May 15, 2024 • 17 mins
Having trouble making a decision? I got you covered! In this episode, we offer a guided meditation designed to help you navigate the complex process of decision-making. Building on our insightful discussion from Episode 102 with Clarity Coach Keltie Maguire, we focus on one of life's significant choices, like the decision to have kids or remain childfree.
In this 13 min mindfulness-based meditation, we explore three essential components of effective decision-making:
- Awareness: Cultivate a clear understanding of your thoughts and feelings.
- Acceptance: Embrace your current state without judgment.
- Compassion: Treat yourself with kindness and understanding throughout the process.
Meditation begins at 03:55
Download our FREE kids or child-free decision-making guide for additional decision-making support AND join our free Intentional Living Community to continue these meaningful conversations and connect with others on a similar journey.
Tune in, relax, and empower yourself to make decisions with confidence and clarity. Don’t forget to follow and leave a review if you find this meditation helpful!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi everyone and welcome back to how the Wise One
Grows, where we share mindfulconversations and meditations to
help you live with intention.
Today's episode is a meditationthat focuses on decision making
(00:20):
, and if you know me, you knowthat I need this meditation, and
I'm sure many of you do too,because decision making is hard.
So we have all the support tohelp each other through the
decision making process today,and this episode on decision
making is inspired by a very bigdecision to make that we talked
(00:42):
about in episode 102 with KeltyMcGuire, a clarity coach, on
the decision to have kids orremain child-free, and that
episode is all about how you candecide to make that decision,
and there is a special PDF thatI have created as a guide to
(01:04):
support you in thisdecision-making process.
That is inspired by thatconversation and today's
meditation, and there is a linkin the show notes you can click
to get the free PDF download.
So check the show notes toclick that.
Also, check the show notes tolisten to episode 102 with Kelty
.
If you missed it you like, 10out of 10 need to go back and
(01:25):
listen.
It's already one of our mostdownloaded episodes to date
because it's just that good, sobe sure you go back and listen
and, if you like, want tocontinue that conversation.
If that's a topic that's ofinterest to you and any of these
topics that we are talkingabout you wanna continue talking
about, you can join our free,intentional living community on
(01:48):
Discord.
This is where our community cancome together to continue the
conversations we're having onthe podcast and to support one
another as we live withintention together.
I also want to take a momenttoday to thank our newest member
of the dream team, brett.
Brett is the best and Brett isnow one of the incredible humans
(02:09):
who supports this podcast everymonth.
You can be really cool likeBrett by joining the Dream Team
for as little as $3 a month, andthat helps to cover the
operating costs that go intothis podcast and sharing this
offering with the world, and youcan think of it as like a
little matcha date to help fuelthis conversation and this
podcast.
(02:30):
And one final thing that I wantto share is a recent review we
received from listeners.
So reviews are like gold in thepodcast world, because it's
what talks to the algorithm godsand helps to make this podcast
appear in other places so morepeople can find it, which is
what we want.
We want this podcast to sharefar and wide for the people to
(02:53):
hear.
So I'm going to read a recentreview and if you leave a review
, it would mean the world and Iwill share it on the podcast as
well.
This review said Holly is sowell-spoken and insightful.
Her episode about girlfriendswhich is episode 12, you can
link it in the show notes mademe so grateful for all those in
my life.
(03:13):
She's so gracious and finds thegood in everyday situations.
This podcast has brought mepeace and joy, and every new
episode is a breath of fresh air.
I'm always looking forward tothe next time I can hear her
tranquil voice and, yay, thatnext time is right now, because
we are going to dive intotoday's meditation.
(03:34):
There is a timestamp in theshow notes so you can download
this episode and come back to it.
Go straight to that time stamp.
You'll miss the intro stuff andyou will be able to dive
straight in to this decisionmeditation any time you need.
So let's just take a moment tosettle in together by finding a
(03:56):
space that feels safe andsupportive for you.
And if you're on the move, ifyou're driving, that's totally
fine too, but just take a moment, wherever you are, to notice
where your body makes contactwith the earth and if it feels
safe, if you aren't driving, youcan gently rest your eyes or
(04:18):
soften your gaze at a point infront of you and take a big
breath in, fill your chest, fillyour belly with air and exhale.
Open your mouth, let it out.
Inhale, fill the chest, fillthe belly with air.
