All Systems Are Go: Inner Readiness
By Susan Knight | Tuning in to our inner sense of readiness gives us confidence to act, even when things don’t fully make sense or we’re entering unfamiliar territory.
Written by Susan Knight | Seeking Veritas Columnist | Sankarsingh-Gonsalves Productions.
We’re all familiar with that powerful, inner go-ahead signal that comes from deep within us. It’s that inner sense of readiness that lets you know it’s time to act. You might not be able to put it into words, but you know it when you feel it. You might even find it near impossible to ignore it because it’s so clear and compelling.
In his book ‘Notes to Myself: My Struggle to Become a Person’, Hugh Prather describes how there are times when people ask him why he hasn’t done such-and-such yet, and the reason is because he hasn’t yet received that inner go-ahead signal. He describes it as the feeling of “now is the time to do it.” He points out that while the sensation is clear and tangible, there’s no specific word for it in the English language. He compares the feeling to the well-known launch signal: “All systems are go.”
I’ve witnessed this inner go-ahead signal in action repeatedly with the clients I’ve coached. When asked why they’ve chosen that particular time to make changes and get healthy after years of putting it off, their response is simply, “I’m ready.” Firm and resolute, with no hesitation. Even without knowing exactly how they’ll achieve their goal or what the process will entail, that inner sense of readiness is enough to make them commit to a course of action with confidence.
How has that intuitive go-ahead signal shown up in your life? How has it prompted you to take action in a particular way, at a particular time? While I’ve experienced that signal many times throughout my own life, one of the standout events is when it led me to sign up with an online dating site.
Whenever friends would ask me if or when I planned to try online dating, my response was always the same: I wasn’t remotely interested. I was still reeling from a divorce which, although amicable, was devastating none the less. On top of that, online dating was still relatively new at the time, and the idea of meeting someone that way seemed strange and weird to me.
Time passed, and then the “I’m ready” moment came, the moment when that intuitive, inner go-ahead signal kicks in. Seemingly overnight, I found myself in an entirely different frame of mind; all the concerns and reservations I had vanished. I chose the site that seemed most appropriate for what I was looking for, completed the registration process, and set up my profile. Inwardly, that go-ahead signal was crystal clear and I knew with absolute certainty that it was the right time, which could only mean one thing: there was someone special I was destined to meet.
As I perused profile matches, it didn’t take long before one profile stood out from the rest. Among the things he couldn’t live without: his dog (a smart border collie), his guitar, and Bach’s Goldberg Variations by Glenn Gould. I found myself being drawn in by his intelligence, depth, stability, maturity, and strong artistic bent, coupled with a completely unpretentious, down-to-earth attitude. As our online communication moved into the real world, it didn’t take long before I was convinced we were a perfect fit for one another — and I was right.
There are times when that intuitive go-ahead sensation possesses a quality that seems almost magical. It energizes us and gives us confidence. It allows us to go forward with conviction, even if the circumstances don’t quite make sense or we’re entering new and unfamiliar territory. When we operate in line with that sensation, somehow the pieces almost always fall into place, sometimes in a spectacular fashion beyond anything we could have carefully planned or imagined.
Important as that sense of inner readiness is, we can find ourselves losing touch with it. Obligations, distractions, life pressures, and a steady bombardment of societal messages telling us what we “should” be doing can lead to excess noise that drowns out that inner signal. Stress, worry, physical or emotional exhaustion, and even our own internal dialogue can produce static that causes interference. Over time, this kind of disruption can cloud our minds and throw us off course, leading to skewed judgment and poor decision making. Or we find ourselves struggling with confusion and we become indecisive.
On the other hand, when we’re fully attuned to that sense of inner readiness in our lives, the confusion, cloudiness, and ambiguity dissipate. Our thinking becomes clear. We might not have all the answers or a perfect view of the road ahead, but that doesn’t matter. Once we detect that go-head signal from within, we can declare “I’m ready” and confidently take the next step, opening ourselves up to whatever lies ahead.
About the Author
Susan Knight | SGP Featured Writer | http://skfreelance.com
Susan is certified health and wellness coach, focusing on personal growth and inner wellness. She was a regular contributor to Social Work Today Magazine and is now a featured Health & Wellness Columnist for SGP.
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This is true of everything in a person's life, isn't it? When we are attuned to ourselves, we have our fingers on our own "go ahead" pulse and there is nothing like knowing you are ready - truly ready - to take that next step. Love it!
So much truth in this article Susan Knight. That "go ahead signal" does feel magical. It's as if we are in tune with something larger than ourselves. When it arrives, we become energized and can't help but feel that the universe is conspiring to help us out. You're right, our daily distractions and stresses can make it hard to receive, but when it lands, it is like a faith that everything will just turn out alright.
Thank you for this. A great reminder to stay in tune and open to the "coincidental" messages that often come our way but get missed.