Decision making can pose its challenges. I say… when in doubt, go with your gut! Should I or shouldn’t I, will I or won’t I, Do I or Don’t I? Whether it is about eating dessert, starting a business or buying a new car, the right answer lies within us. There is an internal “voice” that motivates our actions and we either accept it or fight against it. When I am faced with a hot fudge sundae at the end of a day where I have stuck to my “diet”, my gut screams at me, “DON”T DO IT!!!!” On a good day, I listen. I trust myself and I act based on that inner voice. I wake up the next morning feeling good about myself and feeling confident. Not just because I didn’t add those extra calories, but because I listened to the voice inside me that was put there to protect me. I also know how I feel when I’m with a friend who eagerly wants an “eating buddy” and persuades me to eat the sundae and disregard my inner voice. That person has their own agenda and doesn’t have MY best interest at heart. I wake the next day feeling disappointed in myself. Not just because I added the calories, but because I wasn’t true to myself. We often seek advice or counsel from those we deem smarter or wiser than ourselves. Those people may have a skill set that we don’t posses BUT do they have our intuition? Do they have our insight? Do they really understand our passion or desire for what we are facing a decision about? Most importantly… are they completely objective? I recently found myself in a situation where I observed this exact struggle in another woman. It seemed so obvious that her inner voice was screaming, “DO IT!” It was motivating her actions and she was saying, “YES! THIS IS WHAT I WANT!” Not once, but several times. Yet each time she listened to her inner voice, she was advised not to obey it. Ultimately, she disregarded her instinct, her gut, her inner voice and followed the guidance of this external source. As a doula, this saddens me. As a woman, it infuriates me. We are capable and confident women. We are given a gut to go with for a reason. At the end of the day, we must do what feels right for us individually and we must be proudly able to look ourselves in the eye after all that we do. I learned a long time ago that nothing is a fail. In all that we do only three things can happen. We can learn, grow or succeed! If we are lucky, we will do all three! Go with your gut and seize the day! That’s what I’ll be doing…