To Trust Our Decisions Is to First Trust Ourselves
To Trust our decisions is to first trust ourselves
To Trust Our Decisions Is to First Trust Ourselves was written on April 12, 2024. It is the third of five popular essays from 2024’s Thin Slices, a subscriber-only segment of the Wiley Weekly Newsletter.
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Recently, it feels as though I’ve made one big decision after another. In general, I make big decisions very slowly. I play out each decision in granular detail. I reach out to anyone who might have more wisdom than I surrounding a given topic. I deliberate. I consider. I leave no stone unturned.
I’m not referring to decisions related to an upcoming vacation or holiday. I’m talking about answers to questions such as, “Where will my son attend preschool?”
“Will I have another baby?”
“What is true about Wiley Canning Company in 2025? 2030?”
I ask myself, “Can I trust the decisions I make?”
Trusting our decisions is what ultimately allows us to feel peace once we are experiencing the reality of them. I took this question to my therapist this week. I asked her, “Can I trust this particular decision? Can I be certain it’s the right choice?”
She said, “First, I want to know: can you trust yourself?”
When we first trust ourselves, we can then trust the decisions we make. Finding peace with our decisions means first finding peace within ourselves—who we are and how we think.
Her question encouraged me to think about when I trust myself most.
I trust myself when I can hear my inner voice guiding me, as quiet or subtle as it may be at times. I hear my inner voice best when I run. I hear my inner voice best when I take a long shower. I hear my inner voice best when I open my laptop to write freely.
I trust myself best when I set aside time to discuss my decisions with Jared. His input is very influential. His validation is very powerful.
We can trust ourselves.
The key is creating time to listen to what we have to say. The key is creating time to receive input and validation from someone we deeply trust.
When do you hear your inner voice guiding you? When you walk? When you drive? When you sit quietly beneath the sun?