The past few months I’ve been asking anyone and everyone for their advice and opinions on how to start my Acupuncture practice. I’ve picked the brains of different acupuncturist in my town who already have a successful practice. Gotten the opinion of doctors and chiropractors. Been on the phone for hours with girlfriends, bouncing ideas off of them. And have searched the web for “experts” in this industry to see if I could model their path. In the end I was left with lots of different opinions, little tidbits of advice, and was more confused then ever.

It seemed that the more advice I got, the more confused I got. One persons opinion would directly contradict another’s, and so on and so on. I was looking for someone to show me a clear direct path to success, but what I got was a bunch of twists and U-turns with a few roundabouts thrown in. My brain felt jumbled and I found myself feeling unsure of my future and not knowing what step to take next.

I realized that asking for so many opinions was doing more harm then good. I also realized that there is no direct path to success. The fact that everyone had a different opinion was actually good, because it meant that  there was no “right” way to do things. That I have many different paths I can take.  So I stopped asking for advice, and got quiet and started listening to myself. I upped my meditation practice to 30 minutes every morning, and spent time journaling every evening. And I kept my focus on one day at a time and stopped looking so far into the future. Instead of asking everyone else for advice I started to ask my heart.

Soon the brain fog from my advice overload began to dissipate. I started to get clear on what I actually want, what are my strengths, and how can I use them to my advantage. I also got clear on what pieces of advice resonated , and what did not. Through this process everything started to come together and I was able to create my own path. I now know exactly what direction I am going in and what action steps to take. And after all that I am not following any one persons advice in particular, instead I am following my own.

I’m a big believer in getting feedback, which is why I asked advice from anyone who would listen to me. I also believe in modeling. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. If someone is successful in your field find out what they did to get there. But, as I learned there is a time when seeking advice and modeling can be more detrimental then beneficial. It’s when you are so frantically trying to take in everyone else’s thoughts that you forget to listen to that little voice in your head that’s whispering to you exactly the answer you seek.

And lets get real here. Opinions are like (insert dirty word), everybody’s got one. If you start asking for advice, you are going to get it. People love to tell other people what to do. Whether the advice would work for you is irrelevant. Others are speaking from their own personal experience, which goes along with their past, their personality, and their own beliefs. What worked for someone else may not work for you simply because you’re a different person, with a different personality, and different strengths. So if you are seeking advice and what you receive doesn’t feel right you, it’s because its not.

So not that you asked, but here’s my advice: When trying to make a decision go ahead and seek advice and get some feedback.  Ask a variety of different people in your life who’s opinion you value. And seek out experts when appropriate. But don’t become attached to any of it. Instead take an inventory. What opinion resonates with you? If what someone says rings true to you take it and leave the rest. Then spend some time getting quiet. Start meditating or going on walks. But give yourself a week, if you can, to just tune into your heart. I guarantee if you take the time to get quiet and listen to yourself things will get clear for you.

You may find that the best thing for you would be to follow someone else’s advice. Or maybe you’ll piece together a bunch of different opinions to form your own. Either way you’ll be doing what’s right for you. And here is the most important part. Once you’ve made your decision commit to it and don’t let others sway you. At this point people will continue to throw advice at you whether you want it or not. Some might even it tell you that you are making a mistake. Don’t let that change your mind and have you start doubting yourself. Instead just use it as fuel to prove them wrong. Because the bottom line is that if you are following your heart you can be rest assured that you are on your right path and you are making the right decision.

So talk to me, does this advice resonate with you?