Trust the nudge
Purpose rarely arrives with a map.
Hi, my friend!
This weekend, I was upstate on a retreat when I got a quiet but very clear intuitive nudge: go on a hike.
No big reason or strategic benefit. Heck, it was barely exercise. Just this deep pull.
So I followed it.
We started up the mountain not knowing exactly where we were going, just trusting the path in front of us. And when we finally reached the top, something unexpected happened.
There, at the crest of the mountain, was a prayer circle of about 30 women.
They were singing. They were praying. Their voices were rising into the air like something ancient and alive.
And in that exact moment, us arriving, them already there, it felt like the world had aligned itself into a kind of perfect, impossible choreography. Kismet.
Music in the air.
Wind on our skin.
Mountains beneath us.
Something bigger moving through all of it.
It was breathtaking. Not just visually, but energetically. Like being reminded, very viscerally, that there is something guiding us that is far more intelligent than our plans. (Thank the divine for that!).
And I kept thinking afterward about how easily I could have dismissed that nudge.
But that’s the thing about intuition, it rarely announces the full meaning in advance. It only asks for trust.
And The Purpose Practice, for me, is exactly that:
It’s the practice of treating your inner knowing as real intelligence.
It’s not something to be overridden with logic, though that is very tempting. It’s not something that gets to be externally validated. It’s something to honor even if it doesn’t quite make sense yet.
And what this moment reminded me is that purpose isn’t always loud or linear. Sometimes it looks like following something small and quiet, only to realize later that you were being led into something far bigger than you could have orchestrated on your own.
The Purpose Practice (to try this week)
Here’s a simple way to work with this in your own life:
1. Notice the nudge.
For the next few days, pay attention to the small inner pulls that don’t come with a full explanation. A place you feel drawn to go. A conversation you keep thinking about. A decision that feels slightly “illogical” but ALIVE. (Aliveness is my favorite signpost these days!)
2. Don’t over-justify it.
Instead of asking, “Does this make sense?” try asking, “Does this feel quietly alive in me?”
3. Take one small step.
Not the whole path. Just the next step that the nudge is pointing toward.
4. Stay present for the reveal.
Notice what unfolds after you listen. Not to turn it into a formula but to build trust in your own knowing.
So this week, I hope you will trust the nudge and take the first step.
We are being guided more often than we realize.
And the more we learn to trust that guidance in a sincere way, the more life starts to meet us in ways we could never have planned.
Even at the top of mountains.
Especially at the top of mountains.
Amina xx
Community Spotlight
ANDI on Substack: I’m loving my friend Stacey Lindsay’s Substack, ANDI, a thoughtful exploration of work, identity, relationships, and what it means to become more fully ourselves. Stacey is one of the most gifted writers and storytellers I know. If you’re craving nuanced conversations about modern womanhood and the human experience, it’s my new favorite read.
The Conscious Leap: My friend Kvon Tucker has launched The Conscious Leap, a leadership and life transition experience designed to help people navigate change with greater clarity, intention, and self-awareness. As organizations continue to rethink how they support employees through periods of transition (errr layoffs from AI!), I think this would be a meaningful addition to severance and outplacement packages, particularly for HR leaders looking to offer support that extends beyond résumé writing and job placement. If you’re in the in-between, this well-priced and robust program is for you!
Career Forecast
For this month’s reading, I pulled The Observer, Patience, and Destruction, all which suggest that an important transition is unfolding beneath the surface.
The Observer invites you to pause before rushing into action. Instead of immediately trying to solve, decide, or optimize, spend some time paying attention. Notice what energizes you, what drains you, and where your ambitions feel truly aligned versus inherited or performative. Also, notice where you are too observational and don’t take enough action. We need balance between the two energies.
Patience reminds us that not every season is meant for acceleration. Some seasons are meant for becoming. Trust that your growth is happening in its own time, even if the results aren’t yet visible.
And then there is Destruction. While it may sound ominous, this card is often about liberation. Something in your professional life is ready to be released, whether that be a limiting belief, an outdated identity, a role you’ve outgrown, or a definition of success that no longer fits.
The invitation this month is simple: observe what is no longer aligned, trust the timing of your evolution, and have the courage to let go of what is ready to fall away.
Sometimes the next chapter begins not by adding something new, but by releasing what no longer belongs.
Book me to speak: If you are interested in bringing the conversation around purposeful ambition to your organization, conference, or ERG, hit reply to this email and let’s schedule a time to talk.
Work with me 1:1: If you’re interested in building a more purposeful and profitable career, the joyful way, book a consult right here.
