Pursuing direction and clarity is something we all struggle with. We all have inevitably tried to answer questions like “What now?”, “What’s my vision?”, and “What do I really want?”.

And even though the goal of all this questioning is to move us forward, most of the time we actually end up getting stuck in trying to find the right answers. In today’s podcast episode, I’m discussing the myth of clarity and why our constant pursuit of it is what’s leaving us in inertia, inaction, and frustration.

A new take on clarity

Clarity can be a bit of an elusive concept. Most people spend a lot of time looking to the future, trying to figure out what’s next, and chasing this idea that if they think hard enough, they’ll eventually find the right answers. The big pitfall in this is that there’s no such thing as The Right Answer. There’s only the next step to be taken.

We often seek "perfection” when it comes to clarity. When people feel confused, the ego immediately wants to cling to something that will provide a sense of safety – and safety for the ego means trying to control and anticipate it all and avoiding fear, rejection, and failure at all costs.

By definition though, when you’re seeking clarity, it means you’re stepping into something new. And whenever you’re stepping into something new, it’s impossible to fully control and predict what’s going to happen and stop fear from acting up. The desire for clarity arises whenever we’re stretching ourselves outside our comfort zones, but feeding this desire with perfectionism will halt this process and keep you playing small, inside what feels comfortable and familiar.

Lack of clarity is nothing more than a perception. It’s a lens that the human self carries while it’s trying to figure out the next level. It’s a sign and a part of the growth process.

where clarity comes from

It’s no surprise that, as with everything related to intuition and guidance, the clarity that you pursue is within you. Finding clarity is all about unlocking and untangling the different parts of yourself that stand between you and your intuitive knowing – and that requires both wisdom and action.

Clarity is result of taking multiple steps over a period of time, while doing the inner work to align your new ways of doing and being. It’s very rare for us to receive very clean, crisp downloads around what’s next. Most of the time, clarity is actually a gentle unfolding, a progressive journey that shifts and evolves from day to day, as you engage with the process.

To get out of clarity-induced inertia and frustration, you need to tap into your intuition, focus on your next aligned step, and act on it. That’s how you’ll start the process of finding clarity without letting yourself wallow in paralysis caused by trying to know the whole path ahead of time. More than that, know that clarity is not something you ever achieve. What does happen is coming to a place where you know and feel enough.

The PATH TO CLARITY

Clarity is a combination of two things:

1. Connecting with your intuition and your higher-self on a regular basis, so you open an intuitive channel to receive; and

2. Identifying all the parts of your that stand in between you knowing the next best thing for yourself.

In the end, clarity comes back to developing a deep, intimate relationship within yourself – and the most effective way to achieve this is through shadow work.

Shadow work takes you into the unconscious layers of you, and helps you uncover parts of yourself that you didn’t even know were there. Those parts are the key to entering in deep relationship with yourself. They help you understand more of who you are so you can unfold the knowing of where you want to go.

your expectations and clarity

Forceful, inorganic energy is an inevitable side-effect of an unhealthy, perfection-driven pursuit of clarity. The ego, often in the form of the inner critic, tends to set hard timelines around clarity and drives them through the force of the “shoulds”.

You feel you should have figure it out already. You feel you should be farther along. You feel you should be different than you are.

It’s really important to identify within yourself the roles that ego is playing as you navigate your path towards clarity. This inorganic energy created by the ego cuts you off from your natural, flow state – which is what actually gives you access to the intuitive wisdom and answers you’re pursuing.

When you find yourself in the forceful energy, it’s time to seek more flow. The best way to do that is by welcoming play and joy into your life. What gives you pleasure? What do you desire? What’s coming through the voice of want versus the voice of need?

Expectations aren’t inherently bad. There’s a time and place for pushing forward, but you’ll always harvest better, more aligned results when you ally it to flow and trust. The sweet spot between flow and push is where you’ll find your path to your breakthrough, your answers, and the powerful intuitive wisdom rooted in your body and heart.

Renewing your relationship with clarity

If finding clarity feels like an uphill battle for you, allow yourself to release and open. To let go of outcomes and bring yourself into the moment and into your experiences.

Clarity is not a goal. It’s a continual unfolding that happens over a period of time, and it can’t be forced. That doesn’t mean not going after your goals and waiting in inaction until you find the answers. It means intentionally and actively opening yourself up to receiving while focusing on the next step, one at a time.

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