Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. So today, we're going to explore the topic of being your own or authority and trusting yourself. So developing a trust in yourself and your feelings is an integral part of mindful living. So taking an advice from teachers and taking in guidance from others can be really helpful. It has a lot of value.

But many of us take this a little bit too far. We have a tendency of always looking outside of ourselves for the answers, and we tend to ignore or overlook what our own instincts, intuitions and feelings are telling us. So some people who are we're exploring a personal growth or spiritual path get really caught up in believing that a particular teacher or leader knows better than them. They might idolize them or do whatever they say without question. You know, but this giving away of our own authority has led many people down unhealthy and unhelpful paths.

Hey, if at any time something doesn't feel right for you, then why not listen to and honor those feelings? Why should you ever ignore those feelings if some authority figure or group of people think differently? Why should you write off your own gut instincts as invalid if somebody else disagrees? So for many of us, it's become a bit of a habit to ignore our feelings instead of honoring them. But it's important to know that emotions and sensations can be like guides and the body has its own wisdom. So here's a really simple example. You know, when we've been working too hard, the body just gets tired or overly revved. If we honor those feelings, they can teach us to take rest when we need it.

A feeling of loneliness instead of being avoided can be a signal that we need more connection, and we can seek that in our lives. A sense of sadness about the state of the world today when fully felt and honored can be a powerful motivator to take compassionate action for positive change, no matter how big or small. So this capacity for trusting yourself is the foundation of basic wisdom. And wisdom grows the more you listen to your feelings, intuitions, and sensations with an open-heartedness. So the more you cultivate this ability to listen to yourself and trust your own being, the more you naturally become your authentic self.

So instead of imitating someone else or following along with the status quo, you'll be better able to beat to the tune of your own drum and live the life that's true to you. So if it feels right for you, perhaps make an intention to start listening to your own feelings and trusting them to guide you because remember teachers and texts can only be guides. The ultimate authority on your life is you.