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Rowan Sanan (he/him/his), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

Learning to trust myself and my intuition has been a journey that has required a lot of patience. In a world filled with constant noise and influence from the internet or the surrounding community, it’s easy to lose sight of one’s inner voice—our intuition. It is important to uncover that sense to help cultivate self-awareness, confidence and authenticity in everyday life. In my case, learning to trust myself has helped me embrace that intuition, no matter what comes my way. 

The first step for me was to have compassion for myself. Treating myself with kindness, understanding and forgiveness instead of berating myself for all my mistakes helped me offer myself the same compassion I would offer another. This shift helped me realize my worth—which has been challenging for me my entire life—and laid the foundation of self-trust. 

Over the years, I have strengthened that sense of self and listened more closely to my intuition. Learning to be independent has forced me to learn how to trust my intuition, on what to avoid and who to surround myself with. I have also been able to seek less validation from others, trusting myself to know when I am doing the right thing and allowing me to build my confidence independently of others’ influences. Instead of relying on the noise around me to push me in one direction, I can rely on myself to pave my path forward. 

Another step towards self-trust includes taking risks and stepping outside the comfort zone. It takes a lot of courage to do so, but believing in your ability to grow and explore is worth it. Since starting university, I’ve discovered more about myself through interacting with the world and other people. With all these new experiences, I have been challenged many times—but through each challenge, learning how to solve issues and trust my gut effectively has saved me a lot of trouble. Instead of letting fear hold me back, I embrace opportunities of uncertainty, taking risks to strengthen my confidence in myself. Of course, these risks are always calculated and never include putting myself in danger, but even the smallest of risks, like talking to someone new, can have the highest rewards. 

Something I struggled with on my journey to trusting myself was embracing my imperfections. I am a perfectionist, afraid of rejection and petrified of making the wrong choices. So, it was hard for me to understand that my mistakes do not reflect my worth. Mistakes are natural, they are a part of the human experience and they are a learning process. They are an opportunity for self-discovery and are oftentimes inevitable. Instead of ruminating over these mistakes and failures, I used them as a guide to develop my sense of intuition and resilience. 

Trusting myself required me to set boundaries, not only for myself, but for others. I am afraid of rejection and I am a people-pleaser. This journey taught me to say no when my intuition tells me something wasn’t right, even if that meant letting someone down. I prioritized my well-being and cultivated healthier, more fulfilling relationships that served all parties equally. Still, I sought support from my friends, mentors and family, who encouraged me to trust myself and continue on this journey. Their reassurance and validation helped me stay on my path, even through all the self-doubt and fear. Surrounding myself with this community helped me feel seen, heard and valued. The right support from the right people can help foster your support for yourself, too. 

The last step I took was learning to celebrate my successes. With my fears of rejection and my people-pleasing nature, it was hard for me to see any success as a true “win.” Everything felt less than perfect, even if nothing else could be done to improve. In this journey I began to acknowledge my achievements and growth, affirming myself and reinforcing my trust in myself. Every milestone reached—a new job, a completed assignment, self-care—reminds me of my resilience and strength. This step relied a lot on the support from my community, lifting me when I couldn’t do so myself. 

Through my journey to trusting myself, I have discovered so much about myself and fostered an incredible sense of compassion and intuition, while also teaching myself incredible lessons on taking risks outside my comfort zone, setting boundaries and celebrating my successes, no matter how small. While the journey continues to this day, the lessons it provides are constantly teaching me more about myself and my community, to the point where I can navigate life’s challenges with grace and authenticity, knowing that I can trust myself to thrive. 

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Rowan is a university student who loves to write books and poetry, read all kinds of books and spend time with his family and pets.