(04:44):
Inhale, fill the chest, fillthe belly with air, exhale, open
your mouth, let it out One morebig.
Inhale and exhale, exhale andexhale.
(05:07):
Just allow yourself to witnessthe natural rhythm and intuition
of the breath as it flows inand out of the body.
(05:31):
I invite you now to bringawareness to how you're feeling
in the present moment.
So take a moment, gently scanyour body, from the tip of your
head to the tips of your toes.
Just notice the sensations thatare present, notice what is
(05:53):
alive for you here, noticing itall without judgment.
And I now invite you to call tomind a decision that you might
(06:31):
be trying to make right now,maybe a decision that you're
really stuck on, and I want youto bring your awareness to that
decision and explore yourbeliefs around that decision.
(06:59):
So what stories are you tellingyourself about the choice
you're about to make in onedirection or the other.
Notice the thoughts that come tomind around this decision and,
(07:22):
rather than simply believingthem, I want you to just notice
them and get curious about them.
So noticing your beliefs,meeting them with a gentle
(07:54):
curiosity, and I'm going toguide you through Byron Katie's
four questions to explore thesebeliefs and to question them.
So maybe there's one beliefaround this decision that's
really lingering in your mind.
Let's stick with that belieffor now.
(08:14):
Decision that's reallylingering in your mind.
Let's stick with that belieffor now.
And I invite you to askyourself is it true?
Is that belief true?
(08:39):
Second question can youabsolutely know it to be true,
with 100 certainty?
Can you know this belief to betrue?
How do you react and how do youfeel when you believe that
(09:14):
thought?
What sensations arise in thebody?
And who would you be, how wouldyou feel and act without that
(09:34):
thought or belief?
What would be different?
What would feel different?
What would you do differentlyif that belief wasn't there, if
you didn't believe that to betrue?
(09:59):
And now I invite you to zoom out, take a wider view of this
decision you're making, so nolonger being fixated on this
single decision, but to slowlystart to imagine yourself like
as a bird, flying above thatdecision, starting to see the
(10:19):
whole landscape, all the movingparts of your life around it, no
longer fixating on that onechoice, but starting to see the
bigger picture, your values andall the things that make you who
you are, and maybe even bringto mind one of your core values
(10:55):
right now.
Just breathe with it here andallow that value to anchor you
as you explore this decision andstart to lean into acceptance
(11:31):
Again.
Notice how you feel in thismoment, now that we've brought
up this decision Again, you cangently scan your body, from the
tip of your head to the tips ofyour toes, and allow and make
(11:52):
space for all that's here inthis decision-making process,
acknowledging the uncertaintyand the discomfort that comes
with making decisions, makingspace for doubt and mixed
(12:15):
feelings, and know that it'sokay.
Let yourself breathe intowhatever it is you feel here,
making space for all of it now.
(12:59):
I invite you to recall a time inyour past where you had a big
decision to make and maybe otherpeople in your life had
opinions about this decision,and you were really torn and
distraught about which decisionto make.
But then then you made a choice.
You made the choice that wasright for you and you look back
on it with like, yes, that wasthe right choice to make.
I'm proud of myself, I trustmyself.
So I want you to reflect onthat decision as clearly as you
(13:26):
can and yourself making thatdecision what it felt like
before, during and after.
Clearly as you can, andyourself making that decision
what it felt like before, duringand after and use that as
(13:50):
evidence to trust yourself,knowing that you know how to
make the right decisions for you.
(14:18):
Take a big breath in trustingyourself and exhale, just
radically, accepting yourselfwhere you are right now,
inhaling trust and exhalingacceptance.
(14:50):
And now meet yourself withcompassion for exactly where you
are in this decision-makingprocess, maybe giving yourself a
break from trying to make thisdecision right away or
(15:11):
discussing this decision withothers and holding space to
nourish yourself in other ways,to reconnect with the core of
you and your values, to nourishyourself, to tend to yourself,
to support yourself.
Just bringing a hand to yourheart, offering yourself a
(15:41):
moment of compassion for anytenderness you might feel around
making this decision, taking afew breaths here, noting that
this is a moment of discomfort,that it can be challenging to
(16:11):
make decisions and that allhumans have a hard time making
decisions sometimes.
Know that you're not alone inthis.
Know that you're supported.
