Welcome to the Grow Inward Podcast, I am your host Adrian Petrillo.
Have you been feeling a sense that significant changes and upheaval is upon us, something unlike anything you have experienced in your lifetime? Not so much something that has happened, but something that is going to happen?
If your spidey senses have been tingling, that may very well be worth paying closer attention to. One of the fundamental concepts that I share is that of trusting your inner guidance above all else. To some this concept makes perfect sense, you know what I mean and you know how to do it. But to others this is a very foreign concept, one that may not have ever been experienced, not consciously at least?
Regardless of where you sit on this spectrum, I want to encourage you to either learn how to do this for the first time, or to strengthen your existing connection to your own inner guidance. I don’t need to explain to you how things appear in our world right now, and I chose these exact words very carefully, with appear being the key word to pay close attention to.
Now there is no disputing the fact that there are indeed big changes sweeping over the world today. I don’t think that most people even understand some of these because they aren’t commonly understood yet, but make no mistake there are very big technological changes coming and they will reshape life as we currently know it. That being said, by establishing and strengthening your connection to your inner self and your true spirit, you are grounding yourself in who you are and what you stand for.
The messages I am sharing with you today are ones that you will hear me repeat often. A key point that I want you to remember is that it is because these things can make a big difference in your life if you follow them and implement them. I repeat them over and over because I have complete faith that they can help you navigate many of the biggest challenges you do and will face. We all need tools like this in our lives, and many of us spend far too much time wandering around without them. Don’t get discouraged if you hear me repeat myself, instead dig into what I am saying and try these things for yourself. I want you to find steadiness within yourself more than anything, and the methods I talk about can help you create that.
Whatever happens in the coming years, decide what you stand for, where you are going now, and where you want to be! Lean more heavily into your gifts and talents, strengthening your relationships, and finding a community that shares your values, but most importantly, strengthen your own inner connection, that part of you which lies beyond just the physical, that which is more ethereal and spiritual in nature. I don’t want this to sound woo, I just want you to understand that this does exist in you, it exists in all of us and it is our most valuable possession.
It is a perfect time to think about taking better care of yourself, doing the things that you have always wanted to do to improve your life. It’s time to become the person you want to become. It’s time to start your own practice and to begin taking small steps in the direction that makes the most sense to you. Beginning a practice is so much more than doing yoga and meditating. It is an act of becoming the person you know you can be, in a way that works perfectly for you. It’s a safe space where you can finally discover yourself and what you are truly capable of at a pace that works perfectly for you. It is where inner work begins and a stronger connection can be forged within yourself, one that reaches out to touch every single part of your life.
It isn’t always fun, it isn’t always love and bliss, it isn’t always perfect, but do you know what it always is? It is always helping you learn, it is always helping you grow, it is always revealing something new to you, and it is always happily waiting for you to sit down and connect to it, to yourself. The effort required is nothing compared to the benefits reaped when you care for yourself whole heartedly, remaining firmly committed to a life of exploration and growth on your way to realizing who you are and what you are capable of.
Something that you will find along the path of inner work and growth is the growing sense of certainty when it comes to making decisions and finding solutions. These are things that you need to do daily, and it can feel challenging when your life feels really out of balance at times, or in certain situations that trigger you. It isn’t always easy to know exactly what to do and when to do it, but it does get easier when you become much closer in touch with who you are, where you are going, and what you stand for.
This sounds so simple, and I bet if I asked those questions you would say you know the answers to them. But how clearly can you answer these questions really? A surface level answer is not too hard to come up with, but I want you to really explore these three questions and take some time to consider them. Write them down and explore them with the attention they deserve. Getting clear on these questions can help you in very significant ways.
A great way to approach this and to dig out the deeper answers you are looking for, is to write your own story. Try writing a very detailed and clear story about what you stand for, where you are going now, and where you want to go. Make it an epic tale, full of all the details and emotions that make the story come to life. Examine them each from the perspective of who you are becoming, or desire to become. Make a beautiful painting of your life as you want it to be, and dream as big as you like!
This can serve as your blueprint for creating that life. Once you know what you stand for, where you are going now, and where you want to go, you can start moving your life in the direction that leads you there. With this blueprint in hand, consider where you can make space in your life for something new. What must go, and what must stay? Reason everything out using those same three questions to determine the answers.
Always set aside a place and time in your life for your practice, make this a non-negotiable time each day for you where you do something to take care of your body and your mind. I recommend a yoga and meditation practice to begin, everyone can benefit from these on multiple levels. They won’t be perfect in the beginning, but starting is what is important and being consistent is the ultimate goal. Being consistent is what will reveal the progress you need to experience to feel inspired to keep moving forward!
Work on your mindset and your expectations as part of your new story that you create. Create new stories for how your mindset works each day, what are the thoughts and beliefs that you have as this new version of yourself? Write all of this out and rehearse it, internalize it, live it as if it already has happened. Put the pieces of your practice and mindset and your movement into motion. Get them all moving in a direction that helps you build momentum. Use your story to inspire and motivate you, and seek out other sources of inspiration regularly to help even more.
The changes that are settling upon our world could be very challenging on a personal level, these tools I have just talked about are very useful and valuable to every human being. Technology is being presented as something needed to “fix” our shortcomings or flaws, but I believe those things are actually part of this experience on purpose. We are meant to learn from them and experience them, not try to wipe them out of existence. There is an argument to be made in favor of some of this, but not all of it. An inner spiritual connection is something truly valuable and comforting, it is a place you can always go to realize just how special you are, flaws and all.
I think that when things get really difficult, or we find ourselves in situations that challenge us at the deepest levels, we need a place we can go internally to help us navigate that. Being able to find a stable center within yourself to remain grounded and clear minded is something that we all have access to. It won’t come to you without effort, but that is where these tools of mindset, movement, and meditation become most valuable. They are a simple set of tools that can guide you down a path that strengthens you from the inside out. They can help you work through all of the things that prevent you from being who you want to be.
Believe in yourself and your ability to navigate anything that comes your way in life. A regular practice will help you to do this through mental and physical challenges that help you grow in many different ways. It’s also important to find a supportive community you can connect with, one that shares your values and beliefs. If you hear this podcast and these subjects hit home for you, maybe you would like to be a part of this community? If you do, please subscribe at the link in the show notes.
I try to keep these episodes more bite sized. I don’t want to overwhelm you, but these things are really important and I know they can benefit you if they speak to you as they do for me? Try working through the things I talked about in this episode and see if that helps you to find some clarity on a new direction, but also to strengthen yourself from within. This is always valuable, regardless of what the future holds. You will hear me repeat some of these same subjects often, because I believe they are becoming increasingly important to develop within yourself at this time. Find your own strength and steadiness within by committing to a daily practice that supports your efforts. I do hope you will do this for yourself.
Until next time, never underestimate the power you have within you, and keep growing inward!
