Magical Thinking

      

By Cathy Yuhas, RN, CEOLD

Magical Thinking Somewhere along the way, we learned to trust everyone but ourselves. We collect advice like magically delicious Lucky Charms. We gather it from teachers, friends, therapists, and strangers on the internet — each promising to lead us closer to the life we want. We read all the right books, listen to the podcasts, and sign up for the workshops. We learned to ask for signs from the universe, to wait for the right moment, and to look for confirmation that we’re on the “right path.” But here’s what I believe is the truth. Sometimes, all of that just becomes another way to avoid the only voice that truly knows. I call this magical thinking — the illusion that gathering enough opinions will make clarity hit us like lightning from above. We forget that real magic has always been inside us. It doesn’t come from outside — it’s hidden beneath the noise in our minds. Magical thinking often masks itself as humility. Who am I to decide what’s best for me? So we delegate our intuition to people who seem wiser, more accomplished, or more grounded. But every time we do, we weaken our own knowing. We start to create a life filled with good intentions but lacking in truth. The hardest part of waking up is realizing that no one can give you a permission slip to be yourself. There’s no clairvoyant to tell you it’s time. When you stop seeking validation and start listening to your inner voice — that’s when life begins to shift. That’s when the guidance you’ve been longing for stops feeling like a mystery and starts feeling like a memory. The soul doesn’t tug on your sleeve to get your attention like a child yelling Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! It doesn’t send an email confirmation either. Instead, it’s a nudge, nudge, and wink, wink. It calls for deep listening until you finally stop asking everyone else what to do. Here’s the medicine: Stop waiting for magic to happen. You are the magic. You are the one you’ve been trying to get approval from. When you finally listen to that quiet voice inside, you understand it was never about making the “right” decision. It was about reclaiming your power to decide. And that, my friend, is what true guidance sounds like. Reflection Prompt: Where have you been seeking answers outside yourself when your soul has already provided them? What if, just for today, you relied on your own knowing first?   Cathy Yuhas, RN, CEOLD https://www.dyingmatters.llc Walking Each Other Home: Guiding Caregivers and Community Through the Sacred Passage of Death https://a.co/d/07OkpGQH