Following Your Inner Guidance

Build it and They Will Come?

By Linda Dieffenbach, BSW, RMT

March 14, 2016

Remember the old Kevin Costner movie, Field of Dreams? The famous line in the movie, of course, was “Build it and they will come”.  Remember that?  Over the years, I have heard the term referenced as the foundational message for following your dreams, however it is often used in a rather glib and over simplified manner.  It is a message and a reminder to listen to your heart and follow your inner guidance, no matter what the odds are.

When used, however, the person implies that it’s easy and there really is no effort involved.  Just follow your dreams and everything will fall into place with ease.  Just build it, and they will come. Easy, right?

As I have endeavored to live my passion, this phrase often comes to mind. On some days, I am inspired, on others, I want to kick Kevin Costner in the teeth.

And then I remembered the actual movie…

I had clearly missed the message.

(If you have not seen the movie, I suggest checking it out.  If you have and are also feeling like kicking Kevin Costner in the teeth because you have built it and are still waiting for them to come – watch it again.)

In retrospect, there was nothing simple or easy about his journey in the movie.  As he listened to his inner guidance telling him to do the seemingly absurd over and over again, he risked everything – and nearly lost everything in the process.

It wasn’t an immediate manifestation of everything he dreamed of.  He worked for it.  It was an extraordinary journey of faith, showing complete trust in his inner guide without any true knowledge of where it was taking him.

He simply followed and trusted.

Uncounted miracles happened along the way, but it was not an easy journey.

In the end, he triumphed.  His ultimate dream (not of the hordes of people visiting his field, by the way, but of the chance to heal the relationship with his father) was achieved through faith and trust.  He listened to his heart beyond all objections, he followed the breadcrumbs that lead him there without knowing where each step would take him.

The truth is that living your dream is not always easy.  There are countless miracles along the way ~ people, situations and things that show up to guide and support you.  There are also countless challenges ~ opportunities for you to grow and expand, for you to heal your past and open to an amazing future.

You are required to look deep into your soul, to face yourself. Take the the chance to re-evaluate your life and to release all that no longer serves you. In some cases, these things will happen gently – in others, it will feel more like getting hit over the head with the cosmic 2×4.

The more closely you listen to your inner guidance, the more gentle the process may be.  It’s not all sunshine and daisy’s, however. It takes tremendous faith and trust – it sometimes means you have to risk everything to gain everything.

But I ask you – is it worth it?

Compare the costs of living your life’s passion versus doing ‘what you are supposed to do’?  If you are not living your passion, then you know as well as I do that the costs are extremely high. You risk your health, your happiness, your relationships, your family… everything.

If you are willing to risk everything  to live a life that makes you unhappy, why not risk it all to live the life that will bring you joy?

NEXT STEPS: Listen to Your Inner Guidance

Begin listing to your inner guidance.  Get still and tune into your heart.  Listen and follow.  See where the breadcrumbs take you.

If this is a new experience for you, take your time and be patient. We are conditioned to listen to the loud voice of the mind.  The heart’s voice is softer and quieter and can be difficult to hear over the clamoring of the mind. Practice getting still daily. Soon you will learn to quiet the voice of the mind enough that you can hear the song in your heart.

 

About Linda Dieffenbach:

Linda has over 15 years experience as an energy healer, coach and personal development expert.  She specializes in empowering you to overcome the patterns and habits that are keeping you feeling stuck and overwhelmed with your life.  Her areas of training and expertise include personal empowerment, self-care skills, stress management, healthy relationships,  effective communication, suicide prevention, and trauma. To learn more about Linda, click here.  Interested in working with Linda?  Click here.