Logic is Not Always the Answer | Letter to a Friend #18

Hey friend,

Yesterday was my birthday (23, yikes). I've had so much going on that I didn't plan what we were doing until the day before, but we decided to go paintballing and had a grand ol' time. The experience of paintball and being in a situation where you know that, at any moment, you could be shot and feel direct physical pain is a whooole other letter, but suffice to say we had a good time!
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After paintballing, we were trying to decide what to do next. One of my friends suggested going to this concert, and I said "sure!", figuring it would be fun and not seeing many other options. However, over the next 15-20 minutes, I kept asking myself, "Do I really want to go to this concert?" And there was a little voice inside me that said, "No." It did not explain why. Only one word: "No".
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Hm. It would have been easy to overrule this voice. I know because I have done it consistently throughout my life, rationalizing my way into things that I feel I should want to do. I think we all do this. Do you have your own memory of something feeling off, but deciding to move ahead anyways because it was "logical"?
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I have plenty, and usually, I regret those moments. I regret those moments where I did not follow my intuition, that little voice inside that tells me when I am being true to myself and when I am not. And I am becoming more and more convinced that developing this skill of intuition (I do believe it is a skill) is crucial to leading a fulfilling life.
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Why? It might be obvious, but when you look at the most satisfied people in this world, they all share something in common: They chart their own path. This path can be as drastic as someone like Colin O'Brady, 10-time world record breaking explorer who dragged a 375-pound sled across Antarctica over 54 days, or as simple as a nature-loving painter who finds a way to sustain his or her life in the woods, giving themselves plenty of free time to paint and enjoy the wildlife.
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The key similarity is that each person listened to their intuition. They heard a little voice in them that spoke to them, telling them when they were being true to themselves or not, and they had the courage to follow it.
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As someone who is intensely logical, I invite you to listen to that voice a little more often and not always need a rational explanation. There are other forms of intelligence than our thoughts. Now, you might ask, "But Ryan, HOW do I be true to myself?" Only you know what that means, but I think it starts with little actions like my choosing not to go to the concert. Be more decisive. Don't say "yes" out of fear of hurting other's feelings. Say "no" with love, and realize that if you don't really want to be there, you aren't doing anyone any favors by pretending. They can sense it, and so can you.
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If you'd like to hear my own story of listening to my own intuition and it turning out surprisingly well, I just made a video titled THIS is Why You Should Do What You Fear. It's about my recent summer experience traveling around Europe & the Balkans for a month with a girl I had previously only spent 7 days with. Logically, it was crazy to invite someone I knew for such a short period of time on this trip, and crazy for her to accept, but sometimes a lil crazy goes a long way. : )

Take care and much love,
Ryan

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