How I learned to follow my heart and TRUST the trail.

How I learned to follow my heart and TRUST the trail.

One day, before I believed that everything was possible, I wrote, “You can’t force magic” on the back of my hand. I didn’t even know what it meant – I just knew that I needed to understand it. I had been living in a world of “can’t, shouldn’t, won’t, will not, don’t” for so long. I was trapped in place by fear of the unknown. I believed that every “what-if” scenario in the world was involved in a giant conspiracy to prevent me from being able to realize the dreams that I held in the hidden places of my heart. I didn’t know how to start and I didn’t know where I was going – I only knew that I wanted something better for my life. I wanted to do what I was meant to do on this planet, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was not doing that. I was living in a world where, “being miserable at work” was expected … because, well, it’s work – “work is hard”…”life isn’t fair”… “life is tough”… etc…

Over a year, a near-fatal car accident, quitting my job, becoming a full time adventurepreneur and climbing mountains with my violin later, I have learned that following your heart is the way that life is supposed to be. It’s easy to say, and it’s even easier to do – because it feels good. It feels right. It is the purest expression of yourself.

I’ve learned so many incredible things along the way and I wanted to share some of my favorite discoveries. I hope that your own journey is just as fulfilling and indescribably beautiful!

1. Following your heart feels good and it is the easiest thing you will ever do.

Life is fun and beautiful and when you learn to follow your heart, it will feel easy. In this very moment, reading these words, ask yourself, “What is the very next thing that I can do that will make me feel good?” When you do something or focus on something that makes you feel good inside, it raises your energy level, and when your energy level is raised, you attract more good things to you. As you start to focus more and more on the infinite amount of beauty in this world, you will start to see more and more incredible things. Your gratitude for life will grow and you will elevate yourself into a new level of existence. Have you ever noticed that when you allow yourself to be “bogged down” by things that are negative, that more negativity finds its way to your life? But that when you EXPECT things to happen in the most beautiful way, that the most magically wonderful moments enter your life? When you are functioning at a high vibrational energy, similarly functioning people enter your life and allow for the expansion of who you are as a person. This sounds “woo”, but it works. Just do things that feel good to you.

2. Listen to the flashes of inspiration.

Have you ever received a “flash” of inspiration – or an idea that seemingly came out of nowhere? Did you listen to it, or did you start thinking about it logically – trying to figure out the EXACT method by which you were going to achieve this “ridiculous” idea?

When you wake up in the morning, do you think about the EXACT steps that you need to take in order to make your coffee? Do you think: “Well, first I’m going to toss off the comforter and then I’ll unplug my phone from my cord… and then head into the bathroom, making sure not to stub my toe on the end of the bed… and then I’m going to walk into the bathroom… and I sure hope I can find the toothpaste, because sometimes my husband sets it down in a different location… but providing that I can find it, I’ll squirt some onto a toothbrush… and then I’ll brush my teeth, and if all of that goes well, I’ll make my way into the kitchen… hopefully the cats won’t get in my way this time, causing me to trip or fall or stumble… and then hopefully I can measure out the right amount of coffee…” You get the point. Of course you don’t do that – it’s RIDICULOUS.

And yet, WHY do we allow ourselves to get SO CAUGHT UP in the exact method that is required to achieve a goal? Why do we need to know the exact details – can’t we just TRUST that in the moment we will figure it out?

This is what I have learned: plant a seed into the infinitely abundant garden of the universe and let it grow. Take a step from where you are standing now. Do something that makes you feel good. Focus on the next step. Trust that your inner guidance knows where you were meant to go. Feel your emotions and use them as an inner compass. Go. With. The. Flow.

Playing my violin on a mountain happened because I had a flash of inspiration about doing it at 2AM. I didn’t know where that voice or knowledge came from – and I certainly didn’t know how or when I was going to do that – but I planted the seed into the universe, and less than 2 months later, a mountain-climbing piano player waltzed into my life.

Rose Freeman (piano) and I. Photo by Ian Terry, The Everett Herald.

3. Everything you need is inside you at this very moment.

You have every single answer that you have ever needed. Do not look externally for affirmations or approval from others. Once you are on this path, your mission and purpose create their own fire and energy – if you rely on approval from others, you will never be satisfied. Love and acceptance come from within. Receiving compliments is a beautiful gift, but do not rely on them to fuel your cause.

Some people, perhaps many people, will not understand what you are doing. They will not understand your way, because they are so soldered in place by a belief system that has been passed down from generation to generation. If necessary, don’t share your ideas or dreams until you are so solid in the foundation of your belief in yourself, that any outside influencers cannot permeate your unshakeable confidence and the passion that you feel toward your mission.

