How do you know when you are clear?

I just want to be clear! Clear that this is the right decision, the right path to take. If I had clarity about (fill in the blank), I’d do it. 

Does this sound familiar? Have you ever felt this way? 

So often we want clarity, but how do we know when we are clear? 

Most, if not all of us, have experienced at some point in our lives a “moment of clarity”. That moment when you just know. It may not last for long. It often happens after you have struggled and finally reached a decision. Or maybe it’s a moment when you realize that you need to move on from something or someone. 

One of those moments for me was when I was wrestling with a significant career move. I did know what I didn’t want but didn’t know what I wanted. (You may need to read that a few times). Let me say it a different way. I felt strongly that I didn’t want to continue with my job but I had no idea what I wanted to do next. 

While working with a coach, we decided some retreat time would be beneficial. So, I created my own personal “retreat” – at a historic inn located at a vineyard. :) I figured it was my retreat so why not. 

 I can still picture clearly in my mind the last day of my retreat. I was sitting outside on a beautiful, sunny morning in early May in central Virginia. I was sipping hot tea and journaling. And I knew. I just knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what was next for me. After months, really a couple of years, the fog had finally lifted. 

But how did I know? I felt it in my body. My shoulders relaxed. My breathing slowed and deepened. I sort of sunk into the chair. I felt it in my heart and soul. There was a peace of mind and confidence – even though in that moment I had no idea how to make my next step happen. And I felt emotional – tears came to my eyes. It just felt “right” – something hard to put into words but I know it when I feel it.

It’s important for you to understand how you know when you are clear. 

How do you do that? 

• Start with thinking of a time when you experienced being absolutely clear about a decision or situation. In your mind, think back to that time. 

• Recall as many specifics as possible. Think about the exact moment that you KNEW something was the right decision or path for you. It is not general, it is very specific.

• When you are really present to that time, write down everything you can remember about that experience: the specific feelings or emotions you had, where did you feel it in your body, describe the sensation. What did you think? What did you say to yourself and/or others?

Everyone has a unique way they know what’s “right” for them. I invite you to take the time to figure that out for yourself. Then the next time you are faced with a decision or you are wrestling with some big life question, you will know when you are clear.