Three more deep breaths here andreturn to that connection to
(16:48):
the earth and slowly open youreyes as you return to that
connection to the earth andslowly open your eyes as you
return to this space.
If you need any more supportaround this decision, know that
you can come back to thismeditation anytime.
You can click the link in theshow notes to get our Kids or
(17:08):
Child Free Decision Making PDFand you can also join the
Intentional Living community toconnect with others and share
about the decisions you might bemaking and find support in
making the choice that's rightfor you.
Until the next time, let's keeptaking it one breath at a time.
Hi everyone and welcome back to how the Wise One
Grows, where we share mindfulconversations and meditations to
help you live with intention.
Today's episode is a meditationthat focuses on decision making
(00:20):
, and if you know me, you knowthat I need this meditation, and
I'm sure many of you do too,because decision making is hard.
So we have all the support tohelp each other through the
decision making process today,and this episode on decision
making is inspired by a very bigdecision to make that we talked
(00:42):
about in episode 102 with KeltyMcGuire, a clarity coach, on
the decision to have kids orremain child-free, and that
episode is all about how you candecide to make that decision,
and there is a special PDF thatI have created as a guide to
(01:04):
support you in thisdecision-making process.
That is inspired by thatconversation and today's
meditation, and there is a linkin the show notes you can click
to get the free PDF download.
So check the show notes toclick that.
Also, check the show notes tolisten to episode 102 with Kelty
.
If you missed it you like, 10out of 10 need to go back and
(01:25):
listen.
It's already one of our mostdownloaded episodes to date
because it's just that good, sobe sure you go back and listen
and, if you like, want tocontinue that conversation.
If that's a topic that's ofinterest to you and any of these
topics that we are talkingabout you wanna continue talking
about, you can join our free,intentional living community on
(01:48):
Discord.
This is where our community cancome together to continue the
conversations we're having onthe podcast and to support one
another as we live withintention together.
I also want to take a momenttoday to thank our newest member
of the dream team, brett.
Brett is the best and Brett isnow one of the incredible humans
(02:09):
who supports this podcast everymonth.
You can be really cool likeBrett by joining the Dream Team
for as little as $3 a month, andthat helps to cover the
operating costs that go intothis podcast and sharing this
offering with the world, and youcan think of it as like a
little matcha date to help fuelthis conversation and this
podcast.
(02:30):
And one final thing that I wantto share is a recent review we
received from listeners.
So reviews are like gold in thepodcast world, because it's
what talks to the algorithm godsand helps to make this podcast
appear in other places so morepeople can find it, which is
what we want.
We want this podcast to sharefar and wide for the people to
(02:53):
hear.
So I'm going to read a recentreview and if you leave a review
, it would mean the world and Iwill share it on the podcast as
well.
This review said Holly is sowell-spoken and insightful.
Her episode about girlfriendswhich is episode 12, you can
link it in the show notes mademe so grateful for all those in
my life.
(03:13):
She's so gracious and finds thegood in everyday situations.
This podcast has brought mepeace and joy, and every new
episode is a breath of fresh air.
I'm always looking forward tothe next time I can hear her
tranquil voice and, yay, thatnext time is right now, because
we are going to dive intotoday's meditation.
(03:34):
There is a timestamp in theshow notes so you can download
this episode and come back to it.
Go straight to that time stamp.
You'll miss the intro stuff andyou will be able to dive
straight in to this decisionmeditation any time you need.
So let's just take a moment tosettle in together by finding a
(03:56):
space that feels safe andsupportive for you.
And if you're on the move, ifyou're driving, that's totally
fine too, but just take a moment, wherever you are, to notice
where your body makes contactwith the earth and if it feels
safe, if you aren't driving, youcan gently rest your eyes or
(04:18):
soften your gaze at a point infront of you and take a big
breath in, fill your chest, fillyour belly with air and exhale.
Open your mouth, let it out.
Inhale, fill the chest, fillthe belly with air.
(04:44):
Inhale, fill the chest, fillthe belly with air, exhale, open
your mouth, let it out One morebig.
Inhale and exhale, exhale andexhale.
(05:07):
Just allow yourself to witnessthe natural rhythm and intuition
of the breath as it flows inand out of the body.
(05:31):
I invite you now to bringawareness to how you're feeling
in the present moment.
So take a moment, gently scanyour body, from the tip of your
head to the tips of your toes.
