From Empty to Whole: Returning to Purpose and Inner Guidance

Coming Home to Myself

I am finally in my new home.

It’s been almost a year and a grand adventure. Now as I return to a more settled life I find myself filled with reflection, excitement… and a touch of nostalgia for the past twelve months.

A Moment of Clarity

Earlier this week I was sitting in my office when my son wandered in for a chat. He looked at me and said something that stopped me in my tracks.

"You look whole again."

Then he paused and added almost apologetically that I had looked empty before. He wondered if it had something to do with how I’d been living and working.

And honestly I think he’s right.

I’m not back to full health just yet after after living nomadically for a year with a disrupted diet and little time for martial arts. But what he saw in me wasn’t just about physical wellbeing. It was something deeper.

Returning to Purpose

When I reflect on the journey I’ve taken back to my mission, back to myself I’d agree I do feel whole again.

These days I start each morning with a moment of quiet. I look ahead and let the day show me its shape, tone and rhythm, what truly needs my attention.

It’s rarely what’s at the top of my to do list yet somehow the to do list still gets done.

There’s no drama or internal debate. I just… see it and do it.

Some days are slower. Some days I feel off. The list is shorter but the actions I take are aligned with what’s really needed that day.

Living a Guided Life

This is how I live now.
It’s also what I teach.

I call it a guided life.

But guided by whom?

To me it’s still me just the part of me that was previously drowned out by old stories, emotions or habitual thinking. It's the part that holds more perspective. Some people call it wisdom, intuition or common sense.

Finding the Guide Within

All I knew when I started was this was everything I’d read and observed about the human experience pointed to the idea that we each have access to this inner guidance.

So I made a choice to find it in myself.

I became curious about the different types of thoughts in my head. I followed the thoughts that came and over time I gained more clarity. I learned to feel the difference. The thoughts I could trust to be a reliable guide carried a knowing, a tone or a feeling that made them stand out.

I followed them.
I experimented.
I learned through trial and error which ones to trust.

The Result?

A more meaningful, aligned and beautiful life.
For myself and for my boys.

Your Turn:

What might change if you paused and listened for that wiser part of yourself before making your next decision?

What could your day look like if you let it unfold instead of trying to force it?