
What is it I need to know?
What do you do if you’re planning a trip, or you’re driving somewhere and find that you’re lost? Do you ask someone for directions? Do you find a map? Do you look on an app such as Google Maps? Or do you soldier on and not ask for help?
Reaching a fork in the road
Learning to ask for guidance
For my 40th birthday, we had a trip to New York. I went to a bookshop near Columbus Circle, and I asked to be shown the book that I needed. I was on a MASSIVE ‘spiritual seeking’ mission at this time, and feeling quite lost and overwhelmed. I went across to a shelf and started rummaging, and a little book fell out and landed at my feet. It was Be Free Where You Are, by Thich Nhat Hanh, and it was my first introduction to mindfulness. I still return to it nowadays, and have given it to friends as a gift, because the teachings are so beautiful and simple. It was just what I needed at the point in time. It was also my first major experience of asking for and getting guidance.
Ask the right question
I have a question I ask now, when I’m looking for guidance and feel unsure about where to go next. I learned it from someone very wise, and I love to share it with other people.
The answers
I ask my question, and I listen. Sometimes the word or an image comes into my mind straight away. I may not know what that means in that moment, but I make a note of it, usually by writing it down in my journal. Sometimes, really extraordinary things happen when I do this. I may switch on the radio, and my answer is in the title of the song, or in something the presenter is saying. I may open the book and read the words that contain my answer. Perhaps someone else will unwittingly give me my answer in conversation.
Trust your guidance
We all have guidance from a part of our selves. Whether you believe that your guidance comes from your Higher Self, guides, Source, God, or your personal satnav, it’s there. Many spiritual teachers believe that your guidance is most potent when you ASK for it.