silence – Ruthann M. Wilson

Trusting the Process: How Inner Guidance Emerges When You Stay Open

What is true for you is within you, even when you can’t sense it clearly.
Be still.
Be quiet.
Stay open to inner guidance.

There are times when inner guidance feels quiet or distant. This is when a steady practice becomes essential. Practice is the bridge between reflection and action, the way you return to yourself and move from what you sense into what you choose next. Sometimes, even with consistency in practice, what comes next may not feel clear. It can feel uncomfortable to sit in that space, but it doesn’t mean you’re off track. It is the natural rhythm of inner work. Trust asks you to stay open to what is unfolding beneath the surface, even when you can’t yet name it.

Trusting the process is a choice we make again and again. It is the willingness to let your inner world rearrange itself without rushing to interpret or control it. Trust is not passive. It is a quiet, steady openness to what is unfolding, even when you can’t yet see where it is leading.

When you release the pressure to know or control, you create space to sense what is true. When you trust that clarity will come, you make room for what is true to rise. This is where inner guidance becomes easier to hear, gently and in its own time. Not through effort or control, but through openness. Trust deepens your inner work.

How to practice

✦ Treat uncertainty as an opportunity to deepen trust in the process.
✦ Sit with what feels unclear with openness.
✦ Let what you sense speak before trying to interpret it.
✦ Notice subtle shifts in how you think and feel.
✦ Come back to quiet when you feel yourself trying to figure it out.
✦ Keep a journal. Put your thoughts on paper without filtering what you write.

Nature as teacher

Think of the way seeds take root. It looks like nothing is happening, yet everything essential is taking place beneath the soil. Roots form long before anything breaks the surface. Your inner work moves in the same way. You’re building the foundation and preparing for what’s next even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Reflective Prompt

Where in your life are you being invited to trust what you can’t yet see?

You don’t need to sense what is true or what is next right away. You only need to stay open. Trust the quiet work happening within you. It’s already shaping the path ahead.

If you would like to explore more

The first two resources below for Beginning Again were originally shared in January and offer grounding as you explore what it means to trust the process.

Read the original Beginning Again reflection
Explore the 28-day practice for Beginning Again
Read the post on the power of silence, especially if being still and quiet feels challenging
Watch the video on creating and maintaining a journal practice if you want support with journaling as a part of your practice

If this reflection resonates, you are welcome to share in the comments. I would love to hear how you’re practicing trust when what’s next isn’t clear.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new reflections, subscribe to the newsletter, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

Affirmation for the month

I trust the inner work unfolding within me, even when it’s not yet visible.

To the quiet work unfolding in you.

Warmly,
Ruthann

Embrace Your Career Journey: The Power of Being Present

In addition to being a writer/author, I’ve had a long and fruitful career in corporate America. I had an opportunity to speak with a group of graduating students about my work and experience growing a career in a corporate setting. The students were a part of intensive training program that provided them with technical and professional skills. I love new beginnings and the energy of new graduates about to embark on their careers. I recall graduating from college and being excited about my first job post graduation. I had a very supportive supervisor and transition into my career.

One of the six career lessons that I shared with the graduates is to be where you are. The lesson was shared through a corporate lens; however, it’s also a powerful life lesson.

My message as it relates to being where you are in a corporate setting is to know what is expected of you, do your current job really well, and be open to new assignments/opportunities that can help you stretch and grow into the next role. Oftentimes, when people are early in a career, the goal is get to the next level quickly. The focus often becomes getting promoted/getting to the next level instead of learning, growing, excelling, and enjoying their current role. Moving too quickly can be problematic when an employee is promoted and not prepared for their next role. I encouraged them to be fully present and embrace the journey of growing into their next role.

The bigger life lesson is to live in the here and now; not in the past or in the future, but where you are right now. You can make the most of where you are by cultivating habits and practices that enable you stay grounded and present in your life. A few things to consider:

Give thanks for your life, even if it’s not exactly as you wish it to be
Reduce multi-tasking and focus on doing one thing at a time
Give other people the gift of your full attention
Spend time in nature and literally put your feet on the ground
Be intentional with your time
Breathe deeply
Meditate/embrace silence

Being where you are is about making the most of where you are right now. It has a way of opening doors and drawing people and opportunities to you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button or click here to join my mailing list to receive email updates. If you know someone that might benefit from this message, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Unlocking Your Intuition: 4 Essential Techniques

Your intuition is a rich source of information that is always available to you. There are many ways to tap into your intuition. Here are a few:

Questions: Ask your wise self a question and listen [deeply] for an answer. You may receive an answer immediately or it may take a few days or even weeks. Be patient and trust the process. Link to Harnessing the Power of Questions for Personal Growth.

Silence: Give yourself the gift of silence on a daily basis so that you can cultivate peace and calm to hear your inner guidance. Link to The Power of Silence.

Keep a journal: Put your thoughts on paper without filtering what you are writing. Review and reflect on what you have captured in your journal on a regular basis. Link to Journal Practice: Tips and Benefits.

Take action: Taking action on inner guidance opens the door for you to receive more.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you found it helpful. If you know someone who might benefit, please share it by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

Daily Acts of Faith: Empower Your Journey

I believe life is a personal journey of faith and process of empowerment.

Simply stated, faith is our ability to move forward with positive expectancy. What is positive expectancy? It’s belief and trust in a favorable outcome.

Faith enables us to dream big, set goals, and trust the process of bringing our dreams to life. It also enables us to stay open to more than one outcome. If things don’t go as planned, trust (a key component of faith) enables us to ask “What did I learn?”, “How did I grow?” and use the lessons learned to keep moving forward in faith that you are being guided to your highest good.

