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recently, my husband and i were looking into purchasing a home. we convinced ourselves that we had “outgrown” the cottage that we’ve called home for the past 2 and a half years, and were in need of a bigger place where we could really start living. we put in an offer on a home that was a pretty good deal – a short sale that met 80% of our must-haves. though a few things were missing, we trudged forward, putting in an offer, negotiating, and eventually getting an accepted offer. the funny thing is, at different points along the way, we both had doubts - wondering if this was truly the right thing to do at this point in time. when we finally talked about it, and crafted a good, old-fashioned pros and cons list, we were finally able to see that this was not the right decision for us at this point in time.
if we got the house, we would be house-rich, cash-poor. we’d have a cute place to entertain friends, but no money to do so. not much fun. our monthly expenses would be significantly higher, and we would be barely able to save; not to mention, there would be no date night outs or weekends away for quite some time. so, even though our cottage (which we’re lucky enough to own) is a bit small, it affords us so much more than the new place possibly could.
sometimes, there’s real value in honoring that subtle feeling that surfaces in your gut. that deep-seated wisdom that gently nudges you in the right direction, but unfortunately it’s so easy to ignore. craig and i both felt it – our inner “knowing” was letting us know that purchasing this place might not be the best idea for us, but we both suppressed it initially. instead, favoring the thought process that we should get a bigger house now that we’re married.
my yoga teachers are always saying to “honor your wisdom”, “listen to your inner knowing”, “trust your body”, and i try my best to do so while on my yoga mat, but this off-the-mat, real life lesson has enlightened me to the applicable power of this teaching. once we “trusted our guts”, and walked away from the deal, craig and i both felt instantly lighter. and that lightness only comes when you know you are truly aligned with what is best for you and for others.
because we honored our inner wisdom, we now will be able to save substantially for a bigger, better place in a few years, have money for the future (i.e. kids, retirement, investments), travel to all kinds of awesome places, and still enjoy date nights out. and, for us, spending time together doing things we enjoy is what makes our life beautiful!
next time your gut tells you something, try listening for a change – you may be surprised by the doors it can open for you.
meditation for your journal or cushion:
what does your “gut feeling” feel like in your body?
when was the last time you listened to your gut? did it pay off?