That inner knowing

I’m reading Howard Schultz’ fascinating recount of how he built Starbucks (as an abridged audiobook, that is), and one thing that struck me the way he described this inner knowing that told him that he just had to get involved with Starbucks, and that he just had to change it from a retail store for roasted coffee beans into a worldwide chain of coffee bars.

That inner knowing is something that I think we all know, yet frequently ignore. It’s certainly something I’ve felt strongly on several occasions. An inner knowing that Fearless Entrepreneurs is what I have to pursue. An inner knowing that I just have to live in the San Francisco bay area. That inner knowing can be so subtle, yet so clear, almost like a voice speaking to us.

Where does this inner knowing come from? I don’t know. Your soul, perhaps? Your higher self? Steve Jobs would probably say “your heart and intuition”.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

But when it speaks, it pays to listen, even though it can be frightening.

Everything else is secondary.