Staying focused on your goals and staying open to more than one outcome is not easy. It requires trust in the process and guidance from within. I believe we cultivate and strengthen our connection to inner guidance through a daily practice of silence. I invite you to read my post Give yourself the gift of silence if you would like to learn more.

So, what are daily acts of faith? They are actions that you take on a daily basis to stretch and grow out of your “comfort” zone. Acts of faith are rooted in a vision of a desired future state.

Suggestion to get started:

Think about one area of your life where you feel stuck or discouraged.
Envision a desired future state and write it down or find an image that captures what you envision. Give yourself permission to dream BIG.
Create a powerful affirmation that aligns with your future state and work with it on a daily basis. I invite you to watch my video on The Power of Affirmations (Video) if you would like to learn more.
Each day, for the next 30 days, commit (in writing) to taking three actions to move toward your desired future state.
Hold yourself accountable by reviewing your commitments and actions at the end of each day.
Create time and space to listen to inner guidance.
Assess your progress using this process in 30 days.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who might benefit, please share it by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

Tapping into Your Heart’s Wisdom: Your Inner Compass to Truth, Values, and Guidance

Are you aware that you have a built-in guidance system? Your heart is your spiritual core, center of truth, inner compass, and guide to living your highest potential. You invoke the wisdom of your heart when you ask yourself questions like “What is true for me?”, “What do I value most in life?”, “What is best for my life?”. Your heart intuitively knows the answer.

We are all gifted with intuition; however, we are not always tuned into it or open to receive it. Your intuition is a rich source of information that is always available to you. There are many ways to tap into your intuition. Here are a few:

Questions: Ask your wise self a question and listen for an answer. You may receive an answer immediately or it may take a few days or even weeks. Be patient and trust the process.
Silence: Give yourself the gift of silence on a daily basis so that you can hear your inner guidance.
Keep a journal: Put your thoughts on paper without filtering what you are writing. Review and reflect on what you have captured in your journal on a regular basis.
Take action: Taking action on guidance opens the door for you to receive more.

A new way of living begins when you choose to live from the heart and guidance within. I’ve included a link to my Living from the Inside Out video for your reference.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Release the Past: Reflection Practices for Healing and Moving Forward

Past Future

I can think of a time in my life when my primary focus was on past mistakes, missed opportunities, and the wrong doing of others. It was a dead end focus that kept me anchored in the past, silently suffering in the present, and not truly moving forward.

Through an ongoing process of forgiveness, I learned to release the past, resentment, and anger that I felt toward myself and others. Instead of looking back on challenging or painful situations with resentment and regret, I began to look back and ask what I learned about myself (first and foremost) and others and how the ‘lessons learned’ could help me grow. This was an ongoing process that helped me get unstuck and move forward.

The first step to release the past is to decide to release the past. There is great power in deciding to let it go. There is even more power in writing your decision down.

Once you have affirmed your decision to release the past in writing, sit with your decision in silence and allow your wise self that awaits you in silence to guide your steps forward. You have the power to release the past so that you can begin to truly moving forward.

Questions for reflection:

What in my past is keeping me from enjoying the present?
What in my past is keeping me from proactively creating my future?
What steps can I take to release the past so that I can truly move forward?

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

All the best,
Ruthann

The Power of Silence: Embracing Solitude for Inner Peace

“Let silence take you to the core of your life.”

—Rumi

When I was growing up, my mom used to make me and my siblings spend time alone on a regular basis. She felt it was important for us to learn to enjoy our own company and not feel compelled to fill our time with other people or activities to be content and happy.

Spending time alone was never an issue for me. I am an introvert by nature and quiet time alone is how I recharge and reenergize. I looked forward to and enjoyed my time alone.

As I look back on my childhood, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to my mom for laying the foundation for what has proven to be a very important daily practice, time alone in silence to cultivate patience, peace of mind, and trust in the process of being internally guided.

If you don’t already have a regular practice of spending time alone in silence, I encourage you to create time in your day to be still and silent. Strive for 15-20 minutes in silence each day.

If sitting in silence is new to you, start small. Take five minutes or ten minutes out of your day. Set a timer so that you can be fully present to the moment and not watching the clock. You may want to consider using your breath as a focal point for your time in silence. When the timer goes off, bring your quiet time to a close in a spirit of gratitude for the gift of silence. Capture your experience of going within in a journal or notebook.

In the beginning, the benefits of spending time in silence may not be obvious, however, as you continue with this practice, I believe you will feel a deeper sense of peace, calm, balance, and openness to inner guidance. Give yourself the gift of silence.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Who Looks Inside Awakens: Tap into Your Inner Wisdom

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”

—Carl Jung

Are you living your life from the outside in? Do you feel disconnected from your true self and power within?

A new way of living begins when you choose to live from the heart and guidance within. Your heart is your spiritual core, center of truth, inner compass, and extraordinary guide.

You tap into the wisdom of your heart when you ask questions like ‘What is true for me?’, ‘What is best for my life?, ‘What do I value most in my life?’. Your heart knows the answers.

Take the first step:

Be still. Be quiet. Be open to inner guidance.

Thirty-Day Challenge:

Take time each day to listen to the wisdom of your own heart.

Commit to 15-20 minutes of daily silence.

Learn more – YouTube

Who Looks Inside Awakens: Tap into Your Inner Wisdom

Go Deeper on Your Path

Be True to You: A Practical Guide to Pursuing an Authentic Path

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

Clarity is powerful and it comes from within

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace