Yesterday, I accompanied a friend to a custom color analysis consultation with my teacher and mentor, Donna Cognac. It was a wonderful day and I felt privileged to have been a part of the process, as I always am with my own clients. There’s nothing quite like helping someone connect with their true essence and giving them the tools to express that authenticity in the outside world.
After the session was over, my friend, who had had some unsuccessful color analyses in the past, remarked how the new colors felt so right, and how she had always suspected that those colors were right for her, only to be told by previous color consultants that she was wrong. These comments made me think yet again about the power of our own inner voice. People like color analysts, style consultants, coaches, spiritual teachers, and healers can be incredibly helpful guides, supporters, even cheerleaders throughout the process of discovering who we are. But no one can ever replace your own inner voice. You may experience fear and self-doubt; you may not want to acknowledge it; but on some level, you always know.
Of course it’s very important to consider other opinions and advice. Outside perspectives can be incredibly illuminating, provided they are offered in the spirit of unconditional support. A thoughtful consultant or guide will always tell you to give new ideas some time, to let them digest a bit instead of rejecting them outright, but in the end to do what feels right to you, since the responsibility of the final choice is, and should always be, yours. In the end you may end up accepting the information, or feeling even more certain that it’s wrong. But if someone is telling you in no uncertain terms that you don’t know yourself, that all your intuition and hunches about yourself are wrong, they are taking away your power. Knowingly or not, they are stripping away your faith, your self-confidence, and your sacred right to make your own choices.
The truth is, we all go through disempowering experiences at one time or another. They are there to teach us, to push us forward, to challenge our self-perceptions. Today I want to encourage you to never give up on your inner voice, despite what anyone, and I mean anyone, tells you. All you need to do is to quiet the inner doubts and fears and really listen. The strength, power, and beauty of that voice you’ll hear may surprise you.
Brainy Beauty Talk 
Ahhh, so true, fantastic post Valeria! Having gone through some bad color analysis experiences myself, and personal life experiences where others have tried to tell me I wasn’t seeing myself clearly, this post hits home for me!
Other’s opinions can give us an alternative perspective on things we may not have seen before, it is useful to consider things from other angles than our own. But in the end what matters most is what resonates with us—everything else is just noise. WE are the ones that have to live with our choices, and accepting another person’s perception of what is right for us over our own *is* a choice and one we should never feel pressured to make, the consequences of giving up our power without feeling that is the best course of action in that moment are fear, self-doubt, and a wounding of our own self perception.
On occasion it is possible for someone to see us clearer than we are seeing ourselves (such as when dealing with an illness) but by large and far we know ourselves better than anyone else can and owe it to ourselves to own it.
Thank you Tiara. You said it so well. Outside perspective is amazing even when it’s challenging, but only if it ultimately nurtures our inner truth and self confidence.
Wonderful post Valeria. You have a very good writer and gifted wordsmith…..amoung all your other talents!!!
I meant to say you ARE a very good writer.
Thank you so much Donna! It was a privilege watching you work and so much fun. I hope to visit you soon for a custom palette of my own!