not everything is for you; following your intuition
Not everything is for you. In fact, I would argue that most things are not for you. Not even remotely close to being for you. Think about it...we live in the age of information...the Aquarian Age, if you will. There is SO MUCH STUFF to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Our senses are inundated with information to interpret in every which way from every single direction.
Go to the grocery store and peer down the bread aisle, if you're brave. I highly doubt you've tried every brand or seed blend. Why would you? You know what you like. You know what you don't. You know what's for you and what isn't. The same should be remembered for bigger choices in your life. People to hang with, vocations, ways to make money, spaces to be in, etc. Not everything is for you.
Knowing what is for you and what is not will save you so much time, energy, resources, and heartache in your life. Getting in tune with your intuition is key. After all, it's there to guide you when you are overwhelmed and overstimulated by the plethora of choices surrounding you. We are constantly being conditioned and influenced by the environment, people, and events happening around us. Going inward to listen to your own guidance system becomes that much more important when making decisions for yourself.
For many years I did not know how to do this. I would make decisions out of alignment and then trust myself less, which created a negative feedback system within myself. Since then, I've used tons of ways to get into alignment with my true self. And there is no one way to do it. It depends on the person and what resonates with them.
These days, and for the last several years, one of my favorite ways to get in tune with my intuition is to follow my Strategy and Authority within the Human Design System. This may be because I have one of the more unique subtypes in HD, which makes my S+A a bit simpler (not easier by any means) to follow. If you're familiar with the system, you'll know what I mean when I tell you I'm a Mental Projector. If not, I've written about this a bit here. If you're unfamiliar, you can find an easy breakdown of what I'm talking about here. Many people have found HD to be a complete life saver and gone beyond the first few layers of the system to explore the inner nuances and still found resonance when applying its principles to their lives. I'm one of them. It's definitely worth a look.
Another way to get in tune with your intuition is to connect with your star signs. Start with your astrological MOON (not sun) sign. This placement is who you are when no one else is around. This is who you are TO YOU. For example, my sun is in Aries but my moon is in Virgo. Around others, I can be energetic and fire-y and spontaneous. Alone, I am quite introspective. Quiet. Slow. Analytical. Get in touch with the part of you that exists when no one is around. Embody the characteristics of that sign and see where it takes you. Connect with that sign's element. Keep an open mind as you experiment with this.
Another suggestion I'll leave here for the magickally inclined: divination. Divination can be many different things. You can divine with physical objects like dowsing rods, Tarot, oracle decks, pendulums, tea leaves, coffee grounds, bones, runes, ouija boards, scrying balls, etc.; but there are also nonphysical ways of divining. Of the latter, my favorite is what I simply call "dreamwork." That is, intentionally interacting with your dreams. It's a loose definition because there is no one way to do this and I don't believe in placing limits on deeply personal spiritual work. But I will tell you how I go about doing it.
I keep a dream journal. I've written a bit about this before.. Most of the time, I'm writing in it the next morning--or in the middle of the night (whenever I wake up from a dream I want to write down)--to record what I saw, what it felt like, who was there, and anything else significant like colors or shapes or animals that may hold meaning for me. I then read through it and apply its symbology to what's happening in my life.
But there are other ways to use a dream journal... like asking questions to your own higher self before falling asleep in order to receive an answer when your conscious mind is less active. I find this to be extremely effective. It may be because I have a very active mind and sleep is one of the only times when that mind gets respite and allows messages or "downloads" to come through the subconscious and into my conscious awareness. This method works well for those who dream vividly and/or lucidly. If you don't, there are teas and herbs that can assist you in your endeavor. Use Google.😏
Remember this when you are feeling overwhelmed with the options in your immediate field: you are not meant to consume everything. You are an incredibly unique individual, no matter how the world seems to lump us all together. Find your own way. Develop your unique way of connecting to your intuition. Listen to it. Find what resonates. Act in alignment... as much as you can. But don't expect to be perfect. Life is messy. Enjoy the ride.