Rebuilding Self-Trust: The Key to Confident and Authentic Decision-Making
How to Reconnect with Your Inner Knowing and Trust the Decisions You Make
Have you ever looked back at a choice you made—whether it was about a relationship, a job, or a personal decision—and thought, “I knew something was off,” or “I could have realized this sooner”? Most of us have been there. We reflect on past decisions and, with hindsight, we see that the signs were there all along. Something inside us—the subtle nudges of intuition or inner knowing—was trying to tell us the truth.
But here’s the tricky part: we didn’t act on it. We didn’t trust ourselves.
Why is it that even when we sense the truth, we find it hard to act on that sense? Why do we so often push aside our inner voice, and allow logic or outside opinions to override what we instinctively know to be true?
The Subtlety of Inner Knowing
Our inner knowing—our intuition, gut feeling, or deep sense of what’s right for us—often shows up in subtle ways. It might be a feeling that something isn’t right, a sense that a relationship is no longer fulfilling us, or that the job we’re in is no longer aligned with who we are.
But that knowing can be easily drowned out by logic, fear, or the well-meaning advice of others. It doesn’t always scream at us, and it often doesn’t have hard evidence to back it up. And when we do hear it, we tend to question it. Was that feeling even real? Was it valid?
In many cases, we look to others for reassurance. We share our doubts and get responses like, “That doesn’t make sense,” or “You’re overthinking it.” And because their arguments sound reasonable, we start to doubt ourselves. This is how we slowly begin to lose trust in our inner voice.
The Cost of Ignoring Ourselves
When we repeatedly ignore that inner knowing, we chip away at our ability to trust ourselves. We begin to rely more and more on outside input, thinking others know better than we do. Over time, this erodes not just our confidence but also our sense of agency. We might begin to feel lost, unsure of what we want, or disconnected from our authentic desires.
The cost of this disconnection is high. It leads to feeling stuck in situations that don’t serve us—whether that’s staying in a job we’ve outgrown, remaining in relationships that drain us, or simply not pursuing the life we truly want. This is the slow erosion of self-trust.
Reclaiming Self-Trust
So, how do we begin to reclaim that trust? How do we reconnect with our inner knowing and trust that it will guide us in the right direction?
The answer begins with practice. Trusting yourself is like building a muscle—it strengthens with time, patience, and conscious effort. Here are a few ways to start:
Notice the Patterns: When you reflect on past decisions, notice the moments when you had that gut feeling but ignored it. What was the outcome? Was your intuition pointing you in the right direction all along? Recognizing these patterns helps you see that your inner knowing is often trustworthy.
Silence the Noise: Take time away from external input. Create moments of silence where you can tune into yourself—whether that’s through meditation, journaling, or simply spending time in nature. This space allows you to hear your own voice more clearly, without the interference of others’ opinions.
Act on Small Intuitive Nudges: Start by trusting your intuition with small decisions. It could be as simple as choosing which route to take on your walk or what book to read next. The more you act on your intuition, the more you’ll see that it can be trusted.
Let Go of Logic: Sometimes our inner knowing defies logic, and that’s okay. Trust doesn’t always need to make sense. Recognize that your intuition has a different kind of intelligence—one that isn’t always explainable by reason but is still deeply valid.
What If You Fully Trusted Yourself?
What would your life look like if you made every decision based on your inner knowing? How would it feel to trust that your intuition was guiding you in the right direction? The truth is, you don’t need anyone else’s validation to make decisions that are right for you.
Yes, it may feel scary at first. But the more you practice, the more natural it will become. Over time, self-trust becomes a powerful anchor—one that allows you to navigate life with confidence, even when the path is uncertain.
Self-trust is not about always being right; it’s about trusting yourself to handle whatever comes next. It’s about knowing that, even if things don’t go as planned, you have the wisdom and resilience to adjust and move forward.
If trusting yourself feels difficult right now, remember that this is a practice you can cultivate. Start small, and let it grow. The more you trust yourself, the more you’ll see that your inner knowing truly has your best interests at heart.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into reconnecting with your inner wisdom, reach out! We can explore how you can start trusting yourself again, one decision at a time.