When you find that your mind is running with high levels of interference, do something to reconnect with who you are: hike, dance, run, walk, meditate, sing, play music, write, paint, jump, laugh. Find the next good feeling and drench yourself in it.

4. The path will become clear.

When I first started on my journey, I had NO CLUE what I wanted to do. In fact, at my very first coaching session, I told my coach that I, “probably wanted to be a personal trainer and a nutrition coach”. I hadn’t tuned into the calling of my heart, but just taking that first step to truly ask myself what I wanted in life was enough for me to start feeling really good and excited about my life. With increasing momentum, I went from wanting to be a personal trainer… to wanting to inspire millions… to playing my violin on a mountain… to being on TV… to actually being seen by millions of people in the newspaper… to wanting to inspire more millions of people…

I don’t say this to brag or boast – only to suggest that this is an increasingly rapid process – and that once you start taking the good-feeling steps, you will gently click on the headlamp of your heart, which will show you that the path has been before you the entire time. Once you see it, you’ll know. You will cry in its beauty. You will weep at the deliciousness of its unfolding. You will be overwhelmed by unthinkable gratitude for life – your life. You will understand the vast beauty of this world and your place in all of it. Suddenly, things will become easy and fun – not strained and forced. When you are on the path, all you ever have to be is you.

The Musical Mountaineers. Photo by Skye Stoury.

5. You are enough.

The first time I did a meditation where I said the words, “You are enough” to myself, I cried. I couldn’t do it. I had lived most of my life in fear of disappointing others. I never believed that I was good enough – I felt like I had to prove something to the world. I felt like, “just being me” was a disappointment.

I was so very wrong. And if you believe that you aren’t enough, then you are wrong too. And it’s a good thing that you are – because isn’t that a difficult place to be… living in a world where who we are is not good enough?

You are a precious, special being. You have brilliant ideas. You want to be happy and you want to live a life of ease. You have dreams that are not foolish or reckless. You have dreams that are beautiful and worthy. You are compassionate, empathetic and kind. You are generous and humble. You are the only you that will ever exist on this planet – do you realize how incredible that is? In a world of 7 billion people, there is and only ever will be one you. What a remarkable thing!

I wrote this letter to a mountain, and I hope that you love it. I hope that you know how much light you bring into this world.

Letter to a mountain:

You’ve been standing here for a long time⠀
Did you know I would too?⠀
Did you paint your colors at sunrise so beautifully that I couldn’t help but look?⠀
I wanted to come closer⠀
I wanted to learn your secrets⠀

And so I started climbing ⠀
To figure out where you hid them⠀
All the secrets that I knew you had⠀
Locked away like a treasure⠀

I crossed glaciers⠀
Climbed rocks⠀
Waded through rivers⠀
Slept under trees⠀
Was soaked by the rain⠀
Terrified by lightning⠀
Awestruck by the stars⠀
Shivered in the cold⠀
Swam in a lake⠀
Slipped on ice⠀
Laid on the ground⠀
And felt the earth holding my body⠀

And I knew⠀
The secret treasure of the mountains ⠀
Isn’t out there⠀
It’s in here⠀

As I press my hand to my heart⠀
And feel it pulsing in my chest⠀
As I feel the cool air rushing into my lungs⠀

Can you feel that too?⠀

We are the treasure.

2 Comments
  • Richard Steward
    Posted at 21:15h, 11 March Reply

    I often am aware of when my attention and attitude is stuck in mind frick. I’ll even stop to shift into a supportive state of consciousness like happiness for example. The Soul is a happy entity and if happiness is not flowing thru me, I know that I am in the mind. But until I put your wise counsel into action did I truly succeed at permanently changing my being into a happy state. It works like this. Belief or concept or state of consciousness creates a thought that creates a feeling that creates an action that creates results. By doing the next thing at the moment that makes me happy, I am completing the creative process. I’m doing a first cause action and the result is manifested happiness! I wasn’t following thru with all of the steps in the creative process. Thanks for inspiring that realization Anastasia.

    • Anastasia Allison
      Posted at 15:10h, 13 March Reply

      I’m so glad you found this helpful, and I loved your description of the creative process. Any time we experience negative emotions, it’s usually a good sign that we aren’t in alignment with our inner being – our soul. It is truly through recognizing that and then being in the now that we can establish that connection and continue the flow of well being. I love how Abraham Hicks calls this the, “Art of allowing.” All of the pieces are there – we simply need to get out of the way sometimes and let the universe work for us, instead of working too hard and inadvertently working against ourselves.

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