of connection. It offers you a space to step away from the outside noise, return to your heart center, and listen to the intuitive Divine wisdom already within you.
What Did You Know Before You Asked?
The next time you find yourself searching for guidance, try noticing what happened before you began searching.
Before you asked your friend.
Before you searched online.
Before you pulled another card.
Before you asked the Universe for one more sign.
Was there already a little knowing?
You don't have to immediately act on it.
You don't have to prove it.
You don't even have to completely trust it yet.
Just notice it.
Because trusting ourselves is something we can practice.
Each time we recognize that quiet inner knowing, we strengthen our relationship with it.
And perhaps, over time, we stop needing quite so many flashing neon signs.
We begin recognizing the quieter ones.
So the next time you catch yourself asking:
What should I do?
Try asking another question first:
What do I already know?
You might discover the answer has been there all along.
And If You'd Still Like a Little Confirmation…
Sometimes we know.
And sometimes we know…but a little “Yep, you heard us” from Spirit feels pretty good too. 😉
My Insights & Illuminations Oracle Cards were created as a way to connect with spiritual guidance and receive a message to reflect upon.
The cards don't have to replace your own knowing. Perhaps they can simply help you have a conversation with it.
→ Explore the Insights & Illuminations Oracle Cards
About Gwen Peterson
Gwen Peterson is the creator of Insights & Illuminations, a spiritual teacher, Soul Coach, Reiki Master, author, and conscious channel for the Archangels and Ascended Masters. Through spiritual teachings, meditation, journaling and intuitive guidance, Gwen helps others strengthen their connection with their Soul and the Divine wisdom within.
Categories: : Daily Practice, Spiritual Growth