Just notice the sensations thatare present, notice what is
(05:53):
alive for you here, noticing itall without judgment.
And I now invite you to call tomind a decision that you might
(06:31):
be trying to make right now,maybe a decision that you're
really stuck on, and I want youto bring your awareness to that
decision and explore yourbeliefs around that decision.
(06:59):
So what stories are you tellingyourself about the choice
you're about to make in onedirection or the other.
Notice the thoughts that come tomind around this decision and,
(07:22):
rather than simply believingthem, I want you to just notice
them and get curious about them.
So noticing your beliefs,meeting them with a gentle
(07:54):
curiosity, and I'm going toguide you through Byron Katie's
four questions to explore thesebeliefs and to question them.
So maybe there's one beliefaround this decision that's
really lingering in your mind.
Let's stick with that belieffor now.
(08:14):
Decision that's reallylingering in your mind.
Let's stick with that belieffor now.
And I invite you to askyourself is it true?
Is that belief true?
(08:39):
Second question can youabsolutely know it to be true,
with 100 certainty?
Can you know this belief to betrue?
How do you react and how do youfeel when you believe that
(09:14):
thought?
What sensations arise in thebody?
And who would you be, how wouldyou feel and act without that
(09:34):
thought or belief?
What would be different?
What would feel different?
What would you do differentlyif that belief wasn't there, if
you didn't believe that to betrue?
(09:59):
And now I invite you to zoom out, take a wider view of this
decision you're making, so nolonger being fixated on this
single decision, but to slowlystart to imagine yourself like
as a bird, flying above thatdecision, starting to see the
(10:19):
whole landscape, all the movingparts of your life around it, no
longer fixating on that onechoice, but starting to see the
bigger picture, your values andall the things that make you who
you are, and maybe even bringto mind one of your core values
(10:55):
right now.
Just breathe with it here andallow that value to anchor you
as you explore this decision andstart to lean into acceptance
(11:31):
Again.
Notice how you feel in thismoment, now that we've brought
up this decision Again, you cangently scan your body, from the
tip of your head to the tips ofyour toes, and allow and make
(11:52):
space for all that's here inthis decision-making process,
acknowledging the uncertaintyand the discomfort that comes
with making decisions, makingspace for doubt and mixed
(12:15):
feelings, and know that it'sokay.
Let yourself breathe intowhatever it is you feel here,
making space for all of it now.
(12:59):
I invite you to recall a time inyour past where you had a big
decision to make and maybe otherpeople in your life had
opinions about this decision,and you were really torn and
distraught about which decisionto make.
But then then you made a choice.
You made the choice that wasright for you and you look back
on it with like, yes, that wasthe right choice to make.
I'm proud of myself, I trustmyself.
So I want you to reflect onthat decision as clearly as you
(13:26):
can and yourself making thatdecision what it felt like
before, during and after.
Clearly as you can, andyourself making that decision
what it felt like before, duringand after and use that as
(13:50):
evidence to trust yourself,knowing that you know how to
make the right decisions for you.
(14:18):
Take a big breath in trustingyourself and exhale, just
radically, accepting yourselfwhere you are right now,
inhaling trust and exhalingacceptance.
(14:50):
And now meet yourself withcompassion for exactly where you
are in this decision-makingprocess, maybe giving yourself a
break from trying to make thisdecision right away or
(15:11):
discussing this decision withothers and holding space to
nourish yourself in other ways,to reconnect with the core of
you and your values, to nourishyourself, to tend to yourself,
to support yourself.
Just bringing a hand to yourheart, offering yourself a
(15:41):
moment of compassion for anytenderness you might feel around
making this decision, taking afew breaths here, noting that
this is a moment of discomfort,that it can be challenging to
(16:11):
make decisions and that allhumans have a hard time making
decisions sometimes.
Know that you're not alone inthis.
Know that you're supported.
Three more deep breaths here andreturn to that connection to
(16:48):
the earth and slowly open youreyes as you return to that
connection to the earth andslowly open your eyes as you
return to this space.
If you need any more supportaround this decision, know that
you can come back to thismeditation anytime.
You can click the link in theshow notes to get our Kids or
(17:08):
Child Free Decision Making PDFand you can also join the
Intentional Living community toconnect with others and share
about the decisions you might bemaking and find support in
making the choice that's rightfor you.
Until the next time, let's keeptaking it one breath at a time.
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