The Quiet Power Behind Great Decisions | How Trusting Your Instinct Opens Doors You Can’t Yet See
I’ve learned that some of the most pivotal moves in life don’t come with fanfare. They don’t arrive fully formed, gift-wrapped in logic or backed by spreadsheets. Instead, they start with something quieter. A flicker. A whisper. A wild little yes you can’t ignore.
That’s exactly what came through during my recent conversation with Kofi Siriboe and Josiah David Jones for the Shaping Freedom® podcast. These two creators—artistically gifted, spiritually grounded, deeply intentional—spoke about their work, their purpose, and the invisible thread that guides them. What emerged wasn’t just a conversation about art or curation. It was a testimony to what happens when we trust something deeper than a plan.
Kofi called it obedience. Not to rules or institutions, but to the call within. The one that won’t leave you alone. The one that nudges you when you’re tired, pulls you when you’re unsure, and speaks a truth your mind hasn’t caught up with yet. Listening to him talk about founding TOLA (The Other LA)—a co-creative retreat space for Black artists in New Orleans—reminded me that instinct is often the first architect. Not the blueprint. The belief.
“Some of the most pivotal moves in life don’t come with fanfare. They start with something quieter. A flicker. A whisper. A wild little yes YOU CAN’T IGNORE.”
Here are three key insights I walked away with about trusting your gut—and why it’s more than intuition. It’s a commitment to honoring your own deep knowing, even when the road ahead hasn’t yet appeared.
1. Obedience is a muscle, not a moment.
When Kofi spoke about TOLA, he didn’t describe it like a polished business plan. He described a download. A feeling. A call to step into something unknown and soul-shaping. “Obedience is not always easy,” he said. That stayed with me. It reminded me that obedience—true obedience to self or spirit—isn’t a singular leap. It’s a practice. It’s listening again when the next message comes, and again when the noise of the world tries to drown it out.
That level of trust requires bravery. Not the showy kind, but the quiet kind that says: I’m willing to follow this, even if no one else sees it yet.
2. Your gut often speaks in discomfort. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
We like to imagine intuition as this graceful, glowing compass. Sometimes, though, it feels more like a knot in the stomach. A wave of restlessness. A sense that something in your life no longer fits—even if it looks perfect on paper.
Josiah talked about the silence that followed a creative high—after months of pouring himself into an exhibition, he found himself depleted, disconnected from his routines, and reminded of the rituals that root him. That moment wasn’t a failure. It was his gut calling him back to center.
I’ve been there too. When the life you’ve designed starts to chafe against the life that wants to be born. In those moments, your instinct might not feel like clarity. It might feel like discomfort. But it’s still pointing you forward.
3. When you follow your gut, you don’t just change your life. You create space for others.
This was perhaps the most beautiful thread that ran through our entire conversation. Whether it was the exhibitions they curated or the energy they created, both Kofi and Josiah are building spaces that invite others to come home to themselves. And it all started with a personal yes. A personal call. A moment of choosing to trust what hadn’t yet taken shape.
That’s the thing about instinct. It rarely shows up just for you. When honored, it ripples. It makes room. It frees others to follow the sound of their own knowing. This is the sacred responsibility of leadership—not to have all the answers, but to model what it looks like to follow the question.
“That’s the thing about instinct. It rarely shows up just for you. When honored, it ripples. It frees others to follow the sound of their own knowing.”
I’ve always believed that shaping freedom begins inside. With the choices we make, the courage we claim, and the voices we listen to—especially when they come from within.
What I witnessed in this conversation was not just creative brilliance. It was what happens when we obey. When we trust the inner tug, even when it doesn’t come with certainty. When we say yes to building something that doesn’t yet exist. That is the kind of leadership we need more of. That is how legacies are shaped—not from the outside in, but from the inside out.
So if you feel the nudge, the call, the whisper: listen. You don’t need the full map. You just need the first step—and the courage to take it.
Because that quiet voice? It’s not noise. It’s your future, calling you home.
TL;DR (Too Long Didn’t Read)
Obedience to your instinct is a practice, not a one-time leap—it requires ongoing trust, especially when the next step isn’t visible yet.
Your gut may speak through discomfort, not clarity—but that tension is often the signal, not the problem.
When you trust your instinct, you don’t just change your life—you create space for others to do the same.
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